By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 16
235 cal · 45 min
Moist Chocolate Layer Cake
Recipe GLPR7b54065af3891b
A rich and decadent chocolate layer cake with a tender, moist crumb. The deep chocolate flavor is enhanced by instant coffee, and the batter is finished with hot water to create an incredibly moist cake. Perfect for special occasions and serves 16 people. This cake is best frosted with your favorite chocolate frosting once completely cooled.
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Ingredients
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon instant coffee
1 cup boiling water
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until well blended.
Add the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the batter for 3 to 4 minutes until smooth and well combined.
Dissolve the instant coffee in the boiling water, stirring until completely dissolved.
Pour the hot coffee mixture into the batter and stir gently until just combined. The batter will be quite thin—this is normal and will result in a moist cake.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans, pouring half into each pan.
Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes.
Turn the cakes out onto wire cooling racks and let them cool completely to room temperature before frosting with your favorite chocolate frosting.
Comments
All ingredients are stocked at every major Charlotte chain—sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, instant coffee, and water require no special stops. The cost per serving lands around $0.35–$0.45, driven mainly by eggs and cocoa powder, which are cheap everywhere. The stated 45 minutes is honest for mixing and baking, though cooling the layers before frosting adds another 30–45 minutes off the clock; be ready for that. This is a crowd-pleaser that holds well for 2–3 days, reheats gently in a low oven, and feeds a family or a dinner party without fuss.
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