Chocolate Cake Recipes Using Buttermilk

This chocolate buttermilk cake is one of my favorite chocolate cakes. It bakes in a 13×9 inch pan and then it’s topped with a yummy buttermilk glaze that soaks into the cake making it super moist and tasty. You just won’t believe how good this one is.

Previously, I posted a recipe for a moist vanilla buttermilk cake and it became quite popular and for good reason. It’s so good…even if you don’t like buttermilk.

So I thought it would be a good idea to do a chocolate version of this cake and it DOES NOT disappoint.

Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake With Chocolate Frosting

Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section , which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!

Unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not dutch cocoa powder): You want to use the natural unsweetened and not dutch cocoa powder as this recipe uses both baking soda and baking powder and dutch cocoa powder is not acidic. For more info on why you use one over the other, see this post: Which Cocoa Powder do I Use?

Buttermilk: Buttermilk is the MVP of this cake. Now, if you don’t like buttermilk, don’t panic. I don’t like buttermilk either and I definitely won’t drink it, but when it’s used to make a cake, well the cake will NOT come out tasting like buttermilk.

Best Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

What buttermilk does is it gives this cake moisture and a really great taste. If you’re hesitant about trying it in a cake, don’t be. It’s SO good.

The glaze uses buttermilk as well, but don’t be scared off by that because it’s just a small amount and you WILL NOT taste the buttermilk…it just ads to the flavor.

Unsalted butter: You’ll use this for both the cake and the glaze and you’ll want to make sure it’s at room temperature to make the cake. Make sure to read the Tips and FAQ section in this post to answer questions about substituting it.

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Brown sugar: This gives the cake a deeper flavor than just using all granulated sugar. Either type of brown sugar is fine, but I like to use light brown sugar.

For this cake, you’ll use the reverse creaming method. It’s not hard and I go through all the steps in the recipe card below.

This type of creaming method just means that you’ll mix up all the dry ingredients in one bowl, the liquid in another bowl, then you cut in the room temperature butter into the dry mixture and mix until it’s crumbly.

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At that point, you’ll add in the liquid in two parts and mix. In my opinion, it’s really easier than the regular creaming method where you’re alternating ingredients.

The glaze is cooked on the stove and then it’s poured over the warm cake (that you’ve poked holes in) and allowed to soak in. Don’t skip that part as that’s what really sets this cake apart.

Before you add the glaze, make sure to poke holes in the warm cake with a skewer (I just used wooden ones) and poke holes all in your cake.

Chocolate Buttermilk Bundt Cake Recipe

It’s really best to use unsalted butter. With salted butter, you just don’t know how much salt you’ll be adding. If you do decide to use salted butter, then you’ll need to omit the salt that the recipe calls for.

You don’t want to do that as it won’t heat it evenly. If the butter is too warm, it will form a paste when mixed with the dry ingredients and that’s not what you want.

Buttermilk is what makes this cake and I really wouldn’t recommend substituting it. There is a substitute for sour milk, but it’s not going to lend the exact same qualities to the cake as real buttermilk would.

Dark Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

This cake will NOT taste like buttermilk though. It just makes the cake more moist and it brings out all the other flavors.

I’m sure that would work just fine although you may want to frost it with something other than the glaze as that would probably be to thin for a layer cake.

You can store this cake covered well in the fridge after it’s been served. It’s best served warm though, so make sure to heat up any leftover slices when you go to eat it.

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Note About How I Write Recipes: I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are more familiar with and I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated when baking. For metric measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card below. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s just a best guess. Please note that because I develop recipes using volume measurements, I can’t guarantee that

This chocolate buttermilk cake is one of my favorite chocolate cakes. It takes in a 13×9 inch pan and then it's topped with a yummy buttermilk glaze that soaks into the cake making it super moist and tasty.

This cake is best served warm. Store any leftovers, covered in the fridge for several days. Warm cake slices in the microwave for about 15 seconds.

Chocolate Buttermilk Snack Cake With Sage Caramel Swiss Buttercream — Gathered At My Table

Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post, which may answer any questions you may have.

Calories: 457 kcal | Carbohydrates: 61 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 23 g | Saturated Fat: 15 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 98 mg | Sodium: 280 mg | Potassium: 218 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 44 g | Vitamin A: 678 IU | Calcium: 81 mg | Iron: 2 mg

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Buttermilk Chocolate Cake (best Chocolate Cake Recipe)

I’d love for you to share this recipe link or tag it, but please do not share screenshots or copy/paste the recipe to social media as the content and photographs are copyright protected and we (bloggers) work really hard on our content. Sharing the link, tagging us on socials and pinning it is super appreciated though!This buttermilk chocolate cake is a rich, fudgy, decadent and super moist homemade cake topped with a glossy chocolate frosting. Make this old-fashioned chocolate cake in one bowl with a whisk. This is the best chocolate cake for birthdays, holidays, family gatherings or as a simple, but indulgent dessert.

I absolutely adore chocolate cake. My Matilda Chocolate Cake , Brownie Cake, Almond Flour Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Tahini Buttercream Cake are just a few homemade chocolate cake recipes I love from the blog. I am so excited to add this chocolate buttermilk cake to my growing collection of the best chocolate cake recipes. I know you’ll love it because:

This moist chocolate cake requires only a handful of ingredients to make and is as simple as mixing the ingredients in a bowl, pouring the batter into a cake pan and baking it.

Simple Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

This chocolate buttermilk cake is meant to be quick, easy and so delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions for this recipe if you need them:

Buttermilk Chocolate Layer Cake: To make this chocolate cake into a 2 layer cake, simply prepare the recipe as written and bake in, (2) 8-inch pans or (2) 9-inch pans. The 8-inch or 9-inch layer cakes will need about 25-35 minutes. Chill each cake layer before frosting, right after assembling and applying the crumb coat. Layer this cake with my favorite chocolate frosting or use a store bought variety. I do not recommend layering this cake with the chocolate buttermilk frosting as it’s more of a glaze or ganache like consistency.

8-inch or 9-inch Chocolate Cake: Make this buttermilk chocolate cake recipe as a smaller single layer cake by halving the recipe. Bake the cake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Espresso Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

This deliciously decadent chocolate cake is ready to bake in as little as 10 minutes. Here’s how to make moist buttermilk chocolate cake in a few easy steps.

Buttermilk does many different things in baked goods such as cake. It acts as a tenderizer, making baked goods super moist. Buttermilk also helps cakes to rise and balances out the sweetness with an underlying tangy hint. This gives baked goods a rich and almost buttery taste.

 Cakes made with buttermilk can be kept at room temperature for several days. However, if the cake is covered in a frosting with cream cheese, whipped cream or eggs, it will need to be stored in the fridge.

Chocolate Buttermilk Bundt Cake

If you try this Buttermilk Chocolate Cake recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @ so I can see what you’re baking!

Store this chocolate cake with buttermilk in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the fridge for about one week.This moist, and rich buttermilk