Moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream & Ganache

I went a bit overboard with this cake… Chocolate cake with butter cream & ganache! There's a reason… it's our wedding anniversary :) Baking a cake is not part of our anniversary tradition. It very much depends on my mood. Anyways, this year I thought I'll be a bit extravagant with the cake ;) After the cake was done, I was impatiently waiting for Jose to come home from office, so that we could cut it. Got the cake from the fridge, got the knife and was waiting to hear the wonderful things about the cake. Here it comes… “is this cake tilted?” Ohh yes… that's what he notices first, not the roses, not the hearts but the 'tilting' of the cake. But then… I was expecting this, after all some things never change ;)

People say marriage is one adventurous journey with both smooth drives and bumpy roads. We've also had our share of dramas and ups and downs. At times we drive each other crazy, at times we make each other laugh our hearts out and most importantly we make each other happy! That matters the most to me.

Chocolate cake with icing
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Now about the cake, it tasted great (if I should say so myself). I should say the chance of a moist chocolate cake slathered with butter cream & ganache going wrong, is almost next to impossible. It all tastes good, on their own, so you can imagine how it tastes when it's put together :) I got the cake recipe from my dearest friend & neighbor Sonia. This cake is super moist, I think my ultra moist chocolate cake has a strong competition now. Thanks a lot Sonia for sharing this wonderful recipe with me. The butter cream recipe is adapted from here. Dont get scared by the length of the recipe, its pretty simple to put together, trust me.

Click Here For Recipe…

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157 thoughts on “Moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream & Ganache”

  1. Hi, Maria. Thank you for your tasty recipes.
    I have a doubt on cup measurement. When you mention One cup is it200 ml or 250 ml ?

    Reply
  2. Hi chechi

    I have tried this cake recipe and first time in my life my cake turned out to be something I liked. Thanks for sharing this ??

    Reply
  3. Reading your blog I was very tempted to make this recipe.Specially since you had waited so many years to get this recipe. It was my husbands birthday and I am always on the look out for a chocolate cake recipe which can beat my present recipe. This sure is a keeper. I only added a teaspoon of vanilla essence. It is delicious decadent and rich. Thank you so much. I love your blog. Keep blogging :)

    Reply
  4. Hello…first of all i am thankful for d winderful recipees on d blog..need a favor ..can u please tell d weight of ingredients being used..as i find it v diffi wd cup mrasurements..thanks in adv..

    Reply
  5. I follow ur recipees…dry r grt..u r doing a fab job… jus need a favor …kindly tell d ingredients by weight..some recipees r given by wt dey r easy to follow for me…waiting for d response…

    Reply
  6. hi can i double or triple the recipe.tx,my comment is not coming here,waiting for ur reply,want to bake for part,tx

    Reply
  7. hi maria,i want to double or triple the recipe,can i do that as wanted to bake a big cake for a birthday party.tx in advance

    Reply
  8. Hi Maria, I have read many of your recipes and especially baking blogs. Its awesome. I too tried this cake without any deviations either in measurement or in baking method, and the cake turned out very well. It was really a super moist chocolate cake i have ever made. Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
    • Hi Amala,

      Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and for sharing the pic with me :) The cake looks lovely!! I’ll share it on MM FB page soon..

      I’m really happy to know that the cake recipe turned out perfect for you..

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  9. I made the cake and it came out awesome. Used 1.5 cups whole wheat and .25 all purpose flour and skipped brushing with sugar syrup to make it slightly healthy. It was still tasty and no one could tell the difference. One question though when you add boiling water to egg, wouldn’t it cook the egg? I added hot water bit by bit to rest of the liquids to avoid that.

    Reply
    • Hi Sibi,

      Thanks a lot Sibi for your comment :) Great to know that the cake works out well with whole wheat too..

      I guess when you add milk and oil also with boiling water, it balances, not sure though..I’m very weak when it comes to scientific side of baking ;)

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  10. Hi maria…i’m also from Kerala…specifically, Kottayam…currently settled in Visakhapatnam…i’m new to baking and love ur recipes…had tried quite a lot..i hav a doubt..whenever i bake cakes or cupcakes i always get a cracked surface on top :( plz help me..

    Reply
  11. Hi maria…i’m also from Kerala…specifically, Kottayam…currently settled in Visakhapatnam…i’m new to baking and love ur recipes…had tried quite a lot..i hav a doubt..whenever i bake cakes or cupcakes i always get a cracked surface on top :( plz help me..

    Reply
    • Hi Harsha,

      There are a few things that cause the cake to crack in the middle. Try baking at a lower temp, sometimes if the heat is high, cake tends to crack.

      Also overmixing of the batter may cause the same thing. When baking a cake, try to wrap a wet towel around the cake tin (tie the towel using a pin). This ensures even baking of the cake and prevents the cake from cracking on top. I suggest using this wet towel, if you are using an electric oven and not a gas oven.

      Also if you use a smaller size tin, cake tends to crack.

      Hope this helps..

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  12. Hi maria…i’m also from kerala…currently settled in vsakhapatnam with my husband and 9 month old baby girl…i’m new to baking and ur blog is helping me a lot…cheers and keep going :)

    Reply
    • Hi Harsha,

      Nice meeting you here :) Good to know that blog is helping you with baking.

      Hope you get to try more recipes from here when time permits.

      All the best and happy baking!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  13. Hi Sharon,

    I hope by now you’ve tried the cake and I do hope it came out well.

    However to answer your queries, I always use unsalted butter for baking, unless the recipe specifies otherwise

    I think it’s always better to refrigerate black forest cake overnight for best results..

    Cheers
    Maria

    Reply
  14. hi can u tell me which sugar.thanks this is second time iam writing kindly reply me i have to make for my daughter’s 1st birthday.is it gud for black forest cake.

    Reply
    • Hi Sharon,

      I’ve used regular granulated sugar in this recipe to make cake. I guess you can use this cake as the base for black forest cake.

      Wish your daughter a happy b’day in advance! Hope the cake comes out well for you, all the best!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  15. hi its urgrnt. after reading your blog thought of giving a try as we all r cake lovers & also our anniversary is on 29th of april,but iam struck with doubt what kind of sugar i should use,i mean caster or brown or white.kindly reply me.thanks

    Reply
  16. I made this cake and it was awesome. Pouring the sugar syrup made the cake so moist and sweet. I made this quantity on an 8 inch round pan. Cut into halves. Filled whipped cream frosting and mixed fruit jam.. Covered it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. It was yum.. Thanks a lot… I recommend this recipe :)

    Reply
  17. I made this cake and it was awesome. Pouring the sugar syrup made the cake so moist and sweet. I made this quantity on an 8 inch round pan. Cut into halves. Filled whipped cream frosting and mixed fruit jam.. Covered it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. It was yum.. Thanks a lot… I recommend this recipe :)

    Reply
  18. I tried this recipe and turned out well ! But the chocolate buttercream and the ganache turned out thick and hard.Though evry1 loved it! Especially my mother for whom i made this
    Thanks Maria :)

    Reply
  19. Hi Maria…this is a bit urgent. Do you think this cake can be made in a pressure cooker? If so, then can I follow the method in the link you have given elsewhere? Thanks

    Reply
    • Hi Anuradha,

      I havent baked in pressure cooker yet. But I think you can do so. Yes you can follow the method I’ve mentioned, may be you can google it for more detailed version.

      I do hope it comes out well for you…

      All the best and pls keep me posted, how it turns out, if you happen to try it.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  20. Hi…this is urgent. Would the same recipe work in the pressure cooker? Would you be able to tell me how it is done? Thanks!

    Reply
  21. Hi Maria, am your new follower and I made this cake yesterday it’s yummy. One question though, what can I do to keep my frosting soft even after setting just the way we buy cake from confectionery shops”

    Thanks

    Reply
  22. Hi Maria, I tried this cake (without the icing) for my husband’s birthday.. and all of us enjoyed it thoroughly.. the cake was really awwwwwesome! never before, any of my cakes have turned out this moist! :) thanks a ton for sharing such a simple but superb recipe with all of us :)

    Reply
  23. Hey Maria, am a new follower of your blog and I love the cake recipes. I tried this one and i must say its yummy. One question though, the butter icing was a bit firm after setting, what can I do to keep it soft even after setting just like we buy the cakes in the confectionery shop?

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Hi Tashma,

      Thank you for trying out this recipe. If you are using just butter icing for this cake without ganache, you can leave it at room temp. In that case the cicing will be soft. But if you keep it in the fridge icing will harden a bit.

      If you prefer a soft icing, you can use either cream cheese frosting or whipped cream frosting. Please check out the pineapple praline cake and carrot cupcake recipe on the blog to see the icing details.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  24. Hi Maria

    I want to make this cake but without using the coca powder. So basically I want a “white ” cake. Do I replace the 3/4 cup coca powder with flour or is there anything else need to do?

    Thanks,
    Shilpa

    Reply
    • Hi Shilpa,

      I havent tried it without cocoa powder, also when you remove the cocoa powder the other ing qty also changes.
      If you want a moist white cake recipe, please check out the moist butter cake recipe posted here.

      Hope it helps..

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
    • Hi Sherin,

      The recipes that I use mostly have measurements in cup, that’s why. I’ll try my best to give the measurements in Metric, wherever possible.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
    • Hi Sherin,

      The recipes that I use mostly have measurements in cup, that’s why. I’ll try my best to give the measurements in Metric, wherever possible.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  25. Hi there!
    Am really looking forward to trying out this one!
    Just a query re: the above recipe though-…. do you mix the egg with boiling water ? – am getting these visions of cooked thready egg like the kind you have in soup…hard to picture that going into a cake.

    Am just being a bit paranoid after my previous misadventure with the ultramoist chocolate cake- cos I did things a bit thoughtlessly once.

    The same cake came out exceptionally well once I stuck to your recipe.

    Reply
    • Hi Rekha,

      I’m really sorry for the delayed reply. I wasnt keeping well…

      Combine all the wet ingredients together as mentioned in the recipe, it works fine. I’ve made this cake more times than I could remember, following the method mentioned.

      I do hope this cake comes out well for you..

      All the best and happy baking :)

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  26. Hi there!
    Am really looking forward to trying out this one!
    Just a query re: the above recipe though-…. do you mix the egg with boiling water ? – am getting these visions of cooked thready egg like the kind you have in soup…hard to picture that going into a cake.

    Am just being a bit paranoid after my previous misadventure with the ultramoist chocolate cake- cos I did things a bit thoughtlessly once.

    The same cake came out exceptionally well once I stuck to your recipe.

    Reply
  27. My cake cracked and wen i cut it into two..The upper layer of the cake broke into many bits..the icings all worked out good though..dunno where i went wrong:-(

    Reply
    • Hi Keerti,

      Did you let cake cool completely before cutting it? Also, I think the cake wasnt baked enough. Though I’ve specified baking time in the recipe, it always varies for each oven and also depending on the type of baking tin used.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  28. Hi Azra,

    From your comment, I guess the cake tin you used was a bit small for the whole qty. In that case, it happens that the middle portion doesn’t get cooked. Try using a bigger tin, if you are baking it as a single cake. Also if the top gets baked faster and the middle remains uncooked, try covering the cake loosely with aluminium foil and continue baking.

    Hope this helps :)

    Cheers
    Maria

    Reply
  29. Hi Maria
    i m a gr8 fan of ur recipes…. now i want o try ur cakes….. plz do ans my questions since i m a beginner in baking. how do u get the top n bottom of cakes flat?? i hav bought an IFB MW Convection oven… i would like to bake a cake for mom’s b’day…..n also i cant gt the butter paper/parchment paper n any food stores here wat can i replace it with / is just dusting enough??

    Reply
  30. hi maria, got hooked onto your site cause of my brother in law… i have a request… pls post some ways to decorate the cake… for example – how did u make those flowers…

    love the stories that accompany your recipes

    Reply
    • Hi Rose,

      Great to know that you like this space, my thanks to your brother in law :)

      I’m not very good in decorating, that’s why you dont see such posts on the site. However, as and when I progress with it, you will be seeing the results here also..

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  31. hey maria can u tell me wat cocoa powder u r using??? wen i bake cakes i dont get dis dark colour. it s light brown in colour. can u suggest some names???

    Reply
  32. Hi Maria,
    I am a huge fan of your blog and i’ve tried quite a lot of your recipes. They turn out perfect every time. I tried out this cake and its super yummy. Was a big hit with my daughter whoz very picky about cakes. I love your pineapple layered cake too, which is another family favourite. Thanx for a wonderful blog Maria….Keep up the good work!

    Reply
    • Hi Ann,

      Thanks a bunch dear for your wonderful feedback. I’m really thrilled to know that your daughter also liked the cake.

      Thanks again for your encouraging words and wishes.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  33. Hi maria,
    Tried this cake for our wedding day…. came out really well and tasty… i baked this in Mircrowave…. came out really soft…. thanks a ton for the recipe…..
    regards ramya

    Reply
  34. Tried this cake yesterday for my husband’s birthday…simply divine! One question though, you’ve mentioned salt in the butter cream preparation, but its not in the list of ingredients…can u clarify?

    Reply
    • Thanks a lot Smitha :) Sorry for the confusion. The original recipe of buttercream had salt in it, but I didnt use it, so now I’ve removed it from the recipe. Hope it’s clear now..

      Reply
    • Hi Marie,

      Sugar syrup is used to moisten the cake. Since we are using ganache for icing, the cake has to be refrigerated.
      Sugar syrup prevents the cake from becoming dry, during refrigeration.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  35. ita a lovely recipie my six year old daughter anjaly loves it she keeps saying amma look for new cake recipies

    Reply
  36. hey maria…love ur new posts.i baked this dreamy cake for a get2gether with frenz yesterday and they all liked it…i left out the buttercream frosting though…but still,the cake was a hit!thanks maria…keep it up!have a great day!

    Reply
    • Thanks Binsu! It’s a pleasure to know that this cake was a hit :) I usually have it plain without any icing.. Icing is reserved for special occasions :)
      Thanks for sharing your feedback here.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  37. Shylaja Narayanan Kutty
      I tried Moisture cake with buttercream & ganache. But Ganache I made become very loose. Is it necessary to add 1 cup hot water in cake mixture.what happened to my ganache prparatioPlease reply maria.

    Reply
  38. Maria
    I usually bake with the mix you get from the store and this is the first time I made the cake from scratch OMG this cake was the most softest cake that I have ever made and it was so delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
    Ashika

    Reply
  39. hi marias,
     i am a huge fan of ur cooking and a regular reader of ur blog. thanks for all the wonderful recipes. Its my hubby b’day nd aftr 4 yrs for the first time i want to bake him a cake. i dont hav a oven so if i use the ready made cooker cake mix nd make it and then continue from ur icing part. will it b ok???
    would luv to hear ur reply. thanks again nd keep up the wonderful work :)

    Reply
    • Thanks a lot dear :) I’m thrilled to know that you are a regular visitor here. Btw, sorry for the delayed reply. I’m on holiday now, hence the delay.
      I think it should be ok to do the icing on cooker cake. If the cake is dry, make sure you moisten it well with sugar syrup. Hope it comes out well and the birthday boy likes it. My b’day wishes to your husband.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  40. hai maria,
            Made this cake for Valentines day and it came out so well.thank u so much.i have made simple cakes before but this is the first time i am preparing one with cream,ganache etc..i was not that confident,but it was so yum.thank u so much dear..here is the pic of my cake… 

    Reply
    • Hi Anitha,

      Your cake looks awesome! I’m really happy to know that you liked this cake :) Btw, I’ve shared this photo in MariasMenu FB page also. You can see it in the reader’s section photos.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  41. Very belated anniversary wishes.Tried the cake,it was very gud.I didnt make layered one but did the icing and ganache on one single cake i made out of half qty.Kids loved it… Thks a lottt and keep going.Today will try pepper chicken..

    Reply
  42. Happy Anniversary Maria…………..Heard a lot about you from my dad in Law and from my husband. Love your recipes…….Good to know you are enjoying yourself cooking!!!! Have a blast!! Planning to try your baking recipes a sI love to bake! Do put up recipes on pies and quiches if you have any.

    Reply
    • Thanks Anu chechy :) Hope Philip uncle, Anil chettan & kids are doing good.

      Hope you get to try the baking recipes sometime. I’ll try to post quiche/pies recipe also :)

      Take care,
      Maria

      Reply
  43. hi Maria!
    tried your cake yst…t’was great! love the rich chocolatey flavour!! i was wondering if I could make a vanilla cake with the choc cream & ganache for my 3 yr old’s b’day….what do you think?

    Reply
    • Hi Limcy,

      Thanks a lot for trying this cake dear! I think you can try for vanilla cake also. But make sure to moisten the cake well with the sugar syrup. Vanilla cake tends to become dry once kept in the fridge, unless it is well moistened.

      Happy baking! Wish your little one a very happy b’day!

      Please do let me know if you try the vanilla version, thanks.

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
      • Maria, instaed of the vanilla cake, i decided to go in for a banana cake… with the cream & ganache as per your recipe…i followed your advice to moisten it well……it turned out great & friends appreciated it loads…. :)

        Reply
  44. I am very happy that i found this blog but i wish you were somewhere here in Canada.Lol. I am in love with all your recipies, I truly am. I am going to try this cake on Feb 8th (hopefully i won’t mess up with this beautiful cake) as it’s my very first anniversary as well.

    Reply
    • Hi Anne,

      I’m also happy that you found this little space :) Thanks a bunch for your comment.

      Wish you a very happy anniversary in advance! First anniversary is always special :) Have a great day!

      Cheers
      Maria

      Reply
  45. Very Nice cake Maria. I coudn’t stop laughing at Jose’s comments, not because ur cake is tilted, but I would get the same response from saj too when I expect the best of things!LOL. It used to make me sad initially, but now I love such criticisms. Only they will point out our mistakes and only thru mistakes we can perfect things. What say Maria kutti? So always take it postively when wen dear hubby points out at little erors.

    Reply
  46. Wishes for a wonderful year ahead to both of you! 
    Beautiful cake Maria. I kept thinking its someones’s anniversary in Jan, it must have been yours…:) 

    Reply
  47. Happy Anniversary Maria..Glad to know that we share the anniversary date..
    Loving the recipe.. n d picture.. so beautifully done…Cheers….

    Reply
  48. Many many happy returns of the day Maria and Jose……May the almighty bless you with many many years of togetherness, fights, lots and lots of love and much, much more……And about the cake,…..I am droooooling!!! 

    Reply
  49. Belated wishes for u r anniversary dear…..love the cake…i totally agree with u on baking cake depends on mood….there r people like me who has not notice the tilt…after reading the post only i checked it again…lovely deco to the cake…

    Reply
  50. Morning Maria,

    Wishing you a very happy anniversary, may you and your hubby be always blessed with good health and peace of mind.

    As usual I am drooling over here looking at the pictures, your way of writing and presentation of the dishes is just superb.

    Keep pouring more of the dishes in the year 2012.

    With love and hugs,

    Cynthia (Kuwait)

    Reply
  51. Happy anniversary Maria…Ur cake looks lovely and so romantic. Jose must be so used to seeing ur perfect cakes, thats why he noticed the tilt first…husbands do behave like that at times when we are waiting for them to appreciate our efforts :-) happens to everyone i believe …anyways, wishing you many more happy years together

    Reply
  52. The cake luks vry romantic:-))))))))Jus perfect 4 ur anniversary!!!! Jose is so lucky 2 hv u as his life partner!!!Wishing u bth a VERY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY filled wth more luv nd joy!!!!!

    Reply
  53. Hi Maria..!! From the time I ve seen this pic, I cant stop staring at it, I keep coming back to the page whenever I get online to just appreciate those perfect flower piping..Haha..I can so relate to how you felt when Jose said that..you put in all the effort in the world to get the most perfect cake/dish and alas ! one comment changes it..guess that’s why you are where you are now..without his criticism , maybe Maria’s menu wouldn’t have been this :-) Wishing you both years and years of happiness and good health together !!

    Reply
    • Thanks a lot my dear! You are too kind with your feedback sweetie :) Yeah he does that at times just to bug me ;) Anyways, as you’ve said I’ll not be doing this without his help n let’s say +ve feedback ;)

      Thanks again for your wishes.

      Take care,
      Maria

      Reply
  54. Brilliant.. as usual!!! And I hope you had a very very happy anniversary!

    Pssttt… mine’s coming up next week! 1st anniversary! And I’m sooooper excited :D :D

    Reply
    • Thanks dear Saj! how are you? so what plans for your 1st anniversary? I’m sure you will be excited to plan the whole thing, have fun!

      Wish you both a very happy anniversary in advance!

      Take care,
      Maria

      Reply
      • Haven’t decided yet! First thought of a party, pinne thought vendannu.. coz party would be fun if we were in India, not here in this snow country! So i guess it will be just us and some good food!!! :D And thank you :)

        Reply

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