Old-Fashioned Southern Chocolate Cake
- SERVES
- 12
- COOK TIME
- 25 Min
Make this Old-Fashioned Southern Chocolate Cake recipe, and you'll be transported to a breezy southern porch! Made with generous hospitality and a dash of good manners, this easy chocolate cake recipe will soon be the most charming dessert you've ever tasted. Finding the best chocolate cake ever is no easy task, but it makes sense that you can find it in the sweet South.
What You'll Need
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Old-Fashioned Southern Chocolate Frosting (see Note)
What to Do
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray: set aside.
-
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; mix well and set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat sugar, shortening, and butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs until well mixed. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Add buttermilk and vanilla until well mixed. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans.
-
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of each comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
-
Place 1 cake layer upside-down on a serving platter and frost top. Place second layer over first and frost top and sides. Serve, or cover loosely until ready to serve.
Note
- Try our recipe for Old-Fashioned Southern Chocolate Frosting, or use your own chocolate frosting on this cake.
- We've included this chocolate cake in our list of Top 10 Traditional Southern Desserts!
- If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out our free eBook, Classic Cakes: 24 Easy Cake Recipes to Enjoy Year-Round!
Read NextWhite Chocolate Mousse Cake
Nutritional InformationShow More
Servings Per Recipe: 12
- Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
- Calories 294
- Calories from Fat 136
- Total Fat 15g 23 %
- Saturated Fat 7.0g 35 %
- Trans Fat 0.2g 0 %
- Protein 5.1g 10 %
- Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
- Cholesterol 80mg 27 %
- Sodium 212mg 9 %
- Total Carbohydrates 35g 12 %
- Dietary Fiber 1.2g 5 %
- Sugars 18g 0 %
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jtfriends45 169265 8
Nov 24, 2013
This cake did not taste good at all My granddaughter wanted to bake a cake together and we decided to try this recipe. We followed the directions t the tee and the cake was not tasteful at all. flat and sponge. Luckily I had already baked other desserts for Thanksgiving. thak goodness!!
Member 2990376
Oct 13, 2013
@Sonia: Before you blast a recipe publicly, you should try to find out what went wrong first. Maybe your ingredients were old or you over or under mixed the batter, maybe your ingredients were too cold, maybe your oven isn't accurate or maybe an outside source caused the cake to fall. If the cake is coming out right for the people who published the recipe and others who have made it, then clearly a mistake was made on your part.
psibley29 6052704
Aug 31, 2013
What can I use instead of buttermilk? I don't want to buy a product where I will be throwing some of it out. Thank you.
theirmom3
Aug 31, 2013
I use a powdered mix called Cultured buttermilk. I found it in the baking aisle near all the milk products. I love it as I only mix up what I need and store the rest of the powder in the fridge as advised on box. It is in a 12 oz tub with a red lid and orange,white, and red label. Hope this helps
Joan07430
Oct 08, 2013
To make buttermilk: Put one tablespoon white vinegar in a one cup measure and add milk to make one cup. Let sit for a few minutes thaen you have buttermilk
soniahome 2354931
May 14, 2013
What a waste of time and ingredients!. Cake didn't rise much, tasteless and totally useless for anyone to eat... Good Luck anyone baking this wonder NOT!!
Dendy2
Aug 20, 2013
Sonia, It sounds like your baking soda went flat! If you don't like this recipe try the one on the back of the Hershey Cocoa box. I especially love the "special dark" chocolate. The recipe sounds crazy because you stir in 1 cup of boiling water into the batter, but it makes the cake very moist. I've made it twice, and my family loves it!
theirmom3
Aug 31, 2013
I've made the one on the back of the box twice this past month. The kids at my son's party and at scouts loved it. I agree give it a try.
jtfriends45 169265 8
Nov 24, 2013
Soniahome 2354931 you're absolutely correct. I had the same experience and all my ingredients were fresh from the grocery store time dated and all. Next time I will read the reviews first when using a receipe from this website.
meatandtaters
Sep 29, 2014
Did any of you who hate this recipe keep the cake until the next day? Sometimes a chocolate cake needs to age before it tastes good. There is a recipe on this site called 'Triple Chocolate Mess' that is cooked in a crock pot. It was horrible the first day, the day I wanted it to be eaten. But the next day it was delicious.
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