# Death by Chocolate Cake

A decadent chocolate cake recipe with simple instructions.

- Cuisine: American
- Category: Baked Goods
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 0.5 cup water
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 0.75 cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 cup sour cream
- 0.5 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso
- 2 cups unsalted butter
- 1 cup dark baking cocoa
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 0.75 cup heavy cream
- 1.33 cups dark chocolate

## Instructions

1. Make the chocolate simple syrup by heating a half a cup of water and a half a cup of granulated sugar until the sugar is fully dissolved.
2. Mix in a tablespoon of dark cocoa powder.
3. Pour into a jar to cool.
4. Whisk together all the dry ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup dark cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, and 1 teaspoon fine salt.
5. Combine 1 cup warm water, 1 cup sour cream, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon instant espresso.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together until smooth.
7. Pour batter into lined and greased cake pans.
8. Bake at 350°F for 22 to 26 minutes.
9. Make the chocolate frosting.
10. Mix together 2 cups unsalted butter, 1 cup dark baking cocoa, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon salt.
11. Mix in 5 cups powdered sugar and ¾ cup heavy cream on low speed.
12. Mix in 1 ⅓ cups of dark chocolate that’s been melted and cooled.
13. Brush the cake layers with chocolate simple syrup and spread on an even layer of the chocolate frosting.
14. Add a thick layer of chocolate buttercream.
15. Decorate the cake with extra crumbs.

## Equipment

- saucepan
- whisk
- bowls
- cake pans
- oven
- electric mixer
- spatula

## Tips

- The recipe is also linked in bio or you can Google Chel Sweet's Death by Chocolate Cake and it will be the first thing to pop up.
- The metric system with gram measurements on the site.

## Source

- Original video: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSkYCGjyq/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/2e0a42e8-4ebd-4569-ab97-f62106bd45b7
- Extracted: 2025-06-02

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt