This spicy chocolate cake is a rich, moist chocolate layer cake similar to Mexican chocolate cake! The chocolate sponge and whipped chocolate buttercream bring the heat with cinnamon and cayenne pepper for a deliciously warming dessert.
If you're a chocolate lover looking for a unique dessert, this spicy chocolate cake is for you. It's rich, soft, and full of deep chocolate flavor with just the right amount of warmth from cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
Every bite is fudgy and moist, and the smooth chocolate buttercream ties it all together with a subtle kick that lingers. Think of it as your favorite chocolate layer cake with a little extra personality!
If you love chocolate cakes, you'll also love my chocolate custard cake, chocolate truffle cake, chocolate crunch cake, and chocolate mascarpone cake!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Warm and chocolatey: The cinnamon and cayenne don't overpower the chocolate. They enhance it, giving this cake a cozy, slightly spicy flavor.
- Moist and tender: Thanks to oil, sour cream, and hot coffee, the texture stays soft and rich for days.
- Easy to make: No fancy equipment or complicated steps here! The cake is made with simple ingredients mixed in a few bowls. Even decorating is easy!
Key Ingredients
- Cocoa powder- I prefer Dutch-processed cocoa powder in the cake and frosting for its deep, rich flavor. Natural unsweetened cocoa powder or black cocoa work too.
- Hot coffee- Use any kind of coffee or espresso to deepen the cake's flavor. You won't be able to detect any coffee flavor! Make sure it's hot so the cocoa can bloom and enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Oil- Making this cake with oil helps it stay moist and soft. Use a flavorless oil to not overpower the spices, like canola or vegetable oil.
- Granulated sugar- Holds on to moisture and helps offset the cocoa powder's bitterness.
- Sour cream- You can use sour cream or plain Greek yogurt to make the texture dense yet moist!
- Baking powder and baking soda- The cake won't rise if they're expired, so check the date on both before you start baking.
- Ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper- This cake is inspired by Mayan drinking chocolate, and cinnamon and chili peppers are the traditional spices. I ran out of cayenne on the second test of this cake and used ancho chili powder, and it worked great! You can try different warming spices, like nutmeg or cardamom, if you like!
- Unsalted butter- Adds a rich flavor and gives the buttercream more structure. Make sure it's room temperature before you make the frosting so it's easy to cream with no lumps.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: First, preheat the oven to 350ยฐF and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside, then whisk the cocoa powder and hot coffee together in a large bowl.
Step 2: Whisk in the oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Step 3: Fold the dry ingredients and spices in until the dry streaks of flour just disappear. This ensures that the batter won't get overmixed (causes a dense cake). A few lumps are ok.
Step 4: Evenly distribute the chocolate cake batter into the lined cake pans. Then bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
Step 5: For the buttercream, beat the room temperature butter until it's smooth and creamy with a pale yellow color. You can use a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Step 6: Beat in the cocoa and vanilla on low speed until combined. It will be crumbly at first but comes together into a creamy consistency.
Step 7: Mix in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time followed by the cinnamon and cayenne. Pulse the mixer at first so the sugar doesn't jump out of the bowl, then increase to medium speed. The consistency will look thick and crumbly, but that's normal!
Step 8: Stream in the heavy cream while mixing on low. Then increase the speed to medium-high, beating until the frosting is fluffy with stiff peaks.
Note that for the frosting, you must use heavy whipping cream! If you try to substitute milk or half and half, it won't set up and will stay thin and soupy no matter how much you mix it.
Assembling the Cake
Once the cake layers are cool, use a serrated knife to level off the domed tops. Then evenly spread 1 cup of frosting on the first layer and gently place the second layer on top upside down.
Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake from top to bottom. I recommend using a small offset spatula and a bench scraper to smooth everything out. This is called a "crumb coat", which helps lock loose crumbs in so they don't mix with the final layer of frosting.
Place the cake in the freezer for 20 minutes or until the frosting is dry to the touch. Then spread a thick final coat of frosting all over, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve immediately.
If you want to have enough buttercream to pipe a border and other decorations, make 1.5 times the frosting!
Expert Baking Tips
- Make sure all the ingredients are room temperature. This helps get a smooth, fluffy cake batter and buttercream. Pull everything out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you start baking.
- Taste the batter as you go. The spice in this recipe is subtle, but you can always add more or less to suit your taste. Try adding a full teaspoon of cayenne to the frosting instead of half for a bigger spicy kick.
- Don't overwhip the frosting. We want the frosting to be fluffy, but it's easy to go overboard and make it split. Stop when the it's still soft but has stiff peaks when you lift up the mixer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This recipe yields about 24 cupcakes. Bake at 350ยฐF and start checking for doneness around 15 minutes.
Make the cake layers, and once they're completely cool, freeze them wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge the night before serving, then make the frosting and assemble the day of.
This recipe also works with two 9-inch or three 6-inch round cake pans. The 9-inch layers will be thinner and take less time to bake, while the 6-inch layers will be thicker and take a few extra minutes to cook through.
Storage Tips
Store the spicy chocolate cake in a large airtight container, like a cake carrier, in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you have leftover frosting, I recommend covering the cut portion with it so it doesn't dry out as fast.
It tastes best if you let it warm up on the counter for about 30 minutes.
You can also freeze the cake in the same container or wrapped in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil for up to 2 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
More Cake Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Spicy Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 whisk
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment
- 1 offset spatula
- 1 bench scraper optional
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 75 grams cocoa powder
- 200 milliliters hot coffee
- 120 grams vegetable oil
- 280 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 240 grams sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180 grams all purpose flour
- 1 ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยพ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 226 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 40 grams cocoa powder
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 360 grams powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 80 grams heavy cream room temperature
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease the parchment as well.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot coffee until smooth. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes before continuing.75 grams cocoa powder, 200 milliliters hot coffee
- Whisk in the oil, granulated sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth and glossy.120 grams vegetable oil, 280 grams granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 240 grams sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper to the wet ingredients folding gently with a rubber spatula. Mix just until the flour streaks disappear. A few small lumps are fine.180 grams all purpose flour, 1 ยฝ teaspoon baking powder, ยพ teaspoon baking soda, ยฝ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 30-45 minutes.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Beat the room temperature butter with a handheld or stand mixer on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, until it's pale and creamy.226 grams unsalted butter
- Beat in the cocoa powder and vanilla on low speed until combined. The mixture may look crumbly at first- that's normal.40 grams cocoa powder, ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, followed by the cinnamon, cayenne, and salt. Start on low speed so the sugar doesn't puff out of the bowl, then increase to medium. The frosting will look thick and slightly dry.360 grams powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ยฝ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ยผ teaspoon salt
- With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Once combined, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 2-3 minutes until the frosting is light, fluffy, and holds stiff peaks. If it's too thick, add another tablespoon of cream; if too soft, beat for another minute or two.80 grams heavy cream
Assembly
- Once the cake layers are completely cool, level the tops with a serrated knife if needed. Place one layer on a cake stand or turntable and spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly over the top.
- Place the second cake layer on top upside down so the surface is flat. Using an offset spatula and bench scraper, spread a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake to trap any crumbs. This is the crumb coat. Refrigerate or freeze the cake for 15-20 minutes until the frosting feels firm to the touch.
- Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing as you go. Finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, cocoa powder, or chili flakes. Then slice and serve at room temperature.
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