Death By Chocolate Drip Cake

This Death By Chocolate Drip Cake is a chocolate lovers’ dream! Not overly sweet, rich, decadent and absolutely delicious!

This post is sponsored by Imperial Sugar. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

 

Chocolate lovers’, this is for you! A moist, tender and delicious chocolate cake, topped with chocolate frosting, and to make it extra special a chocolate ganache dripping down the sides! And don’t forget the chocolate swirls on top as well. If this isn’t the definition of Death by Chocolate Cake I don’t know what is!

Death By Chocolate Pie was a huge hit with the chocolate crowd, I just had to do a cake version. And it exceeded all of my expectations!

Why You’ll Love This Death By Chocolate Cake

• Chocolate-y – obviously this is reserved for those that like chocolate, but if you are a fan, this is definitely made for you!
• Not Too Sweet – from the looks of it you would think this is going to be “make your teeth hurt” sweet, but it is balanced and not too sweet. It is chocolate, so obviously it is sweet, but not over the top.
• Pretty – that chocolate ganache dripping down the sides along with the chocolate swirls on the top make this a show stopping dessert.

What You’ll Need

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.

Chocolate Cake

• All-Purpose Flour
• Cocoa Powder – unsweetened cocoa powder
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Sour Cream
• White Sugar
• Eggs
• Vegetable Oil
• Vanilla Extract
• Hot Water

Chocolate Frosting

• Butter – I always use unsalted in all of my baking
• Powdered Sugar
• Cocoa Powder
• Vanilla Extract
• Milk

Chocolate Ganache Drips

• Heavy Cream
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

How To Make Death By Chocolate Cake

• Make Cake. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together all of the wet ingredients in a bowl, and slowly mix them together. Pour into 3 8-inch cake pans and bake until they are cooked through.
• Make Frosting. Using a stand mixer or hand held mixer cream butter until smooth. Add in powdered sugar and cocoa powder and mix until crumbly and combined. Add vanilla extract and milk, and beat until smooth and a spreadable consistency.
• Assemble Cake. Place the first layer of cake on a serving platter or large plate. Reserve about 3/4 cup of frosting for the swirls on top. Top with about 1/4 of the frosting. Repeat with the remaining layers, using an offset spatula to coat the top and sides completely in frosting.
• Ganache. Pour heavy cream in a microwave safe liquid measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 35 seconds. Remove and add the chocolate chips. Let it stand for about a minute. Stir until smooth. Let it set up for 1-2 minutes until it starts to thicken and won’t make a mess on your cake. Start by slowly pouring a little bit of the ganache along the edge of the cake all the way around, letting it drip down the edges. Pour the remaining ganache in the center of the cake, and use a spatula to gently spread over the top, and push just a little over the edge if you want more drips.
• Chill. Place the cake in the fridge and let it set up for an hour before decorating the top.
• Decorate. Add the reserved chocolate to a piping bag with a swirl tip (I used Wilton 1M), and pipe swirls along the edge around the cake.

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

• Sour Cream. This recipe calls for sour cream as it makes for a moist and tender cake that is sturdy enough for 3 layers and all the frosting. If you don’t want to use sour cream, you can use 1 cup of buttermilk or even plain yogurt will work.
• Cocoa Powder. I like to use Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder in baking, I think it gives it a rich flavor. That being said, you can use any unsweetened cocoa powder and your cake will turn out great.
• Vegetable Oil. This is a neutral flavored oil, so it doesn’t affect the taste of the cake. I do not advise using olive oil or melted butter, as it changes the taste. But you could use avocado oil, if you wanted a swap.
• Do Not Overmix. When making your cake, be sure to follow the directions for combining the wet and dry ingredients separately. You want to mix them together as little as possible. The more you mix, the more you start to develop the glutens in the flour, and this will lead to a tougher cake.

Making Death By Chocolate Cake Ahead

This is a great cake to make ahead or even make in stages to cut down on the amount of work you have to do at one time!

• Make your cake ahead of time. You can make your cake, let it cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it. I prefer to bake it the day. I cover the layers with plastic wrap or foil to keep them air tight, so they don’t dry out and let them stay at room temperature.
• Make frosting ahead of time. You can make the frosting a few days ahead of time, or it freeze well. If you make it ahead, just stir it well and make sure it is at room temperature when you start to frost the cakes.
• Store in fridge. The cake will last in the fridge, if you leave it uncut, or 3-4 days and still look just as beautiful and taste fresh!

Storing Leftover Cake

This cake does not need to be refrigerated, but it will last a little longer if it has been cut if you put it in the fridge. Place plastic wrap directly against the cut section of cake to help ensure no air touches the cake, it will dry out quickly. Cover the rest of the cake and store for 3-4 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.

More Decadent Chocolate Dessert Recipes

• Chocolate Cobbler
• Chocolate Ice Cream
• Brownie Batter Dip
• Chocolate Pavlova
• Air Fryer Cake
• Texas Sheet Cake Cookies

Continue to Content

Yield: 12

Death By Chocolate Cake

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This Death By Chocolate Drip Cake is a chocolate lovers' dream! Not overly sweet, rich, decadent and absolutely delicious!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot water (or coffee)

Chocolate Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup milk

Chocolate Ganache

• 4 ounces heavy cream

Instructions

1. To make chocolate cake, preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by greasing them well and coating them with flour. Set aside.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. 
3. Combine sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
4. Slowly add sour cream mixture to flour mixture until everything is just combined. Add in the hot water and mix until blended.
5. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 20-22 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
6. To make chocolate frosting, use an electric mixer and beat butter on high until it is nice and creamy.
7. Add powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, cocoa powder, and milk. Start mixing on low, and once combined, turn to high and beat until fluffy.
8. To assemble cake, place the first layer of cake on a serving platter or large plate. Reserve about 3/4 cup of frosting for the swirls on top.
9. Top first layer of cake with about 1/4 of frosting, spreading evenly across the top. Place the next layer of cake over frosting and repeat with remaining frosting and cake layers. Use an offset spatula to coat top and sides completely in frosting.
10. For chocolate ganache, pour heavy cream into a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 35 seconds. Remove and add chocolate chips. Let it stand for about a minute. Stir until smooth. Let it set up for 1-2 minutes until it starts to thicken and won't make a mess on your cake.
11. Start by slowly pouring a little bit of ganache along the edge of the cake all the way around, letting it drip down the sides. Pour remaining ganache into center of cake. Use a spatula to gently spread over the top, and push just a little over edges if you want more drips.
12. Place cake in fridge and let it set up for an hour before decorating top.
13. Add reserved chocolate to a piping bag with a swirl tip (suggest Wilton 1M), and pipe swirls along edges around the cake.

Notes

I used Imperial Sugar for this recipe

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 678Total Fat 34gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 95mgSodium 543mgCarbohydrates 91gFiber 2gSugar 71gProtein 6g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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