Indulge your senses and satisfy your sweet tooth with the heavenly delight of a chocolate fudge cake. Imagine sinking your fork into six layers of decadent chocolaty goodness.

A three layers chocolate cake with choclate frosting on a white plate. — Chocolate Layer Cake. Photo Credit: Jere' Cassidy

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It happened this week that craving for something chocolaty. Have you had it too? These cravings won't go away until you do something about it. Then the chocolate craving morphed into a chocolate cake craving; it was all I could think about. The only thing to do was bake a cake, but I didn't want a huge layered cake sitting on my kitchen counter. If I had that much cake, I would eat a piece for breakfast, maybe some for lunch and probably another piece for a snack.

There is a solution to all this chocolate cake drama. Bake a single-layer cake and stack it to make a three-layer chocolate cake full of rich chocolate cake and a creamy, sweet, over-the-top delicious chocolate frosting.

Are you counting how many times I've said chocolate?

I personally love the thin layers of cake, and the presentation with the stacked layers adds a bit of indulgence.

Why you will love this cake

It's chocolate; what's not to love?

This cake uses simple ingredients - no fancy anything.
You don't need a mixer; a big bowl and a whisk work great for this cake.
Bake the cake in one pan.
It's a smaller-size cake - perfect for six servings.

Cake and Frosting Ingredients

Use basic pantry ingredients.

Flour - All-purpose flour
Brown sugar - I prefer dark brown sugar
Butter - Unsalted or salted butter works
Eggs -Large eggs
Cocoa powder - use an unsweetened cocoa powder
Chocolate - use good-quality chocolate
Vanilla - use real vanilla extract for the best flavor
Powdered sugar - also known as confectioner's sugar

How To Make A Layered Chocolate Cake: Step By Step

This cake is a dream to make since you don't need all kinds of equipment. Two bowls and a sturdy whisk will do it.

Step 1. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2. Mix melted butter, eggs, and vanilla, then whisk into the dry ingredients.

Step 3. Whisk hot water into the batter and stir to incorporate.

Step 4. Pour the batter into the prepared 13" x 9" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes.

Flour and cocoa powder mixed in a clear glass bowl. — Mix the dry ingredients

Pour beaten eggs into a bowl with flour and cocoa powder. — Mix the dry ingredients

When the cake has cooled, please remove it from the pan and get creative. Two simple cuts, and voila, you now have three tiny cakes to stack.

How To Make The Chocolate Frosting

So let's talk frosting; better yet, let's talk chocolate frosting. This is a super easy frosting recipe and turns out to be very soft and creamy with deep chocolate flavor.

Step 5. Melt chopped chocolate in a large bowl over a pot of simmering hot water.

Step 6. With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, then mix in the powdered sugar and milk until the icing is smooth and thick.

Melted chocolate in a glass bowl and a stick of butter. — Melted chocolate

Chocolate frosting in a clear glass bowl. — Melted chocolate

Cutting and icing the cake

Step 7. Remove the cooled cake from the pan and cut into three even pieces. Set one of the layers on your cake try.

A baked chocolate cake in a white baking dish. — The baked cake

A chocolate cake sliced into thirds on a wood board. — The baked cake

Step 8. Start with the bottom layer, frost the top of the cake, then start stacking. Finish the cake by frosting the sides, and if you like, grate some chocolate on top.

Spreading chocolate frosting on a chocolate cake. — Frosting the bottom cake layer

A chocolate frosted cake on a white plate. — Frosting the bottom cake layer

Underneath all the creamy frosting is three layers of moist, rich, chocolate cake.

A slice of chocolate cake on a white plate with a fork.

Make yourself a cup of this Vanilla Iced Coffee and enjoy a slice. If you are into coffee, you may want to read about my vintage pink percolator.

Don't forget to Pin to your Pinterest boards when you want a simple and delicious cake.

More Cakes To Bake

How about some fruity cakes like this Strawberry Sheet Cake with Strawberry Buttercream, or for something citrusy, bake this Lemon Bundt Cake or this Orange Bundt Cake?

Try another sheet cake recipe, but for this Pumpkin Sheet Cake, you don't have to depan it. Just bake, frost and serve in one pan.

Shop this recipe

You can be guaranteed that this Callebaut Chocolate will add that perfect chocolate flavor to all your baked goods. I love this heavy aluminum 13" x 9" cake pan with straight sides and frosting cakes with a 9 inch icing spatula. Don't forget a pretty rectangle platter for your cake.

More Chocolate Recipes

So, did you ever notice that there are no recipes for leftover chocolate.....I wonder why!!!

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Recipe

Chocolate Torte Cake

Jere' Cassidy

It is hard to resist a slice of this rich three-layer chocolate cake covered in a creamy chocolate buttercream frosting. A perfect dessert to cure your chocolate cravings.

4.86 from 47 votes

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Total Time 1

Course Cake

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 591 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake Ingredients

1 cup AP flour
½ cup brown sugar packed
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup melted butter
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
⅓ cup hot tap water

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

5 ounces Dark Chocolate chopped
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar sifted
6 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Making the cake

Preheat your oven to 350℉, and prepare a 13 x 9 x 2-inch sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl add the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, whisk together.
In a small bowl add the melted butter, eggs and vanilla and whisk to combine, then pour into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients, then scrape down the sides.
Add the hot water and mix into the batter with a whisk. Scrape the bowl and stir until the batter is smooth and combined. Use hot water from the tap.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread the batter to make a thin layer.
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a rack. Peel the parchment paper of the cake.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Melt the chocolate in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring constantly. The smaller the pieces of chocolate the easier it is to melt.
Remove the chocolate from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter into the melted chocolate until fluffy.
Add the 3 cups of powdered sugar and the milk, and continue beating until all ingredients are incorporated, and the mixture is smooth and fluffy. To avoid the powdered sugar from flying out of the bowl, add in one cup at a time.
You may have to adjust the frosting consistency with more milk if it is too thick or more powdered sugar if the mixture is too thin.

Frosting the Cake

Cut the cake into three equal pieces and lay one layer on a cake plate.
Spread frosting on the first cake layer, just on top, then top with the second cake layer and spread with frosting again.
Add the third layer of cake and spread the frosting on the top and sides of the cake.
Garnish with grated some chocolate over the top.
Place any leftover cake in an airtight container for up to three days.

Notes

Since this cake is all about the chocolate, make sure to use a good quality chocolate such as, Callebaut, Ghirardelli, Guittard for example.

Nutrition

Serving: 6slicesCalories: 591kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 5.4gFat: 30.1gCholesterol: 106mg

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First published: July 5, 2015. Last updated: May 21, 2023, for better readability.

Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog. Please leave a comment to say hello or tell me what you are baking these days; I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or want to chat about the recipe? Please visit my about page for information, and I’ll be happy to help!

About Jere'

From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.