Our Favorite Best Triple Chocolate Layer Cake Recipe
Chocolate lovers, this one’s for you! If you’re looking for the richest, most decadent, most indulgent chocolate cake, you’re going to want to keep reading. This triple chocolate cake recipe is an absolute show-stopper and a chocolate fan’s dream. Delicious, decadent, and ready for the spotlight, you’ve got to try making this one.
Why You’ll Love This Triple Chocolate Cake Recipe
It’s super chocolatey: With a deep, dark chocolate cake, fluffy white chocolate whipped ganache, and a creamy chocolate American buttercream, we’re packing tons and tons of rich chocolate flavor into just one little layer cake.
It’s a professional-grade recipe that home bakers can pull off: Although these recipes come from the ECBG kitchens, home bakers can totally handle making this cake. Measure, mix, and follow your recipe and you’ll have a triple chocolate cake anyone will love.
It’s the perfect cake for any occasion: Great for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or even a fancy dinner party, this cake always delivers.
It’s moist, rich, and super decadent: With tender, moist cake layers filled with a rich, creamy whipped ganache, and topped off with a silky, luxe buttercream, this cake screams “perfect dessert.”
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake:
678g all-purpose flour
220g unsweetened cocoa powder
15g salt
15g baking powder
22g baking soda
988g sugar
248g eggs
594g milk
272g vegetable oil
6g vanilla extract
584g HOT water
For the White Chocolate Whipped Ganache:
275g white chocolate
500g heavy cream
10g vanilla extract
15g vanilla paste
5g salt
For the Chocolate Ganache:
700g dark chocolate chips
20g vanilla
5g salt
600g heavy whipping cream
20g butter
For the Chocolate American Buttercream:
1362g butter
10g salt
250g heavy whipping cream
20g vanilla
1160g powdered sugar
100g cocoa powder
425g chocolate ganache
Instructions
Make the chocolate cake batter:
Preheat the oven and prep the cake pans: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 2-3 round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set the pans aside.
Prep the dry ingredients: Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk well to combine.
Mix the sugar and eggs: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk together the sugar and eggs until frothy and well combined.
Mix the wet ingredients: Add the milk, oil, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine.
Make the batter: With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry and wet ingredients in alternating batches to the stand mixer with the egg mixture. Mix until just combined.
Add the water: Slowly whisk in the hot water until just combined. Do not overmix your batter.
Bake the cake: Divide the batter evenly between your prepared cake pans. Transfer the pans to the preheated oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Rotate the pans after 15 minutes for even baking.
Cool: Remove the cake pans from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack to cool. Make sure your cake layers cool completely before attempting to fill, frost, and assemble your cake.
Make the white chocolate whipped ganache filling:
Heat the base: Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, vanilla paste, and salt in a medium saucepan until it steams.
Pour over the chocolate: Put the chopped white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and pour the steaming mixture over the chocolate. Let it sit for about 1 minute.
Blend the ganache: Use an immersion blender to blend the ganache until silky smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a whisk. It just won’t ever get quite as silky as with an immersion blender.
Chill the ganache: Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ganache and chill it overnight.
Whip the ganache: The next day, transfer the chilled ganache to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip it until it holds peaks. Don’t overmix it.
Make the chocolate ganache:
Heat the cream: Add the cream to a small saucepan and heat it until it steams.
Melt the chocolate: Place the chocolate, vanilla, and salt in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the steaming cream over the top of the chocolate mixture.
Whisk: Whisk the chocolate mixture until smooth, then add the butter, then whisk again until well combined.
Blend and cool: Use an immersion blender to blend the ganache for a glassy, silky finish. Let cool completely.
Make the rich chocolate frosting:
Whip the butter: Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip the butter until it’s pale and fluffy.
Add additional ingredients: With the mixer on slow, drizzle in the cream and vanilla, then add the sifted powdered sugar and cocoa powder a little at a time.
Add the ganache: Add the cooled chocolate ganache to the mixture. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Turn the mixer on medium-high speed to whip the frosting once more.
How to Assemble Your Triple Chocolate Cake
When you’re ready to build your cake, place a small dollop of frosting in the center of a cake board, cake stand, or large serving plate or platter. Make sure the cake layers are flat on top, if they’re not, carefully trim them with a serrated knife. Place the first layer on top of the frosting. Add a generous layer of the white chocolate whipped ganache. Repeat until you’ve stacked all of the layers. Using an offset spatula, frost the outside with a thin layer of chocolate buttercream. This is your crumb coat, which is designed to catch any crumbs and keep the outer layer of frosting clean and polished.
Place the entire cake in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. Then, remove from the freezer and frost the outside of the cake with a generous amount of chocolate buttercream (make sure it's an even layer on top of the cake and all around the sides). Chill it again. Decorate it however you’d like. Then, store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. Make sure you pull the cake out of the fridge in time for the cake to come to room temperature before slicing and serving. It’ll give you the best texture.
FAQs
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You sure can! Bake and cool the chocolate cake layers, then wrap them in a tight layer of plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 2 weeks. When you’re ready to assemble your cake, pull the layers out of the freezer and thaw them (keep them wrapped while thawing).
You can also make the ganache and buttercream in advance. They’ll hold up well when stored in airtight containers in the fridge for a few days. Make sure to whip them to get back to the right texture and consistency before assembling and frosting your cake.
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It’s important! The hot water blooms the cocoa powder, making your cake extra rich and moist. Don’t skip this step! It’s not worth it.
If you're really not interested in hot water, try using hot coffee instead. It'll amp up the flavor of the chocolate cake.
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Always make sure you’re working with high-quality baking chocolate. Other than that, there aren’t a ton of rules. You can use your favorite brand and go for something darker or even slightly sweeter, based on your preference. Just make sure to keep the overall vision in mind when picking your chocolates. You don’t want to end up with something way too sweet (or way too bitter).
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Store leftover cake in an airtight container, cake box, or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. It should stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Let the cake come back to room temperature before enjoying for best results.
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Technically no, you can use buttercream between the cake layers instead if you want. But you’ll love the silky smooth, creamy, sweet whipped ganache when paired with the decadent cake and chocolate-y buttercream.
This rich and indulgent triple chocolate cake is perfect for just about any celebration. Whether you’re baking for a birthday, anniversary, or weekend dinner party, this cake recipe is just what you’re looking for.
Ready to get baking? Make sure you have everything you need—shop Erin’s favorite baking tools or brush up on your technique with our in-person or online cake decorating classes.
Prefer to leave things to the pros? Shop our semi-custom cakes in our Cake Shop or reach out to inquire about custom cakes and wedding cakes. We can’t wait to work with you!
