Simply Delicious 3 Layer Chocolate Cake & Buttercream Frosting

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Why have red velvet when you can have a quick and Easy Triple Chocolate Layer Cake with Buttercream Frosting? Seriously, chocolate is the happiness that you can eat!

This week my friends tasked me with baking a cake for an elderly neighbor. It thrilled me when she asked me for a plain ole chocolate cake!

Honestly, at first I was a little nervous since I know she likes red velvet cake. Not my favorite cake! I would have baked it for her if she would have asked, but I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did this triple layer chocolate cake.

My neighbor is the sweetest thing ever! She's in her 80's and has no children. Outlived all her siblings. I try to help her out by giving her all these amazing dishes I've been cooking and baking lately. Luckily, her philosophy is that she's lived this long, she deserves whatever the heck she wants....lol

Taking a Chocolate Cake from a Double to a Triple Layer cake.

This cake started out as an easy double layer cake. I experimented and turned it into a triple layer cake! She's 80, she deserves a little more fun, don't you agree?

By using 3 - 8 inch round pans this recipe has enough batter for the triple layers.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting! Yum!

I really debated over the frosting but there's nothing better than my chocolate buttercream frosting.

My neighbor is a chocoholic. In fact, she credits her long life to a glass of wine and a daily piece of chocolate!

When I mentioned chocolate buttercream frosting, her eyes practically lit up! She's so cute!

By the way if you're a chocoholic like my neighbor be sure to try my Chocolatey Peanut Butter Brownies. YUM!

How easy is a 3 Layer Chocolate Cake to make?

So easy! It take about 20 minutes to mix all the ingredients and get to baking.

The frosting is creamy and spreads like butter. Because this is a basic chocolate cake, it's super simple.

Honestly, it reminds of those easy bake oven cakes when I was a kids. Did you have one of those? You mix up the ingredients, pour it in a pan, out it pops fully cooked on the other side. Use a butter knife to spread and viola! You had cake!

Are you ready to bake? Okay. Let's go!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2½ c. granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 t. real vanilla extract
• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 t. baking soda
• 1 t. baking powder
• ½ t. salt
• 1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2¼ c. boiling water

Directions:

( Scroll down for the complete recipe card.)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.Grease and flour 3 8” round cake pans, then line bottom with round parchment paper. Set aside. 
2. Cream the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended.
4. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
5. Switching between the two, slowly add dry ingredients and chocolate mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugar. Mix on low speed to blend the ingredients.
6. Divide the cake batter evenly between the three cake pans and place in the pre-heated oven.
7. Bake 22-28 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 
8. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for approximately 10 minutes before transferring the cakes from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely, approximately 10-15 more minutes. (Cakes should no longer be warm to the touch before frosting). 
9. ENJOY!

Fabulous Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ c. cocoa powder
• 16-oz. powdered sugar
• 1-2 T. whole milk
• 1 t. real vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix the butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl until well blended.
2. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low-speed until all of the sugar is combined.
3. Stir in milk and vanilla extract, if using, to reach desired consistency.

Step by Step Chocolate Triple Layer Cake Recipe

• Cream the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl.
• Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended.

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• In a separate large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

• Switching between the two, slowly add dry ingredients and chocolate mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugar. Mix on low speed to blend the ingredients.

• Divide the cake batter evenly between the three cake pans and place in the pre-heated oven.
• Bake 22-28 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 

• Bake 22-28 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 
• Remove from oven and set aside to cool for approximately 10 minutes before transferring the cakes from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely, approximately 10-15 more minutes. (Cakes should no longer be warm to the touch before frosting). 

Mix buttercream frosting

1. Mix the butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl until well blended.
2. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low-speed until all of the sugar is combined.
3. Stir in milk and vanilla extract, if using, to reach desired consistency.

• After cake cools spread frosting on each layer and the top of the cake.

Enjoy!

In case your wondering my elderly neighbor loved the cake! We had a party with friends and kids and she had a great time.

Her favorite thing was the simplicity of this cake and was astonished at how moist the cake itself was when she bit into it.

I have to admit spending the afternoon sitting on the deck with an old-fashioned tea and cake learning about the past, before cell phones and internet was amazing.

This cake was such a hit that it will become a yearly summer event!

We all hope you'll enjoy this as much as we did.

Free Printable Recipe Card

Baking items you may need: