Alright, so let’s talk Triple Chocolate Cake, friend. This is the cake I bake when someone in my family has had a rough week, or I just need a chocolate fix so bad I start eyeing the baking cocoa straight outta the jar (don’t judge me, it’s happened). Actually, the first time I made this cake was for my mate Laura’s birthday. I was nervous—her mum is, like, the Queen of Puddings—but, by some kitchen miracle, the cake disappeared so fast I barely scrounged a slice for myself. There’s always that one chocolate cake you remember? This is mine.

Why You’ll Seriously Love It

I make this when I’m craving something with actual chocolate (not just the hint of it, you know what I mean?). My kids go absolutely mad for it because it literally has three types of chocolate—so there’s no way to miss the main event. And okay, sometimes I get a bit carried away and melt chocolate on top after it’s already frosted. (Yes, it’s slightly overboard, but what’s life without a little chaos?) The texture’s spot-on too: sort of dense but still light enough that you could eat a slab after dinner and not hate yourself. If you’ve ever tried to make those fussy layer cakes that want you to use twelve bowls, this one’s a breeze—though not quite one-bowl simple. But nothing ever sticks to the pan anymore since I started using baking parchment, which my mum nagged me about for ages.

What You’ll Need (And What I Sometimes Swap)

200g dark chocolate (I use 70% but I’ve made do with cheap supermarket bars too. Granddad prefers milk, but, really, use whatever you’ve got)
1/2 cup cocoa powder (Dutch-process is lush, but I’ve dodged down to regular old Hershey’s and it’s fine)
1 and 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup caster sugar (brown sugar works in a pinch—gives a more fudgy vibe)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (honestly, salted works, just skip the added pinch of salt)
3 large eggs (room temp, but, look, I’ve baked with fridge-cold eggs before—just beat ’em a bit longer!)
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (sometimes plain old yogurt, not gonna lie)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (the fancy kind is nice, but I’ve used cheapo variants too and no one complained)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I’ve been known to use chopped up chocolate bars here—don’t tell the purists)
For Frosting: 200g dark chocolate, 3/4 cup double cream—a sneaky dash of coffee if you’re feeling fancy

Here’s How You Do It (No Panic!)

Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line two 8-inch cake tins—I used to skip the lining, but, trust me, just do it. Your future self will thank you.
Melt 200g dark chocolate with butter, either in bursts in the microwave (stir often! Mine always gets weird around the edges) or gently over a bain-marie. Stir till glossy. This is where I usually sneak a spoonful.
Let that cool just slightly (don’t rush it—eggs will scramble—I’ve done it, it’s gross). Whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla together till it looks pale-ish and foamy.
Slowly pour in your melted chocolate, stirring constantly (and yes, I sometimes forget and dump it in all at once—it still turns out edible).
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Fold half into your chocolate mixture. Add the sour cream, stir, then the remaining flour. Don’t overmix (mine got a bit tough one time—I blame the phone ringing mid-stir).
Last: toss in the chocolate chips. Give it a good stir. Again, honestly, this is also the point I eat some of the batter; sue me.
Divide between the tins. Bake for 22–28 minutes (depends on your oven; mine runs hot, so I check at 22). A skewer should come out with a crumb or two but not wet.
Let cool in the tin for a while—a full cooling rack job, or just on a random tray if you can’t wait like me.
For the frosting, melt the chocolate with cream together until smooth. I sometimes chuck in half a teaspoon of instant coffee; try it. Cool slightly, then spread on totally cooled cakes. It’ll set into a glossy, fudgey layer.

Notes from My Scattered Brain

If your frosting splits, don’t panic—actually, I find whisking in a spoonful of cold cream usually brings it back (or just eat it as is; nobody’s ever turned it down).
One time I over-baked this and thought it was ruined, but cutting off the crispy bits and sandwiching the rest with extra frosting kind of saved the day. So don’t ditch a cake just because it’s a little dry!
The cake improves after a day, but honestly… it’s rarely left alone that long at our place.

Swaps and Experiments—Some Worked, Some Didn’t

I’ve been known to throw raspberries in between the layers—looks wild but tastes amazing. Tried it once with white chocolate chips instead of milk and, not gonna lie, a bit sweet for my taste. My brother swears by adding a glug of stout to the batter (like in Guinness cake), but… it made it too dense, in my opinion. Still, who am I to stop a man and his beer?

What You Need—But Improvise If You Want

Two 8-inch cake tins—if you only have one, bake in batches (or do one tall cake and risk the Great Center Collapse… your call!)
A mixer makes life easier, but I’ve done the whole thing with a big wooden spoon and some elbow grease—just takes longer.
Baking parchment if you have it; otherwise, butter and flour the tins like there’s no tomorrow.

Storing the Cake (In Theory)

I always say triple chocolate cake keeps for a few days if you wrap it up tight or stick in an airtight container. But, truth be told, a cake this lush? It barely makes it to the next morning at my house. If you somehow have leftovers, refrigerate (but let slices come to room temp for best flavour).

Serving Up—My Fave Ways

I love it with a cold glass of milk (classic, right?), but sometimes I serve tiny slices with a dollop of whipped cream for Sunday nights when we’re feeling ‘fancy.’ Oh, and my sister once sandwiched strawberries inside, which looked pretty epic.

Things I’ve Learned the Hard Way: Pro “Tips”

I once tried to frost the cake while it was still warm—it all slid off, total disaster. Now I just force myself to wait, even if that means distracting myself with the washing up.
Don’t overmix once you add flour—seriously, makes it brick-like. (I ruined a birthday cake like that once and I still hear about it…)
If the ganache looks way too thick, add a splash more cream; otherwise, it’ll tear the cake to shreds when spreading.

Real Questions I’ve Gotten (And Honest Answers)

Can I freeze this cake? Yup! Actually, I think the flavour deepens after it’s frozen and thawed. Just wrap it well. But the frosting sometimes goes a bit grainy—don’t worry, still tastes great.
Can I make it gluten free? I tried with a few different GF blends and, honestly, it kind of works, but it’s a tad more crumbly. I’d use extra sour cream to help with texture.
Do I have to use three types of chocolate? Nah! Two works fine if that’s what you’ve got. Just maybe add extra chips for a bit more oomph. Don’t sweat the details.
Coffee in chocolate cake—really? Oh, 100 percent. You won’t taste coffee, but you’ll notice the chocolate is just more chocolatey. If that’s a word. Is it?
Why not self-raising flour? Well, you could, but I get more control this way (plus self-raising flour sometimes makes things a bit, I dunno, unpredictable–or maybe that’s just me).

And there you go! If you want to geek out on the science behind all that chocolate, I highly recommend The Food Lab’s deep dive on chocolate cake. And tell me how your cake turns out (or, let’s be honest, all your cake fails—the best stories usually start with, ‘Well, it didn’t go to plan but…’)

Happy baking! If you’re anything like me, this’ll be on repeat during chilly weeks and chocolate emergencies. (Honestly, is there such thing as non-emergency chocolate?)

Triple Chocolate Cake