This Chocolate Buttermilk Cake is sure to become your go to chocolate cake recipe. It can be made into layers, as a sheet cake, divide into cupcakes or bake in mini cupcake pans. You can frost it with whatever flavor of frosting your heart desires.

Ingredients to Make Chocolate Buttermilk Cake Recipe

This chocolate buttermilk cake recipe is suitable for most any event when cake is on the dessert menu. Whether it’s a birthday celebration, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter or Valentine’s day, this cake will always hit the sweet spot. Buttermilk lends a tangy flavor and tender texture to this chocolate cake. This chocolate cake batter can be baked in any shape you like. Ingredients to make a Chocolate Buttermilk Cake: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

Flour: All-purpose flour forms the base of the cake batter.
Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder or dutch-processed cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor.
Buttermilk: Whole buttermilk for a creamy moist cake batter and tangy flavor.
Leavening: Baking soda, baking powder and salt give lift to the batter while baking.
Butter: One cup salted butter, softened.
Sugar: One cup granulated sugar and one cup light brown sugar for sweetness.
Flavoring: One teaspoon vanilla extract and almond extract balances the chocolate flavor.
Whole Eggs: Three large eggs bind the batter.

How to Make Southern Style Chocolate Buttermilk Cake Recipe

Heat Oven and Prepare Pans – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two round cake pans. Set aside.
Creamed Ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and flavorings. Cream for 2-3 minutes until combined.
Eggs – Add the eggs, beating well after each.
Dry Ingredients – Use a whisk to sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Combine – Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk starting and ending with flour. After all of the dry ingredients have been added stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat the chocolate cake batter for 30 seconds on medium-high until creamy.
Transfer the Batter to the Pans – Pour the buttermilk chocolate cake batter into the cake pans.
Oven – Place into the oven and bake per the recipe until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean.
Cool – Carefully remove buttermilk chocolate cake layers from the cake pans.
Frost and Serve – Cool chocolate cake layers completely on a wire rack. Frost as desired.

Tips for Making Southern Buttermilk Cake

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans, stand mixer or hand mixer, large mixing bowl, medium mixing bowl, whisk, measuring cups and spoons, wire rack.
All Purpose Flour: This chocolate buttermilk cake is made using all purpose flour. In this instance, you could adapt with cake flour, but it’s not necessary. The buttermilk lends such a tender crumb to the cake, all purpose flour works perfectly.
Room Temperature Eggs and Buttermilk: Room temperature ingredients tend to combine more easily and bake more evenly.
When to Serve Chocolate Buttermilk Cake: You can enjoy this cake for dessert when celebrating birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years’ Eve, summer picnics, cookouts, entertaining, tea parties and casual family dinners.

How Do You Make Homemade Buttermilk?

To make your own cup buttermilk, to each one cup of whole milk add one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it stand on the counter for 5-10 minutes then stir and proceed with the recipe.

Recipe Variations

Cocoa Powder Substitutions: You’ll need classic unsweetened cocoa powder to make this chocolate cake. You could use Dutch-processed cocoa powder or Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder for a more intense and deeper chocolate flavor. Use the same amount.
Coffee: You can also add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the cake batter for depth of flavor.
Buttermilk: Whole buttermilk is best for the making a creamy cake batter. If you’re unable to find it, low fat will work but this is one instance fat free isn’t the best choice.
Butter: You can use unsalted butter. When doing so, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the dry ingredients.
Pan Options: This recipe makes 2 [9-inch] rounds, 3 [8-inch] rounds, 24-30 regular cupcakes, 48 mini cupcakes, 1 [13×9-inch] sheet cake 1 bundt cake.

Storage and Leftovers

Leftovers: When making a chocolate layer cake, you can make, bake and cool the layers then wrap in plastic wrap or an airtight container. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days then frost with chocolate buttercream or vanilla buttercream or any of your favorite frostings.
Freezer Storage: Wrap buttermilk chocolate cake in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and frost just before serving.

More Southern Cake Recipes to Make

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Hummingbird Cake is a Southern Classic.
Three layer Boston Cream Layer Cake.
My recipe for Italian Cream Cake is the only one you’ll ever need.
This scratch made Raspberry Cake is a stunner!
Best Chocolate Cake Recipe is the perfect all occasion cake.
Red White and Blue Ice Cream Cake for your next Patriotic celebration.

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