World's Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (2024)

Cake

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate broken into pieces
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 2 ¼ cups sugar
• 1 cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 ½ cups sour cream
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Frosting

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate broken up
• ½ cup shortening
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ⅓ cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.

• In a microwave-safe glass bowl, melt butter and chocolate together in microwave on HIGH until melted and smooth, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring half-way through. Set aside. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until blended.

• Add sour cream, eggs, 1 cup water, chocolate mixture and vanilla; beat 30 seconds on low speed, until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium; beat 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pans.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 32-40 minutes or until cake layers spring back when pressed (I baked mine for 35 minutes and it was a little too much . . . but every oven is different!).

• Cool layers in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes onto rack to cool completely.

• In a microwave-safe glass bowl, melt chocolate in microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Set aside. Beat shortening, butter, sour cream, milk, vanilla, salt, 1 cup of the sugar and the cocoa powder in a medium-size bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in remaining sugar and melted chocolate until thick and smooth.

• Place a cake layer on a pedestal (I just used a large plate. . . I have yet to invest in a pedestal!) Spread with about 2/3 cup frosting. Top with second layer; spread with about 2/3 cup more frosting. Top withremaining layer. Frost top and sides. Garnish with chocolate curls and berries if desired