Best Ever Chocolate Cake is a rich chocolate cake layered with homemade chocolate mousse and finished with chocolate buttercream.
Chocolate cake is a classic treat that people have loved for ages. Whether for a birthday party, a holiday get-together, or just a craving for something sweet, chocolate cake always does the is my to go to!

This version takes it up a notch with its silky mousse center and luscious buttercream finish. Every bite is a chocolate lover’s dream—moist, decadent, and totally satisfying. It’s the kind of dessert that makes people close their eyes and savor every forkful. Trust me, once you try it, you’ll never go back to boxed cake again.
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If you had told me back in 2011 I’d be snapping photos of everything I eat and sharing my favorite things—along with my “sanity” secrets—I would’ve laughed so hard I’d probably pee my pants (which, let’s be real, isn’t that hard when you’re a mom of five). Truth is, I never imagined this blog or this life.
The true highlights? Meeting some of the kindest, most genuine people—online friends who believed in me, pushed me to grow, and ended up becoming real-life friends. You know exactly who you are.
My kids are the reason Dash of Sanity exists—they were my very first (and sometimes brutally honest) taste-testers, lol. Over the years, they’ve inspired countless recipes, even creating and sharing a few of their own right here on the blog.

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Best Ever Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
- Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- Chocolate Mousse
- 3 cups heavy cream divided
- 12 ounces dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 white sugar
- Chocolate Frosting
- 3/4 cups butter softened
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream milk or chocolate milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and lightly dust with some flour or cocoa powder
- In mixing bowl, I use my Kitchen Aid, add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well combined.
- Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well mixed. Reduce the speed to low and add boiling water to the cake batter a little bit at a time. Once the water is all mixed in beat on high for about 1 minute.
- Evenly distribute cake batter between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.
- **Don’t worry if the cake falls in the center, it will still turn out just fine. I have this happen every once in a while, for instance when I forget to stick the cake in the oven and it sits on the counter for a while….not that I do that too much. (wink, wink)**
- Chocolate Mousse
- In a small sauce pan add the whipping cream and bring 1 cup to a boil, remove from heat and add in chocolate chips. Do not mix or stir them in, let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let it cool to room temp, you do not want it warm or hot.
- In a large bowl, beat 2 cups chilled cream with 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.
- Set in the refrigerator until ready to use to layer cakes.
- Cut each round cake in half. Place one layer on a cake plate or the serving plate you will be using. Add 1/3 of the chocolate mousse, you don’t need to be exact just eyeball it.
- Allow the cake to chill in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. Then frost the cake with the chocolate buttercream.
- Set back in the refrigerator until ready to cut, serve and devour.
- Chocolate Buttercream
- In a stand mixer cream together butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.
- Add powder sugar and milk to cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added.
- Add vanilla extract and mix well.
- Tip to get the right consistency of frosting you may need to add additional milk or powdered sugar. If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
- Store the remaining cake in the refrigerator, if there are any leftovers.
Notes






Woooow, It’s look Delicious and i love it. I have not tried yet but this evening i will show this to my Mom and tell her to make it.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
Wow Nice , Cakes, full of sweetness and love are undoubtedly the most important part of any kind of celebration,
I love this Chocolate Cake. I have made this cake 1 time it is very tasty and soft I will make this one more time. Thank you for doing what you do