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    Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes

    Naked Chocolate Cake

    Published: Apr 20, 2022 · Modified: Oct 31, 2024 by Karin and Ken · This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

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    This nake chocolate cake recipe combines rich chocolate cake with just the right amount of buttercream frosting to create a dessert that lets both the cake and the frosting shine.

    A slice of naked chocolate cake.

    I love cake. It's one of my favorite desserts. However, I'm not a fan of cake that's completely overloaded with frosting. I love this recipe because I can taste the cake and the frosting in equal measure.

    Naked Chocolate Cake Recipe

    This was inspired by my other naked cake recipe on this site, and it makes a great dessert after this hearty garlic butter steak bites dinner.

    Ingredients

    Even though this is a fully homemade recipe, it only takes simple ingredients to make. There's nothing fancy with this recipe.

    For the Cake

    • Brown sugar
    • Eggs
    • Softened butter
    • Cocoa powder
    • Boiling water
    • Flour
    • Baking soda
    • Sour cream

    For the Frosting

    • Softened butter
    • Powdered sugar
    • Vanilla
    • Milk

    Optional Topping: Hershey's chocolate bar

    See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.

    Instructions

    Making this cake is actually a very simple affair. Even beginners can do it!

    Step 1: Prep

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and then coat them with flour. Set aside.

    Step 2: Combine the Wet Ingredients

    Cream the brown sugar, eggs, and butter with a hand mixer in a large mixing bowl.

    Step 3: Add Cocoa Powder and Water

    Add the cocoa powder to the mixture. Then, slowly add the boiling water while mixing. Blend until smooth.

    Step 4: Add the Dry Ingredients

    Add the flour and baking soda and beat again until smooth.

    Step 5: Add the Sour Cream

    Add the sour cream and beat again until smooth.

    Step 6: Bake

    Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

    Step 7: Cool

    Allow the cakes to cool for 15 minutes. Then, flip them out onto a work surface. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

    Step 8: Make the Frosting

    While the cake cools, cream the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Then slowly add the milk while continuing to beat until the frosting is completed.

    Step 9: Complete the Cake

    When the cake is completely cool, top the bottom layer with frosting. Then, repeat with the other two cake layers, ending with a layer of frosting on top of the cake. Top with chopped or shaved Hershey bar and enjoy.

    Hint: Cool your cake completely so the frosting won't melt and slide off of it.

    Closeup shot of forkful of naked chocolate cake held above a slice with more cake in the background.

    Substitutions

    Don't have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this naked chocolate cake recipe.

    • Greek yogurt - If you don't have sour cream, full-fat Greek yogurt works well.
    • Cake Flour - Use cake flour for an extra tender cake.

    Variations

    Want to personalize this naked chocolate cake recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.

    • Coffee - Add a tablespoon of instant coffee or strongly-brewed coffee for a richer chocolate flavor.
    • Cayenne - Add a pinch of cayenne to bring out even more chocolate flavor. It won't make the cake spicy, but it will add a little something extra.

    If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy this air fyer chocolate peanut butter swirl cake or our chocolate loaf cake recipe.

    Equipment

    You only need a few simple pieces of kitchen equipment to make this recipe.

    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • Mixing bowl
    • Spoon
    • Hand mixer
    • Cake pans
    • Spatula

    Storage

    You can store this cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can refrigerate it for up to 7 days.

    Tips

    This recipe is fairly easy to make, but I do have some tips to help you make it the best it can possibly be.

    • Always grease AND flour your cake pans to ensure that your cakes don't stick.
    • Add the boiling water to the cake mix gradaully to ensure the proper texture.
    • Be sure you let your cake cool completely before frosting so the frosting will adhere to it.
    Closeup shot of naked chocolate cake on a white plate. The cake is three chocolate layers with white frosting between each layer and topped with bits of chocolate.

    More Cake Recipes

    Do you like cake? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.

    • Kit Kat Ice Cream Cake
    • Pumpkin Cake in Air Fryer
    • Naked Carrot Cake

    FAQ

    Do you have questions about naked chocolate cake? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about this nake chocolate cake recipe.

    What is naked cake?

    It's a style of cake that omits the majority of the frosting normally found on a cake. Typically, the outer frosting layer is omitted, leaving only the frosting between the cake layers.

    Who invented nake cake?

    Chrstina Toso of Momofuku Milk Bar began making naked cakes in 2007.

    How long is buttercream cake good?

    You can store buttercream cake for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.

    Naked Chocolate Cake

    Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.

    A slice of naked chocolate cake.

    Naked Chocolate Cake

    Karin and Ken
    This naked chocolate cake recipe has the perfect amount of cake and frosting. Enjoy both without either overpowering the other.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Additional Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 422 kcal

    Equipment

    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • Hand mixer
    • mixing bowl
    • Rubber spatula
    • wire rack
    • 3 8 x 8 inch cake pan

    Ingredients
      

    Cake Ingredients

    • 2 cups brown sugar packed
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • ½ cup butter softened
    • 2 tblsp cocoa powder
    • 1 cup boiling water
    • 2 cups flour
    • 2 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ cup sour cream

    Frosting Ingredients

    • ½ cup butter softened
    • 4 cups icing or powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2-3 tblsp milk

    Optional Topping

    • Hershey’s chocolate bar
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    • Get out and measure your ingredients.
      Overhead photo of all the ingredients needed to make Naked Chocolate Cake.
    • Preheat oven to 350ºF.
    • Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by spraying them with cooking spray and coating them with a fine layer of flour. Set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, eggs, and butter with a hand mixer.
      Brown sugar, eggs, and butter in a large mixing bowl.
    • Add cocoa powder. Slowly add boiling water while mixing. Blend until smooth.
      Cocoa powder added to the large mixing bowl. Slowly adding boiling water while mixing.
    • Add flour and baking soda. Beat again until smooth.
      Flour and baking soda added to the mixture in the large mixing bowl. Mix until smooth.
    • Add sour cream. Beat again until smooth.
      Sour cream added to the mixture in the large mixing bowl. Mix until smooth.
    • Divide batter between the three 8 inch prepared cake pans.
      Prepared batter divided equally into three cake pans of the same size.
    • Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
      Baked cake batter cooked and out of the oven.
    • Allow cakes to cool for 15 minutes before flipping them out onto a wire rack and then your work surface. It may help to run a knife around the edges to release the cake.
    • Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.

    Frosting

    • Place the butter and powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Beat until smooth.
      Butter, powdered sugar and milk added to a medium sized mixing bowl.
    • Add the vanilla. Beat until blended.
      Vanilla added to the milk-butter-powdered sugar mixture in the medium mixing bowl.

    Assembly Directions

    • Place one layer of the cake on a large plate.
      First layer of the cake placed on a large white dish.
    • Frost top. Add next layer. Repeat.
      First layer of cake covered in frosting.
    • Top with cake crumbs or shaved chocolate.
      Naked chocolate cake assembled. Top with cake crumbs or shaved chocolate.
    • Slice and serve.
      Closeup photo of a slice of naked chocolate cake on a plate.
    • Enjoy every bite!

    Notes

    • Always grease AND flour your cake pans to ensure that your cakes don't stick.
    • Add the boiling water to the cake mix gradaully to ensure the proper texture.
    • Be sure you let your cake cool completely before frosting so the frosting will adhere to it.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 422kcalCarbohydrates: 95gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 231mgPotassium: 164mgFiber: 1gSugar: 76gVitamin A: 142IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword chocolate cake, naked cake
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    We are the kitchen divas: Karin and my partner in life, Ken.

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