Best Chocolate Cake

A moist and easy layer cake recipe that delivers a deeply chocolatey flavor, topped with glossy chocolate buttercream.

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Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and prepare two 9-inch pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cream together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter until fluffy, then add eggs one at a time followed by vanilla.
With the mixer on low, alternate adding dry ingredients, oil, and milk, ending with dry ingredients.
Fold in sour cream, then stir in hot coffee.
Divide batter between pans and bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert to cool completely on racks.
For frosting, beat butter until smooth, add sifted powdered sugar, followed by melted chocolate, cream, vanilla, and salt.
Assemble by placing one cake layer on a plate, frosting between layers, crumb-coating and chilling, then finishing with a thicker layer of frosting.
Allow cake to rest before serving for best texture.

For gluten-free, use a 1:1 blend with xanthan gum. Can be made dairy-free with alternative ingredients. Make-ahead by baking layers a day in advance.