Moist chocolate cake for layer cake

Moist chocolate cake for layer cake is a medium French recipe that serves 8. 250 calories per serving. Recipe by Once upon a time pastry on YouTube.

Prep: 35 min | Cook: 1 hr 5 min | Total: 1 hr 55 min

Cost: $5.78 total, $0.72 per serving

Ingredients

  • 150 g All-purpose flour (Sift with cocoa)
  • 50 g Unsweetened cocoa powder (Sift with flour)
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 150 g Unsalted butter (Very soft, at room temperature)
  • 200 g Granulated sugar
  • 60 ml Grape seed oil (Does not have a pronounced taste)
  • 3 units Egg yolks
  • 200 ml Fermented milk (buttermilk) (Gives exceptional moistness)
  • 1 teaspoon White vinegar (Activates the baking soda, no residual taste)
  • 100 g Dark chocolate chips (Add at the end of the preparation)
  • 3 units Egg whites (Whisk to stiff peaks)
  • 40 g Sugar (for syrup) (Optional, to moisten the layers)
  • 40 ml Water (for syrup) (Optional)

Instructions

  1. Sift the dry ingredients

    In a large bowl, sift the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt and baking soda together to avoid lumps.

    Time: PT5M

  2. Cream the butter and sugar

    In another bowl, beat the soft butter with the granulated sugar until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.

    Time: PT5M

  3. Incorporate the oil

    Add the grape seed oil to the butter‑sugar mixture and whisk briefly to homogenize.

    Time: PT1M

  4. Add the egg yolks

    Pour the three egg yolks one by one, beating between each addition to fully incorporate them.

    Time: PT2M

  5. Mix half of the dry mixture

    Fold in half of the reserved dry mixture, mixing until no flour traces remain.

    Time: PT2M

  6. Add the fermented milk

    Pour the fermented milk (buttermilk) and mix gently until a homogeneous batter is obtained.

    Time: PT1M

  7. Incorporate the remaining dry, the vinegar and the chips

    Add the remaining dry mixture, the teaspoon of white vinegar and the chocolate chips. Mix quickly.

    Time: PT2M

  8. Whip the egg whites

    In a clean bowl, whisk the three egg whites until stiff peaks form.

    Time: PT5M

  9. Fold in the whipped egg whites

    Add the whipped egg whites to the batter in three additions, folding gently with a spatula, lifting the mass from the bottom up.

    Time: PT5M

  10. Prepare the pans and preheat the oven

    Preheat the oven to 180°C. Generously spray the three 15 cm pans with the greasing spray.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: 180°C

  11. Divide the batter into the pans

    Divide the batter into three equal parts and pour them into the prepared pans. Smooth the top with the spatula.

    Time: PT2M

  12. Bake the first disc

    Bake the first pan for 20 minutes.

    Time: PT20M

    Temperature: 180°C

  13. Bake the second disc

    Repeat the bake with the second pan for 20 minutes.

    Time: PT20M

    Temperature: 180°C

  14. Bake the third disc

    Repeat the bake with the third pan for 20 minutes.

    Time: PT20M

    Temperature: 180°C

  15. Cool the discs

    Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a rack and let cool completely (about 25 minutes).

    Time: PT30M

  16. Prepare the syrup (optional)

    Bring 40 g sugar with 40 ml water to a boil for 2 minutes, then let cool.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: 100°C

  17. Assemble the layer cake

    Stack the three discs alternating with the filling of your choice (ganache, mousseline cream, jam, etc.). If you prepared the syrup, brush each disc before adding the filling.

    Time: PT10M

Nutrition Facts

Calories
250
Protein
3 g
Carbohydrates
30 g
Fat
12 g
Fiber
2 g

Dietary info: vegetarian, contains gluten, contains dairy, low-calorie

Allergens: gluten, milk, eggs, soy (in chocolate chips)

Last updated: April 7, 2026

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Moist chocolate cake for layer cake

Recipe by Once upon a time pastry

An ultra‑moist chocolate cake, ideal for making perfectly straight layer cakes. The combination of butter, grape seed oil, fermented milk and a light splash of vinegar gives a light and airy texture, while chocolate chips melt in the mouth. The recipe uses three 15 cm pans to obtain three perfectly smooth cake discs, easy to unmold thanks to a greasing spray.

MediumFrenchServes 8

Shop all ingredients on Amazon in one click • Printable PDF with shopping checklist

Source Video
1h 15m
Prep
1h 5m
Cook
17m
Cleanup
2h 37m
Total

Cost Breakdown

$5.78
Total cost
$0.72
Per serving

Critical Success Points

  • Sift the dry ingredients to avoid lumps.
  • Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them gently.
  • Use the greasing spray for perfect unmolding.
  • Precise baking of each disc (20 min at 180°C).
  • Do not crush the whites to retain the cake's lightness.

Safety Warnings

  • Handle the hot oven – wear kitchen gloves.
  • Boiling syrup can cause burns – prepare it with care.
  • Raw egg whites may contain salmonella – use fresh eggs and, if possible, pasteurized.

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