This triple chocolate cake is rich, fluffy, filled with a rich and creamy whipped ganache, and topped with a chocolate drip. The cake layers are a one bowl, easy recipe and they turn out so moist and fluffy each time! The whipped ganache is ultra creamy and very easy to make as well. It’s less sweet and way more fluffy and decadent than a traditional buttercream.
Let's break it down
The cake: The chocolate cake layers couldn’t be any easier to make! And the results will impress everyone - they will never know. It’s a one bowl recipe so you just combine the wet ingredients and sift the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold with a whisk until it becomes a batter, divide into two baking pans, bake, and it’s really as easy as that!
You don’t need an electric mixer for this triple chocolate cake recipe - I used a wire whisk for everything.
The filling: The filling and frosting is a floofy whipped chocolate ganache which is equally rich, creamy, airy, and not too sweet. It's my favourite chocolate frosting to make!
Oh and did I mention how easy it is to make? All you have to do is pour hot cream over chocolate chips, let it sit a bit for it to melt, and then whisk until smooth. Then it needs to chill until it feels cold to the touch but still liquid. If it became solid, you can heat it up slightly in the microwave or on top of a double boiler until it becomes soft again.
Use a mixer or a wire whisk (what I used) to whisk it until it becomes thick and lightens in colour slightly. This will happen pretty quick, and it's easy to overwhip so be careful. See FAQ if the ganache became grainy and crumbly.
How to get the perfect drip
The perfect drip really is just a combination of a good recipe and experience. The more you practice the better you get!
This recipe uses semisweet chocolate chips so that you don't have to chop any chocolate and it doesn't turn out too sweet. You make it the same way you would a ganache - pour heavy cream over top, let it sit and whisk until smooth. Then you want to chill it, whisking from time to time to get the consistency of a caramel sauce.
The triple chocolate cake needs to chill in order for the ganache to actually form drips or else it will glaze the entire cake. I like to put the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill the outside. Then I pour some chocolate drip into the middle and use an offset spatula to push it to the edges (or you can use a spoon).
I like to have my ganache for dripping in a pourable measuring cup. This way it is easy to pour and to add more if needed.
FAQ
The most important step to getting buttery, light, and fluffy cake layers is making sure the flour is properly measured. I use a scale to weigh the flour for the most accurate results. A cheap kitchen scale works wonders. If you don’t have a scale on hand, you can measure the flour properly using dry measuring cups. Mix up your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife without packing in the flour. It isn’t as accurate as using a scale but is the next best option!
After adding the flour and cocoa powder into the cake batter, only fold the batter just until you stop seeing ribbons of dry ingredients. Overmixing will cause too much gluten to form which will make your cake dry and tough. I recommend using a whisk to fold because it will break up most of the clumps of flour.
I only recommend using natural cocoa powder for the cake because it reacts differently to Dutch processed. Natural cocoa powder is slightly acidic and will react with the baking soda to make a fluffy and richer flavoured chocolate cake.
This happens when the ganache is overwhipped. To fix this, just remelt the ganache over a double boiler or in the microwave in 5 second increments, stirring well in between. Let it cool completely and try again.
I use semi sweet chocolate chips because you don't have to chop them into small pieces, they're very accessible, and I like how they don't make the ganache too sweet.
I don't recommend using milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips because the ratios of cream to chocolate chips will be different.
Let the ganache for the drips cool before pouring over the cake. If it's too runny then it will just run down the cakes sides. I like it to be a thick syrup consistency.
Make sure you chill the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes before pouring the drips. Chill the cake again after dripping so that the drips set and stop running.
You can do a test drip on the backside of the triple chocolate cake to see if you like the consistency of the chocolate ganache. Use a spoon to drip a little bit of ganache off the edge of the cake. If the ganache is too thick, heat it up to thin it out. If it's too thin, continue chilling it until you get the consistency that you're comfortable with.
The triple chocolate cake needs to chill to get nicer drips that set faster. If you don't chill, the chocolate ganache will just keep running down the cake because it won't set as fast.
That is probably because it wasn't chilled enough. Pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes, stirring and scraping the sides halfway through to get it to chill faster.
Key Ingredients
Full ingredients and recipe are in the recipe card below. Read through this section for all the ingredient substitutions and baking tips!
Instant coffee: Just a touch of instant coffee is used to really amplify that rich chocolate flavour. If you don’t have instant coffee, you can replace the hot water with hot brewed coffee. Or you can leave out the instant coffee!
Buttermilk: this will give lots of moisture and acidity to help make it super fluffy. If you can’t find buttermilk you can use kefir instead. I don't recommend making your own buttermilk by combining milk and vinegar because it doesn't turn out as thick and the cake tends to sink in the middle a bit.
Vegetable oil: Vegetable oil will give you the softest chocolate cake. I like to use canola or grapeseed oil. Any neutral tasting oil will do! I have tried to use butter but the layers would always become too dry. Coconut oil isn’t a good option because it will also be very dry (it solidifies like butter). Butter works better in vanilla cake though!
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Natural cocoa powder: Natural cocoa powder will give the cake a rich chocolate flavour. I don’t recommend using dutch processed cocoa powder because it isn’t acidic and won’t give you the best texture here. Natural cocoa powder reacts with the baking soda in this recipe to give you a super fluffy cake.
Heavy cream: You need whipping cream or 35% cream for the whipped ganache and the chocolate drip.
Semisweet chocolate chips: I prefer semisweet for this recipe because the ganache doesn't turn out too sweet. I love how I don't have to chop the chocolate for the ganache too - chocolate chips make this much easier. I do not recommend using milk or white chocolate chips because the chocolate to cream ratios would be much different. Chopped semisweet baking chocolate will also work great.
The layers
- Grease two 8” round cake pans with vegetable oil and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Add instant coffee into the hot water and stir until dissolved, set aside. If you won’t be using instant coffee, just set the hot water aside for later.
- In a very large bowl combine eggs, brown and granulated sugars, salt, and whisk until very well combined.
- Add buttermilk and vegetable oil, stir until combined.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder right into the bowl. Use a whisk to gently fold the batter. Halfway through, add the hot water and instant coffee mixture. Fold just until you stop seeing streaks of dry flour.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking pans and bake for 35-45 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove the baking pans from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes before flipping them over onto a cooling rack. Use a small knife or spatula to run around the edges to release the cake easier. Let cool completely.
The filling
- I like to start the ganache before the cake layers to give it plenty of time to cool.
- Bring the cream to a slight simmer in a small saucepan. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t boil. While it is heating up, pour the chocolate chips in a large heat safe bowl.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips, cover with a plate or a lid and let it sit for 7 minutes.
- Whisk the chocolate chips and cream until glossy and smooth. This might take some time.
- Let the ganache cool in the fridge for 1-2 hours or until it is cool to the touch but still liquidy. It should be thicker but not yet rock hard.
- Right before stacking the triple chocolate cake, use a whisk (I do this by hand but you can use a stand mixer) and whisk the ganache until it becomes thick and lighter in colour. Stop whisking as soon as it becomes a spreadable consistency to not overwhip.
The drip
- While the cake layers cool (before decorating), make the chocolate drip. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl.
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just before boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and cover with a lid or a plate for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the chocolate chips and cream until glossy and smooth. Place in fridge to cool until it becomes a thicker, pourable consistency. About 1 hour.
Assembly
- Cut the cakes in half to create 4 cake layers. Use a long serrated bread knife.
- Place a dollop of whipped ganache on your cake stand or plate. Place the first layer of cake down on the board. Spread about 1 cup whipped ganache over the cake layer, spreading all the way to the edge. Repeat with the rest of the cake layers.
- Reserve about ½ cup of ganache for piping the border. Spread the rest of the ganache over the cake, covering the sides. Press chocolate chips or chunks onto the bottom of the cake while the ganache is not yet set.
- Place the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up and set the ganache on the outside.
- Pour the chocolate drip into the center of the cake. Use an offset spatula or a large spoon to spread the drip over the edges so that it drips down the sides. A turntable or lazy Susan will make it easier to get an even drip.
- Place the triple chocolate cake into the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up the drip. Pipe a border using the reserved whipped ganache on top of the chocolate drip (see notes on how to soften it again). Sprinkle more chocolate chips on the inside edge of the border. Slice to serve and enjoy!
Check out my other cakes:
- Salted Caramel Cake with Blackberries
- Mango Crepe Cake with Easy Homemade Crepes
- Black Forest Cupcakes
Happy baking! xx
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Triple Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- two 8" round pans
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Layers
- 1 ½ cup hot water
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ cup vegetable oil (I use canola oil)
- 3 cups all purpose flour (360g)
- 1 cup natural cocoa powder (129g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
- 3 cups heavy cream (35% or whipping cream)
- 6 cups semisweet chocolate chips (1020g)
Chocolate Drip (optional)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream (35% or whipping cream)
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (85g)
Assembly
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips (and/or chocolate chunks) (170g)
Instructions
Chocolate Cake Layers
- Grease two 8” round cake pans with vegetable oil and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Add instant coffee into the hot water and stir until dissolved, set aside. If you won’t be using instant coffee, just set the hot water aside for later.1 teaspoon instant coffee, 1 ½ cup hot water
- In a very large bowl combine eggs, brown and granulated sugars, salt, and whisk until very well combined.3 large eggs, 1 ½ cup brown sugar, 1 ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Add buttermilk and vegetable oil, stir until combined.1 ½ cup buttermilk, 1 ½ cup vegetable oil
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder right into the bowl. Use a whisk to gently fold the batter. Halfway through, add the hot water and instant coffee mixture. Fold just until you stop seeing streaks of dry flour.3 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup natural cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, 3 teaspoon baking powder
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking pans and bake for 35-45 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the baking pans from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes before flipping them over onto a cooling rack. Use a small knife or spatula to run around the edges to release the cake easier. Let cool completely.
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
- I like to start the ganache before the cake layers to give it plenty of time to cool.
- Bring the cream to a slight simmer in a small saucepan. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t boil. While it is heating up, pour the chocolate chips in a large heat safe bowl.3 cups heavy cream, 6 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips, cover with a plate or a lid and let it sit for 7 minutes.
- Whisk the chocolate chips and cream until glossy and smooth. This might take some time.
- Let the ganache cool in the fridge for 1-2 hours or until it is cool to the touch but still liquidy. It should be thicker but not yet rock hard.
- Right before stacking the cake, use a whisk (I do this by hand but you can use a stand mixer), whisk the ganache until it becomes thick and lighter in colour. Stop whisking as soon as it becomes a spreadable consistency to not overwhip.
Chocolate Drip (optional)
- While the cake layers cool (before decorating), make the chocolate drip. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl.½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just before boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and cover with a lid or a plate for 5 minutes.⅓ cup heavy cream
- Whisk the chocolate chips and cream until glossy and smooth. Place in fridge to cool until it becomes a thicker, pourable consistency. About 1 hour.
Assembly
- Cut the cakes in half to create 4 cake layers. Use a long serrated bread knife.
- Place a dollop of whipped ganache on your cake stand or plate. Place the first layer of cake down on the board. Spread about 1 cup whipped ganache over the cake layer, spreading all the way to the edge. Repeat with the rest of the cake layers.
- Reserve about ½ cup of ganache for piping the border. Spread the rest of the ganache over the cake, covering the sides. Press chocolate chips or chunks onto the bottom of the cake while the ganache is not yet set.1 cup mini chocolate chips (and/or chocolate chunks)
- Place the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up and set the ganache on the outside.
- Pour the chocolate drip into the center of the cake. Use an offset spatula or a large spoon to spread the drip over the edges so that it drips down the sides. A turntable or lazy Susan will make it easier to get an even drip.
- Place the cake into the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up the drip. Pipe a border using the reserved whipped ganache on top of the chocolate drip (see notes on how to soften it again). Sprinkle more chocolate chips on the inside edge of the border. Slice to serve and enjoy!
Notes
- The cake is best eaten at room temperature. That way the ganache is silky smooth and fluffy. It hardens and becomes very stiff when cold.
- Cake leftovers will keep well wrapped tightly or in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer. Make sure to serve it at room temperature so that the ganache becomes soft again.
- If the ganache becomes to hard, blast it in the microwave at 5 second intervals and whisk in between until you get a workable consistency.
- You can also use two 9" cake pans to make the cake, the layers will just be a bit thinner.
Katy
Could this be made into cupcakes? Looks incredible!
Mary
Thank you! 🙂 I haven't tried to make these into cupcakes, but I'm sure you could! Keep in mind the recipe will make about 3 or 4 dozen cupcakes. I actually based the recipe off of these black forest cupcakes. The cupcake batter is the same as the batter in the cake layers.