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Homemade Dark Chocolate Cake (+Video)

This Homemade Dark Chocolate Cake with Gingerbread Frosting is so moist and deliciously decadent! The perfect holiday dessert!

A HOLIDAY INSPIRED CAKE RECIPE 

This dark chocolate cake is for all those dark chocolate lovers! This cake is made way better by the addition of coffee. Adding brewed coffee to chocolate cake takes it to a whole new level. You don’t taste the coffee in it but the coffee somehow manages to make the chocolate taste more chocolate-y. Trust me on this one – it works!

Dark Chocolate Cake with Gingerbread Frosting, forkful of cake.

TIPS FOR MAKING DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE:

  • If you aren’t in the mood to make a cake from scratch, you can just use a dark chocolate boxed cake mix and instead of the water it calls for, just substitute it with brewed coffee.
  • Don’t want a gingerbread frosting? Just leave out the molasses and spices and add about a teaspoon of vanilla extract for a lovely, soft marshmallow frosting.
Homemade Dark Chocolate with Gingerbread Frosting recipe from The Country Cook, slice shown on a plate with Gingerbread cookies in front of the plate.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • all-purpose flour
  • sugar
  • dark chocolate baking cocoa
  • baking soda
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • eggs
  • canola oil
  • milk
  • brewed coffee
  • vanilla extract
  • unsalted butter
  • marshmallow fluff
  • powdered sugar
  • molasses
  • cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • ground cloves
  • ginger
flour, coffee, dark cocoa powder, molasses, marshmallow fluff, eggs, oil, spices, baking powder, butter and milk.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE:

Preheat oven to 350f degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. The first thing I do is brew my coffee so it has time to cool before I need it. It’s important to cool the coffee so it doesn’t cook the eggs when we combine the two.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.) Gently whisk to combine.

flour, sugar, dark chocolate cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder whisked in a clear bowl.

In a separate bowl (I’m using my stand mixer), combine all the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, milk, cooled coffee & vanilla extract.)

eggs, oil, milk, cooled coffee and vanilla extract combined in a clear mixing bowl in a yellow stand mixer.

Then slowly add in dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add a little at a time, mix, then add a little more until it is all incorporated.

flour mixture being poured into wet mixture in a clear bowl mixing bowl.

Once combined, pour cake batter into prepared baking dish.

dark chocolate cake batter in a white rectangular baking dish.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. The cake should also spring back to the touch and not jiggle in the center.

fully baked dark chocolate cake in a white baking dish.

Allow cake to cool completely, then start on frosting. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer or your stand mixer, mix butter until smooth.

butter mixed in a clear glass mixing bowl, hand mixer shown in bowl.

Then mix in marshmallow fluff. Next, stir in molasses.

molasses added to marshmallow and butter mixture in a clear bowl.

Finally, mix in powdered sugar and spices.

powdered sugar and spices added to molasses butter mixture in a clear bowl.

Mix until smooth and creamy.

fully mixed gingerbread frosting in a clear bowl.

Spread onto cooled cake. Slice and serve!

slice of dark chocolate cake with a bite removed, slice shown on a white plate.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Homemade Dark Chocolate Cake with Gingerbread Frosting recipe

Dark Chocolate Cake with Gingerbread Frosting (+Video)

This Homemade Dark Chocolate Cake with Gingerbread Frosting is so moist and deliciously decadent! The perfect holiday dessert!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

For the cake:

For the frosting

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 7.5 ounce jar marshmallow fluff
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

  • The first thing I do is brew my coffee so it has time to cool before I need it. It's important to cool the coffee so it doesn't cook the eggs when we combine the two.
  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.) Gently whisk to combine.
  • In a separate bowl combine all the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, milk, cooled coffee & vanilla extract.)
  • Then slowly add in dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add a little at a time, mix, then add a little more until it is all incorporated.
  • Once combined, pour cake batter into prepared baking dish.
  • Bake for about 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. The cake should also spring back to the touch and not jiggle in the center.
  • Allow cake to cool completely, then start on frosting.
  • In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer or your stand mixer, mix butter until smooth.
  • Then mix in marshmallow fluff.
  • Next, stir in molasses.
  • Finally, mix in powdered sugar and spices.
  • Mix until smooth and creamy.
  • Spread onto cooled cake. Slice and serve. Keep cake refrigerated!

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • If you aren’t in the mood to make a cake from scratch, you can just use a dark chocolate boxed cake mix and instead of the water it calls for, just substitute it with brewed coffee.
  • Don’t want a gingerbread frosting? Just leave out the molasses and spices and add about a teaspoon of vanilla extract for a lovely, soft marshmallow frosting.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 36g | Sodium: 562mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 47g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Originally published: December 2015
Updated & republished: November 2020

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Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Can you make this a double layer cake using 9” round ? I have made it before using rectangle pan and it was amazing! This cake is 5 stars !!

  2. 5 stars
    Gave this a shot yesterday. I have never made a cake from scratch but we love dark chocolate and I was super nervous about the coffee. It turned out amazing! Your recipes never disappoint so I shouldn’t have doubted it for a minute! The frosting is to die for!!

    1. Can you use Splenda instead of sugar and also can you use applesauce instead of the canola oil. I have high cholesterol and diabetes would like to substitute the sugar and oil.