Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Frosting

This Chocolate Buttermilk Cake is moist, rich, and easy to make. The frosting is EVERYTHING - it spreads itself, and tastes amazing! Perfect for any occasion, or just because you want chocolate cake! 

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake Recipe

I love old fashioned cakes. I'll always opt for skipping the boxed mixes in favor of fresh ingredients, like this Old Fashioned Carrot Cake made with real carrots. I especially enjoy cakes that include buttermilk frostings like this Lemon Cake. 

I love those cakes, but the ultimate cake is an old fashioned chocolate cake with a buttermilk frosting. 

What could be better? Nothing.

This is my favorite chocolate cake. It's moist, chocolaty, and just perfect for any occasion that calls for cake. Trust me, once you try this chocolate cake, it will be on your list of favorite desserts!

Why You Will Love This Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake

✔️ Quick and easy: The prep time on this is about 15 minutes. Seriously, it's so easy.

✔️ Rich and chocolaty: The chocolate flavor in this cake is perfection. It's just what you'd expect from a cake.

✔️ Real ingredients: No packaged mixes or frostings with all their additives and preservatives. This chocolate cake is the real deal!

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How to Make a Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

The list of ingredients may seem a bit long, but they're pretty basic to cakes. Also, the frosting contains many of the same ingredients as the cake, so don't be thrown off by what seems like a long list.

To make the cake:

• Combine butter, cocoa, and water in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter is fully melted. Remove from heat.
• Beat buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla extract until smooth. 
• Gradually add melted butter mixture, beating until mixed. 
• Combine sugar, flour, and salt. Add to buttermilk mixture and beat until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake.

To make the frosting:

• Combine butter, cocoa, and buttermilk in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth.
• Remove from heat and stir in confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and pecans. Pour over cake while cake is still warm.

Easy as pie! Except, ya know - it's a cake.

Can you freeze a chocolate buttermilk cake?

You can make this cake ahead of time and freeze it. Whether frosted or not, wrap the cake in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Write the date and cake type on the wrapper. 

You can freeze it for up to one month. When it's time to thaw the cake, loosen the wrapping and place in the refrigerator one day before frosting. 

Note: Thawing at room temperature will change the texture from frozen to mushy. Don't do this.

Recipe Notes and Tips

As with any homemade cake, do not over-mix the batter. Mix only until ingredients are blended. 

The heat from making both the frosting and the cake allow the frosting to pour onto the cake. The other side is that you'll have to wait for all of it to cool before slicing it. Otherwise, the frosting will simply fill the spot where you cut the cake. Be patient. It won't stay warm forever.

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