Barb's Chocolate Cake

I cook professionally and was curious about this cake. The ingredients are complimentary, yet the finished product has an off flavor. I tried this cake on multiple occasions just in case there was something wrong with the ingredients, but the flavor presisted.

I'm chewing this as I type so I can be as honest as possible. It's cake, just plain chocolate cake. Not dry but certainly not the moist cake I was hoping for. It's dark in color but it's not strongly chocolate. It's not very sweet and not very moist. Bakes up beautifully and it's not bad, just not something I would make again when I think I want a slice of chocolate cake. Sorry.

This is a chocolate delight! I made it for a friend's birthday, and it was devoured-not a crumb for her to take home. I doubled the frosting and added choc. sprinkles for even more chocolate if it's possible. Not too sweet-just the way I like it!! My hat's off to Barb.

My search for a chocolate cake for my friend's Birthday brought me to All Recipes. I made my first cake last week and have since made two more this week alone (each of them have been pried from my hands before I could even admire my work) I have nothing but great things to say about this cake!! I don't bake often and this was the first cake I baked from scratch. It was no problem for me. I added the pudding and extra 1/3 cup of oil like some other users suggested and I also use cream cheese frosting instead of the chocolate glaze. I have been demanded to make this cake for a fundraiser coming up. Everyone just LOVES. This cake. now I just have to learn how to decorate it better

FABULOUS!!! I live up in the mountains of Montana, and I have a very difficult time with baking, but I followed other reviewers' suggestions and increased the oil to 1-1/3 cups, increased the coffee and cocoa to 1/3 cup of each, plus added a package of cook 'n serve Jello Vanilla pudding - this is by far the BEST chocolate cake I have ever made! Moist, tender, flavorful, rich, yummy - I made a lifelong friend by sending some to a very busy neighbor, too. I also used the Coffee Butter Frosting recipe from this site, as suggested - PERFECT! Wish I could give this recipe 10 stars!!!

It turned out great, I read somme other reviews and those helped out. The cake was very moist and yummy, I made it for a Birthday get-together for my husband and it was gone before it was over, one attendee had 3 pieces! Made it with chocolate buttercream icing and that gave it the perfect touch!!

I made this cake for my daughter 9th bday and it was a great hit. A real old fashioned chocolate cake with great coco flavor. I used my favorite frosting recipe but changed nothing else. Next time, and there will be a next time, I would consider using mini chocolate chips or just chopping up block chocolate as the chips were a bit chunky and made the cake rise a bit unevenly. Take care not to over bake - I let it cook a few minutes over and next time will have it out a bit earlier. All around a winner. A great recipe to have - Thanks barb for sharing

I have been making this cake for 2 years now, the only change I made was adding 1 tsp cinnamin to the batter and 1 tsp cinnamin to the frosting- I also make 1 1/2 the frosting recipe provided. We all love this recipe! No more box chocolate cakes for us! It's even better the next day when the flavors blend more.

This cake is fantastic! I do recomend making more frosting than called for, as there is not really enough to cover the cake. It is moist, and oh so chocolatey!!!!! My family loves it. This is the only chocolate cake recipe I will use!

I have made this for two birthday celebrations now ans both times it has got rave reviews!! Very decadent and the chocolate chips in the cake make for little bits of extra chocolate in some bites.

Good texture, easy to make, nothing WRONG with it... but this is not a knock-your-socks off chocolate cake. I used the Chocolate Ganache recipe (AR) which saved the cake. If I make this again I'll definitely double the cocoa powder.

This was a really good cake - I used vinegar/milk for a substitute for the buttermilk with no problems. I chose to ice the cake instead of frosting because I thought it would be overpowering with a thick frosting.

absolutely the best chocolate cake. I followed the directions exactly as written and even my picky 5 yr old loved it!

I made this cake for my husbands birthday. I added two layers, buttercream frosting and sprinkled the sides with walnuts. It was so easy and so moist and delicious! I will for sure make again... and again...

This cake is wonderful!! I made it for my husband's birthday today and he has already requested it again! The only change I made was instead of 1 c of oil, I used 1/2 c of oil and 1/2 c of applesauce as a substitute. It turned out VERY moist!! This recipe is definitely going in my recipe box! Thanks for sharing!

I've used this cake recipe a couple times in the past, but made the following changes: 1 cup of sour cream instead of the buttermilk, 1/3 cup increased vegetable oil and one box of jello chocolate pudding (dry mix). The cake comes out extremely moist and not too sweet. I've never tried the frosting recipe with it as I use a peanut butter frosting on this cake. Makes a nice birthday cake.

This cake had a very unique taste, I loved the frosting. I wasn't so sure about the semi-sweet chocolate chips.. but it turned out they made for a brilliant (and delicious) surprise when you bite in. The first time I made the cake I think I made a mistake though, it fell apart easily when cut into.. but the second time I made it exactly to the recipe only I added a bit more sugar, it held together nicely and I will make this cake again. Thank you Barb.

This was a good cake. I did take the advise of others and add more oil (1 1/3 cups) and thank goodness I doubled the frosting recipe. The cake was very moist, however, the frosting was a bit too bitter...I used milk choc chips instead of semi sweet and it took some of the bitterness from the frosting...but not quite enough. All in all, I will make again, however I'll try a different frosting next time. Thank Barb, It was very tasty!

As an english person I was a bit shocked to see vegetabel oil in a recipe but it seemed to turn out well. I would agree that there was not enought frosting and in fact I just made some vanilla butter frosting to put in the middle which most of my friends thought better than the frosting on the top. A good recipe which I have handed on to a friend who is not a good cook.

This tastes just like the cake from the local fine bakery. It is chocolately without being overly sweet and it is moist and rich with a refined flavour. I'd highly recommend it. My very reserved 80 year old mother in law, who never comments on any of my food, complimented me on this cake.

Gorgeous....i used sour cream instead of buttermilk and poured it all into an 8 x 10 pan and baked for nearly 40 mins.....still turned out YUMMY. thank you!

yeaha

This is my favorite recipe of all time, I ask my sister to make it for my birthday every year and everyone who has it is floored. It's not too sweet and the coffee adds to the dark chocolate mocha flavor. BEST FROSTING, I eat with spoon!

i made these exactly as the recipe says and i found it very good! i was looking for a chocolate cake recipe for a friend's birthday (her name is barb) when i stumbled across this. how perfect! she enjoyed it and so did everybody else. only one piece was left and i'm eating it now!

I've made this cake many times, and my clients always love it! I like to chop a very dark chocolate bar and a light chocolate bar, instead of using chocolate chips. Just make sure to use a good quality chocolate. Thanks Barb!!

I have to admit that after reading some the other reviews I was a little leary because they are so conflicting. That said this was the best chocolate cake I have ever had. I think those who found it to be dry/crumbly either overbaked it or refrigerated it before eating. If you put it in the fridge 10 seconds in the mirowave make a slice wonderful again. My chocolate cake recipe search ends here, will make again and again!

This was my first layered cake to make and it turned out perfect. It was very moist. I ended out taking it out earlier that what was on the directions but I think that is because every oven is different. I alway check anything early I am baking so it won't be too dry. I did make more icing by adding an extra half of the icing ingredients. I ended up having left overs but I should have put more between the layers. It is even better the next day put in the microwave for 10 seconds. I will definately make this again.

I loved this recipe. The cake was moist and fluffy, just perfect! Will be making again.

i didnt make the frosting because i'm looking for a cake thats good withoiut frosting. this isnt it. if not for the chocolate chips i wouldnt have tasted any chocolate flavor at all. it was fluffy and soft and pretty but didnt tast like chocolate didnt tast like vanilla didnt tast like nothing! just flour

Good & Chocolatey but not very sweet and came out crumbly. I used a different frosting that was very fudgy and sweet so it was delicious for my chocoholic family. I would suggest at least 1 1/2 cups of sugar, preferable 2 cups, and fold in the chocolate chips before pouring batter into pans.

This cake is not sweet enough and a little too crumbly. Also, there's not enough frosting to cover the enter cake. Can't figure out why the chocolate chips are placed on top of the cakes instead of folded into the batter.

Cake was just okay on it's own - really didn't drool over it as I have with others (pretty much any involving chocolate cake mix, sour cream and chocolate chips). I didn't use the icing recipe here (didn't have the coffee) and so I instead used the "Easy Chocolate Bundt Cake Glaze" on allrecipes, and now THAT was to die for (and easy :). But the kicker was pairing the glazed cake with Butter Pecan ice cream, and that's when the OMGs started (for some reason I think the butter pecan worked better than vanilla would have - maybe the slight nut crunch?). Probably won't do this cake again unless I have to have a chocolate cake and I don't have boxed cake mix...

I thought this cake was not chocolatey or sweet enough. It was also dry and crumbly though I followed the directions acurately. I did not use the icing recipe but put a different icing on it but I was not impressed with the cake at all.

This was delicious. I did not use the frosting because my daughter wanted a vanilla frosting. This was simple, and it will definitely be made again.

I have tried several chocolate cake recipies and like this the best. The cake came out very moist and flavorful.

Am I the only one that could taste the baking soda/powder in this cake?

An EXCELLENT cake. As a few reviewers mentioned, it isn't all that sweet - but that is part of its appeal. The chocolate chips are a wonderful surprise and the frosting is delicious (I usually increase the frosting amount by 50%). I've made this cake a dozen times and it keeps getting better each time.

I made this cake for my 30th birthday party and it was a huge hit! One of the best chocolate cakes I've ever made!

This cake was the best. It was so moist and the taste was just right. As an added touch I put chocolate fudge pudding in between the two layers. It made the cake even more decadent and moist. This recipe should be in everyone's recipe box!!

Not sure what I did wrong, but the cake fell apart and was crumbly. I added pudding, like some reviewers suggested; added more oil, as well. Once cooled, it just crumbled. I was so disappointed. It smelled wonderful and the batter tasted amazing!I bake quite a bit, so I'm baffled. Aside from the consistency, it did taste delicious.

This is a very tasty and rich chocolate cake. I make it for every chocolate lover's birthday now.

This was very chocolately and fun to make with the girls.

Perfect Birthday cake! In our family, we like it with whipped cream cream cheese frosting instead of chocolate glaze!

WOW! Okay, I had no buttermilk so I used sour cream -- I also had no chocolate chips so I just omitted that step. Besides this, I followed the recipe exactly and I topped the cake with German Cake Frosting...it was so good. FAMILY LOVES IT!! I will never buy another cake mix THANKS BARB!!

I used 1 cup melted margarine instead of the oil and 1 and 1/2 cups sugar. Very moist, sweet, and yummy. I cant comment on the icing, I used my own. What a wonderfull cake.

great recipe, added some chocolate pudding for more moistness

This is exactly what I look for in a chocolate cake -decadent, moist, and delicious. Coffee in replace of water usually adds more depth to any chocolate cake, but this recipe on its own came out wonderful. Paired with chocolate butter cream frosting, this certainly satisfied my chocolate craving for the evening.

This cake was absolutely delicious, i made it for my mum on her birthday, shes the best cook in the world and she was delighted with the cake. Although the cake was delicious i put to much coffee in the icing, however it still tasted yummylicious! i give this cake 7 of 10 (and that is still very good)

I thought the cake was okay. It wasn't sweet enough, in my opinion. I really didn't care for the icing. I can't really pinpoint what I didn't like about it, but overall, I didn't care for the taste of the icing. As a whole, I think this was average cake. Still searching for THE perfect chocolate cake.

very good...will replace my old homemade chocolate cake recipe. It reminds me of "darn good chocolate cake" if you've ever had that (I think it's called chocolate cavity maker cake or something like that on this site). I did not use her frosting, but the "cool whipped frosting" recipe on this site...doubled that recipe. I refridgerated the cake before serving because of the frosting and thought that the two together were a very good combo...chocolately, with a nice texture, and the chocolate chips are a nice surprise. The frosting kept things from getting too overwhelming, it was creamy and light (I don't care for the more traditional sugary sweet confection sugar based frostings) I would definitely make this again with the frosting I mentioned.

This recipe is THE definitive chocolate birthday cake recipe in our house. It's really moist and the chocolate chips are a nice surprise.

I substituted sour cream for the buttermilk and it worked very well. I also made the chocolate frosting for the filling and thought it was excellent. I made the same frosting recipe but omitted the ccocoa and added an additional teaspon of vanilla (clear) and sour cream for a white frosting for the outside. Great!

This cake is great. I have made it on 3 different occasions and each time it turns out perfect and people eat it right up!

I had almost given up on homemade cakes. Then I tried this one. It is easy to make, all the ingredients are in my cabinets and my whole family loved it, from my chocaholic husband to my sweets-craving girls. I've made this cake 4 times and it came out moist and delicous every time. I use my own frosting, so I can't comment on that part. Definately 5 stars.

GREAT CHOCOLATE CAKE--DENSE AND MOIST--FREEZES WELL

Absolutely delicious chocolate cake. Really moist and chocolatey. It was also really easy to make (actually my 4 year old made it, I just handed him the ingredients). I might put a layer of whipped cream in between the layers next time as my husband found it a bit rich but for a chocoholic like me it was perfect.

This cake was ok. It was a little on the dry side, and could have used more frosting to offset it. It was chocolately.

This is the most delicious chocolate cake I've ever made. But I have to admit, my family prefers it without the chocolate chips sprinkled on top.

Great chocolate cake that is not too sweet. My family really liked it and the icing is to die for!

great!

My boyfriend requested chocolate cake with chocolate icing for his birthday cake, and I searched for a recipe and found this one. The cake sure is packed with chocolate, but he loved it. It really satisfied my chocolate craving. :) TASTY!

First time baking a cake, and I thought this was pretty good. However, for people who dislike a too chocalately taste, you might prefer to use another frosting. I should have added abit more baking powder/soda though. The cake didnt rise much (and thus was quite dense)in my case.

My first attempt at this cake was a disaster - the layers domed quite a bit and I couldn't level them without losing all the chocolate chips. I remade the cake, putting in enough batter to cover the bottom of the pans, then adding the chocolate chips in the middle and covering with the remaining batter. I would have been better off using 3 pans as the layers domed again (less this time) so I still had to cut off the tops to level them. In the end, I was disappointed in the cake as it didn't taste chocolatey at all to me. The frosting was wonderful though, very chocolatey and the coffee gives it an added kick. I made a batch and a half as suggested by other reviewers. I probably won't make the cake again but the frosting will definitely stay in my recipe box.

Excellent! I made it once and nobody can stop talking about it. Including me!

This cake has a very nice texture. The frosting was particularly delicious. Creamy and a lovely light cocoa shade. Great for anyone who enjoys intense chocolate flavors.

This is an excellent cake, my family, friends and nieghbours go crazy for this recipe!

I made this cake for my brothers birthday. It took me ages to make it as I am a first timer. I makde it with great care. The cake looked very good but after eating it i could taste baking soda! I think i put too much in it! I am living in Australia and now on hind sight I think I should have used "Self-Raising flour" which already has the right amount of rising agents within it. I will be more aware of this in the future. I also made the cake without any eggs..just added some extra butter and milk. That was fine. I will have to try it again. But I believe it would turn out great if it wasnt for too much baking soda.

It was easy to make and the ingredients were all things I have on hand, except the chocolate chips. I had to double the icing. Everyone loved it.

Good cake! But it was quite rich and not very sweet. I really liked it, but my husband was hoping for sweeter & moister. I had to double the frosting recipe to cover the entire cake & frost between layers. Great for adults, but not sweet enough for kids.

Seaching for the ultimate chocolate cake? You search ends here!

Definitely for chocolate lovers!!!

Probably one of the most delicious chocolate cakes I've ever tasted. We had to cook it longer than 25 min. though, but it turned out beautifully for my son's birthday.

The cake wasn’t the moist, chocolately cake I was hoping for. I liked the addition of the chocolate chips, but it was still disappointing, lacking sweetness.

The cake is delicious, I'll never make a chocolate cake with a mix again. The icing was a little too chocolatey for my family, but the cake.....OOOOH it's so GOOD!!!!

This is a cake that I will make again and again (and already have!). It is very good.

I made this cake for my father's birthday and everyone loved it. After seeing the comments on the lack of sweetness of the cake, I added an extra 1/2 cup of sugar and it turned out great!

Really loved the cake and so did my family and friends! The chocolate chips are a nice touch as is the coffee. Great tasting cake!!

Very moist & chocolatey and not too sweet. I baked it for a friend's birthday and she loved it.

this was just wonderful. when i made it everyone loved it!! thanks!!

This recipe is amazing I make it every year for my husband's birthday we love it so moist and delicious thanks Barb

I was disappointed in this recipe. I found the cake had a spongy consistancy. I followed the recipe but something went wrong somewhere. I liked our store bought cakes better but will try again another time to see if it turns out better.

I've made this cake several times and it has now become the only chocolate cake recipe I'll make.

I made this cake for a friends birthday dinner & got rave reviews! Try it!

Loved It!

The cake is OK, but not my favorite. It tasted like it's missing something, maybe sweetness or more chocolate flavor.