Triple Chocolate Cake!
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Triple chocolate cake with dark, milk and white layers and a chocolate drip!
Triple chocolate cake!
Welcome triple chocolate cake! It’s not midway through the year, and I thought it was about time to post a showstopper. I’ve made a few ‘insane’ bakes this year so far such as my millionaires cookie bars and my Lindt chocolate cheesecake, but nothing as unapologetically chocolattey as this.
This is a beauty I’ve made at home a few times before. However, as I was posting similar layer cakes quite close together, I wanted to hold off and give this one its moment. When I finally revisited it and tweaked the design slightly, it turned into something genuinely glorious.
And honestly… just LOOK at it. If you love chocolate, this is absolute heaven in cake form. Triple chocolate sponges, triple chocolate buttercream, and a glossy chocolate drip running down the sides, it’s intense, dramatic, and completely irresistible.
Combination of recipes
The look came from various other cakes I have done in my time, all combined together. My drip cakes so far have been one tone in frosting (such as my Oreo drip cake), but when I mashed the idea with my neapolitan cake, I knew I had a winner.
Decorating it is slightly faffy to explain, but in reality it’s much easier than it sounds. The key is starting with a simple crumb coat of plain buttercream before adding the flavoured layers. Trying to go straight onto sponge with three different flavours can get messy very quickly.
Once you have that base layer chilled and smooth, the rest is just piping and scraping. It’s one of those cakes where patience pays off. Take your time and it all comes together beautifully.
Chocolate
Some people can say ‘ you can’t taste the difference between the milk and dark layers’, but that tends to be because you’re using the incorrect chocolate. I use my favourite chocolate in the recipe as I love baking with it and its tastes deeeeelicious!
Dark chocolate wise, I prefer to stick to 80%+, but 70% will do. Milk chocolate tends to come in at about 35% usually, so there is quite a difference. White chocolate isn’t even really chocolate!
I decided to use slightly less cake mix in comparison to my other cakes, with only 350g of everything in comparison to 400g, because the chocolate gives extra weight to the mix.
It also makes the cakes slightly heavier, which is why I used the baking powder in this beauty. This is optional, but cake with chocolate in always turns a bit more madeira like (particularly the dark chocolate sponge)!
Bake
Baking wise, it’s hard to get definitive layers because the outsides of the cake brown somewhat, which is why I went for surrounding the cake in frosting, so that it’s obvious that there are three flavours! When you cut into the cake however, you get the definition!
One of the main ‘issues’ with this bake, is the pure amount of bowls that are required. It’s slightly mad, but having to melt chocolate basically SIX times is a bit much. However, a bit of washing up never hurt anyone, and having a dishwasher is even better. I personally think a bake like this is completely and utterly worth all the washing up, as its one of the most satisfying bakes to look at, and eat.
Decadent drip
The drip is what takes this cake from impressive to dramatic. A mix of dark and milk chocolate with double cream creates a silky ganache that flows beautifully down the sides. It shouldn’t be too hot or too thick, you want controlled drips, not chocolate waterfalls.
Pipe carefully around the edge first to create the drips, then fill in the top and spread evenly. Let it set slightly before piping any leftover buttercream on top. The contrast between matte buttercream and glossy ganache is so satisfying. Finish with chocolate curls for the ultimate triple chocolate statement. At this point, there is absolutely no confusion about what flavour this cake is.
Tips & tricks
- I use supermarket own chocolate for all three layers, I wouldn’t recommend stuff like Galaxy or Dairy Milk for the milk layers – just go with the cheap!
- This cake lasts for 3-4 days at room temperature!
- For this Cake I used:
- These piping bags for the buttercream
- These piping bags for the drip
- This cake turntable to make decoration easier
- This Scraper for the buttercream
- This dark chocolate
- This milk chocolate
- And this white chocolate
- You can just slather the buttercream on in any which way, but I have tried to describe it as best as possible. You basically want the buttercream of each flavour, to match each sponge, and then wipe round so its all smooth!
Triple Chocolate Cake!
Ingredients
Cake
- 350 g unsalted butter
- 350 g caster sugar
- 7 medium eggs
- 350 g self raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 125 ml whole milk
- 100 g dark chocolate
- 100 g milk chocolate
- 100 g white chocolate
Buttercream
- 350 g unsalted butter (room temp)
- 750 g icing sugar
- 85 g dark chocolate
- 85 g milk chocolate
- 85 g white chocolate
Drip Ganache
- 75 g milk chocolate
- 75 g dark chocolate
- 150 ml double cream
Decoration
- Chocolate curls
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºc Fan, and line three 8"/20cm cake tins with baking parchment.
- Melt your dark, milk and white chocolates carefully, and leave to cool whilst doing the cake mix!
- In a stand mixer, or a large bowl, beat together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy and lovely!
- Add in your eggs, baking powder, and flour, and milk and beat again until combined well.
- Split the mixture between three bowls, and to each bowl add one of the melted chocolates - mix until smooth.
- Add your dark chocolate mix to one tin, your milk chocolate to another tin, and the white chocolate to the last tin.
- Bake the cakes in the oven for 35 minutes, or until baked through - check with a skewer to make sure they're done!
- Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, and then take out and leave to cool fully on a wire rack!
For the Buttercream
- Melt your dark, milk and white chocolates carefully, and leave to cool whilst doing the buttercream!
- Beat your butter on its own for minute or two, to soften it and loosen it.
- Add in your icing sugar 1/3 at a time, and beat fully after each addition - you shouldn't need to add any liquid in!
- Take out about 150g of buttercream and leave separate. (This is for a crumb coat)
- Split the rest of the mixture evenly between three bowls, and just like the cake mix, add each chocolate to its own batch of buttercream.
- Mix fully, until delicious.
Assemble
- I started with my dark chocolate sponge on the bottom, and spread about 2tbsp of buttercream onto the cake.
- My milk chocolate cake went second, and the white on top!
- Use the spare buttercream to make a crumb coat around the cake and to make it smooth!
- Add each flavour of buttercream to a large piping bag, and pipe rings around the cake - I did two layers of buttercream for each layer of cake (this is so hard to describe)
- Once the three flavours are on the cake, scrape around the cake just like you would other drip cakes, and smooth it all over! Be careful when you are doing it as you'll be able to save the rest of the buttercream for piping!
Ganache
- Add your chocolates and cream to a microwave proof jug/bowl, and heat for 30 seconds. Stir well, and microwave on 10 second bursts till the ganache is smooth, stiring each time.
- Add your ganache to a piping bag and snip a small amount off the end of the piping bag
- Pipe drips down the side of the cake, and then fill in the top and spread it over.
Decoration
- Leave this to set for a minute, and then pipe the rest of the buttercream on top as decoration!
- I finally sprinkled on some triple chocolate curls!
Notes
- I use supermarket own chocolate for all three layers, I wouldn't recommend stuff like Galaxy or Dairy Milk for the milk layers - just go with the cheap!
- This cake lasts for 3-4 days at room temperature!
- For this Cake I used:
- These piping bags for the buttercream
- These piping bags for the drip
- This cake turntable to make decoration easier
- This Scraper for the buttercream
- This dark chocolate
- This milk chocolate
- And this white chocolate
- You can just slather the buttercream on in any which way, but I have tried to describe it as best as possible. You basically want the buttercream of each flavour, to match each sponge, and then wipe round so its all smooth!
Hi Jane,
I love your blog! And wanted to make the ‘triple chocolate drip cake’ for my brothers birthday!
However in your recipe you mentioned you used 8 inch tins, I only have 9 inch ones. So it will it work if I divided the ingredients by 8 (8 inches) and times by 9 to get the right amount for my tins?
Thanks
H
Hey! Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that for tin sizes – it’s based around volume, and 9″ tins are about 1/3 bigger so times everything by 1.3 to get what you need! x
Hi I’ve made this twice and both times the centre hasn’t cooked properly. Not an oven issue as all other cakes are fine but this recipe for some reason even after 45 mins the centre is still raw! No idea what I’m doing wrong but guessing can only be the chocolate causing it as I’ve baked for years and never ever had this issue.
The chocolate shouldn’t cause that though – unless the chocolate is too hot and melting other ingredients, but generally adding melted chocolate to a mix is normal!
Hi, this cake looks insane! Could you let me know which gas mark this should be cooked at?
Thanks!
I’m not 100% certain as I have never baked on gas – but I believe its gas mark 4?
Hi
I’m just baking this cake now, I have only done milk chocolate sponge, however it’s in the oven and just realised I forgot to add the milk, is this going to make much difference?
P.s I love your recipes 🙂
Hey! It should be fine – the milk is just there to help loosen the mix as sometimes melted chocolate can make it too thick! X
I stupidly went out and brought everything before reading this the entire way though!!
I have brought dairy milk choc, milky bar choc and bournville choc… will these still be ok to use ??
Also would just like to say ive really enjoyed your recipes as they are so easy to follow and everyone has absolutely LOVED them!! Thank you!!x
So personally I wouldn’t use those chocolates no – but it may be alright. I recommend generally dark chocolate to be at least 70%, and I find supermarket own brand or cooking chocolate butter! xx
I only have large eggs!
How many do I use for this recipe please?
Making it for my daughters 13th birthday
I would use 6 large!
This cake went down really well with my family! Perfect birthday cake
Ahh yay! So glad it was a success!!
Hello Jane,
I love your website, complete baking beginner and have already made an amazing Victoria sponge and raspberry and white choc cheesecake so thank you!!
I have a question and this is probably me being thick but I want to get it right lol
For the Decoration
I started with my Dark Chocolate sponge on the bottom, and spread about 2tbsp of buttercream onto the cake. – so we add the buttercream in between each layer of sponge?
Thanks in advance 😁xx
Ahh yay! And yes! You want the buttercream in between the sponge, and around the sides!! x
hi I just wanted to ask you a question
can I use 1/2 butter and 1/2 vegetable oil in the cake batter instead of the whole butter?
Typically when you use oil instead of butter you use 3/4 of the weight of butter in oil (As you don’t need as much oil) so I’m not 100% sure if you want to use half butter and half oil I’m afraid!
hi! I am going to try this recipe for my moms bday! Can I make my own self rising flour, since we don’t have that here ?
Yes I’m sure you can! When I make SRF I mix 2 level tsps per 150g of plain flour!
Hi Jane,
I’m going to make this cake and serve on a cake stand. I was wondering if you put your cakes on a cake board to the ice them or ice them straight on your serving plate/stand?
Thank you 🙂
For a cake like this I use a board for decorating as most cake stands have a lip (making it difficult to use a scraper), and then I transfer with a cake lifter!
Hello i made this cake all milk chocolate using two cake tins around a week ago. I still have lots of buttercream in the freezer as im going to make this again, however i dont think i will have enough for the whole cake. Can you advise me of the measurements if only making some buttercream?
I can’t really advise as I don’t know how much you have already, sorry!
Hi jane, I know you have mentioned not to use Cadbury’s dairy milk chocolate, however can you use it with this recipe? Or is there a reason why you advised to use supermarket chocolate? I am looking to make a milk chocolate birthday cake but dont want to use supermarket chocolate for it to taste cheap🙊x
Supermarket chocolate tastes of actual chocolate, dairy milk is it’s own thing. I don’t generally recommend using dairy milk in baking for cakes like this, as it mixes differently with buttercream, and overall it costs more. I really would recommend supermarket own!
Thank you! Could i just use milk chocolate for this cake? Also if i was to make this as a two tier cake what would the measurements be?
Sorry, also how would i bake this if using an electric over not a fan would it be number 5 or 6 etc and how long for?
The cake turned out ok. I think I had the oven to hot. That’s the problem with converting from Celsius to Fahrenheit.
The frosting…it says no liquid is needed. That is sooo wrong. My frosting was so pasty I could only pat it on.
The recipe is correct, you do NOT need liquid. If you’re in the states, chances are ingredients are different… but you definitely don’t need liquid for the frosting.
Your recipe is so great but halfway through i get really confused because there is so much mess and everything just becomes confusing. I made the cake on new years eve and it went so well
As in you make mess in the kitchen? Always best to clean up as you go..!
Hello,
I have a few questions about the decoration part which may sound silly!
When you are decorating, it says to spread about 2tbsp of buttercream is that from the 150g for the crumb coat?
It also says to Add each flavour of buttercream to a large piping bag, ( does that mean all 3 flavours in one piping bag) and pipe rings around the cake – what are rings?
No.. you keep the 150g separate for the crumb coat as it says. You use about 2 tbsp worth to cover each sponge. And as you can see from my photos my piping is separate colours, in circles/rings.
Hi Jane
I’m wanting to make this cake but only using 2x 8″ tins and only milk and dark chocolate.
How would I adjust the cake and buttercream ingredients please.
Thank you
I would use 2/3 of the base recipe – so maybe 250g of flour/eggs/butter/sugar and then split those to add the chocolate and bake into the two tins! And then use 2/3 of the buttercream in the same way x