This tuxedo cake is made with moist chocolate cake layers filled and frosted with a luxurious white and dark chocolate ganache.
This tuxedo cake is the ultimate cake for chocolate lovers! It starts with moist, rich chocolate cake layers that are soft, tender, and full of deep cocoa flavor.
This cake is filled with luxurious layers of both white and dark chocolate ganache creating the perfect balance of sweetness and richness.
The white chocolate adds a smooth, creamy sweetness, while the dark chocolate brings a bold, fudgy depth of flavor.
Whether it’s for a birthday or holiday, or just because you’re craving something amazing, this elegant and decadent cake is always a loved dessert!
For more delicious chocolate cake recipes, check out my chocolate hazelnut cake, chocolate mayonnaise cake, chocolate brooklyn blackout cake, and chocolate espresso cake.
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Why this recipe works
- Dreamy texture– this cake is made with soft, moist, and perfectly tender chocolate cake layers, and is filled and frosted with ganache that adds a silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Perfect flavor balance– the combination of deep, fudgy chocolate and creamy white chocolate creates the perfect sweet-yet-bold contrast.
- White chocolate ganache– this cake is filled with a two ingredient white chocolate ganache that is made with heavy cream and white chocolate.
- Dark chocolate ganache bliss– the cake is frosted with a two ingredient dark chocolate ganache that is made with high quality dark chocolate and heavy cream which creates a luxurious ganache.
- A showstopper for any occasion– with its elegant black-and-white layers, this cake looks as good as it tastes, making it perfect for birthdays, holidays, or any special celebration!
How to get flat cake layers
My biggest tip for making even cake layers is to use a scale and cake strips. Weigh the chocolate cake batter and divide it evenly between two pans.
Then, use cake strips to ensure your cake layers bake evenly and don't develop a dome on top. Cake strips help you achieve an evenly baked cake with a flat top.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Flour– I used all-purpose flour for this recipe, self-rising flour, and cake flour will work great as well.
Vegetable oil – I used vegetable oil for this recipe. Canola oil will work great for this recipe.
Dutch cocoa powder– I like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder for our chocolate cake because we like the deep and rich chocolate taste, but the natural cocoa powder will work great as well!
Baking powder and baking soda – to allow the cake to rise. Make sure that your baking powder and baking soda aren’t expired.
Granulated sugar– I like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Eggs- you will need large eggs. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Buttermilk- gives the cake extra moisture. You can make your own buttermilk if you don’t have one on hand. Simply mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Hot coffee- make a strong hot coffee, use your favorite espresso powder.
Vanilla extract- Vanilla extract Is an essential ingredient for chocolate cake and adds flavor.
Salt- I used kosher salt for this recipe. Salt doesn’t give the cake a salty taste, it helps to enhance the chocolate flavor.
For the chocolate ganache
Heavy cream- use full-fat heavy cream for this recipe. This cant is substituted.
Dark chocolate- use the best quality semisweet or dark chocolate bars for the best flavor and texture. Using the best quality dark chocolate is very important in this recipe.
White chocolate- for the white chocolate ganache, you will need high-quality white chocolate.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 (350f) and prep three 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
Into a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, salt, milk, and sugar, and sift the cocoa powder. Mix with a whisk until well combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix with a whisk until almost combined.
Add the hot coffee and mix with a whisk until just combined and smooth. The batter will seem thin but it's normal.
Divide the mixture into three 8-inch baking pans, I suggest using cake strips for even baking. (weight the batter for better results) and bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cake layers to cool completely. Run a butter knife or a thin spatula around the edges of the cake to release it from the sides of the pan.
Invert and Tap: Place a wire rack or plate over the pan, hold them firmly, and flip to invert the pan. Lift Gently: Carefully lift one side of the pan, then remove it completely to slide your cake onto the surface.
Make the ganaches
Chop the white chocolate with a sharp knife. In a small saucepan, warm the heavy cream over medium heat until it just starts to simmer (avoid boiling).
Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over it and let it sit for about 2 minutes.
Gently stir the mixture until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. If needed, microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring between each, until fully combined.
Chill it in the fridge until it reaches a creamy frosting-like texture. Repeat with the dark chocolate.
Assembly
Pipe a small dollop of the dark chocolate on the surface that you will frost on. Lay the first cake layer over the frosting dot.
Pipe a circle around the edges of the cake using the dark chocolate ganache. Then fill the circle with a thin layer of frosting and smooth it out with an offset spatula.
Fill the middle of the circle with ½ of the white chocolate ganache and smooth it out with a spatula. Top with the second cake layer.
Repeat the process. Top with the third cake layer and frost the cake with the remaining dark chocolate ganache.
Top with fresh berries and serve!
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the coffee in the cake, you can’t taste the coffee, it simply enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Use cake strips! Cake strips give you even and perfectly baked cake layers.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cake and not a dense and dry cake.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- If your frosting seems too soft for spreading or piping, place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up slightly before using it on the cake.
- Serve at room temperature for optimal taste. Bring the chocolate cake to room temperature before serving to ensure that the frosting is creamy and not hard and will melt in your mouth.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to frost this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let the cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be firmer and won’t crumble up, and prevent the frosting from melting.
Faq's
A tuxedo cake is made with rich chocolate cake layers, frosted with smooth white chocolate ganache and decadent dark chocolate ganache.
Tuxedo flavor is a rich blend of dark and white chocolate, creating the perfect balance of deep, bold cocoa and smooth, creamy sweetness. It’s a classic black-and-white combination, just like a tuxedo!
Tuxedo cake tastes like a perfect mix of rich, fudgy chocolate and smooth, creamy white chocolate. It’s sweet, decadent, and ultra-chocolatey with a silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture!
Storing
This cake will last up to 4 in the fridge. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out.
Freezing
For individual slices, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. This method is great for easy portion control.
To freeze the entire cake, first place it in the freezer uncovered for about an hour to firm up the ganache. Then, wrap the cake securely in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil.
Whether you're freezing slices or the whole cake, make sure to label it with the date.
When properly stored, your cake can stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months. To thaw, simply move the cake or slices to the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Make It Ahead Of Time
You can make this cake ahead by freezing the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap each cake layer with a few layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
You can make the chocolate and white chocolate ganache and freeze it for up to 1 month in an airtight container.
Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours or in the fridge overnight.
Substitutions
Dairy-free- to make this cake dairy-free, replace the buttermilk with almond milk. Also, replace the heavy cream with coconut cream.
Egg-free- to make this cake egg-free, replace the eggs with ⅔ cup of applesauce.
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.
Variations
Vanilla cake- instead of making chocolate cake layers make vanilla cake layers! Use this recipe.
Chocolate- you can use your favorite chocolate for the ganache like milk chocolate, white chocolate, and dark chocolate.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- 8-inch cake pans.
- Rubber spatula
- Pastry bag
- Cake strips
More chocolate cake recipes
Chocolate Strawberry Cake- This chocolate strawberry cake is made with chocolate cake that is filled with strawberry filling, and frosted with strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Chocolate Ganache Cake- This chocolate ganache cake is made with moist and rich chocolate cake, filled with chocolate ganache, frosted with whipped chocolate ganache, and topped with a chocolate drip.
Chocolate Pound Cake- This moist chocolate pound cake has a buttery crumb that melts in your mouth and is topped with a rich chocolate ganache.
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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Best Tuxedo Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ¾ cups Granulated sugar
- 3 Eggs
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup Vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup Milk
- ⅔ cup Cocoa powder Dutch-processed
- 2 ½ cups Flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 ½ cups Coffee hot
For the dark chocolate ganache
- 15 oz Dark chocolate
- 15 oz Heavy cream
For the white chocolate ganache
- 10 oz White chocolate
- 3.5 oz Heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 (350f) and prep three 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, salt, milk, and sugar, and sift the cocoa powder. Mix with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix with a whisk until almost combined.
- Add the hot coffee and mix with a whisk until just combined and smooth. The batter will seem thin but it's normal.
- Divide the mixture into three 8-inch baking pans, I suggest using cake strips for even baking. (weight the batter for better results) and bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely. Run a butter knife or a thin spatula around the edges of the cake to release it from the sides of the pan.
- Invert and Tap: Place a wire rack or plate over the pan, hold them firmly, and flip to invert the pan. Lift Gently: Carefully lift one side of the pan, then remove it completely to slide your cake onto the surface.
Make the ganaches
- Chop the white chocolate with a sharp knife. In a small saucepan, warm the heavy cream over medium heat until it just starts to simmer (avoid boiling).
- Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over it and let it sit for about 2 minutes.
- Gently stir the mixture until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. If needed, microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring between each, until fully combined.
- Chill it in the fridge until it reaches a creamy frosting-like texture. Repeat with the dark chocolate.
Assembly
- Pipe a small dollop of the dark chocolate on the surface that you will frost on. Lay the first cake layer over the frosting dot.
- Pipe a circle around the edges of the cake using the dark chocolate ganache. Then fill the circle with a thin layer of frosting and smooth it out with an offset spatula.
- Fill the middle of the circle with ½ of the white chocolate ganache and smooth it out with a spatula. Top with the second cake layer.
- Repeat the process. Top with the third cake layer and frost the cake with the remaining dark chocolate ganache.
- Top with fresh berries and serve!
Notes
- Don’t skip the coffee in the cake, you can’t taste the coffee, it simply enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Use cake strips! Cake strips give you even and perfectly baked cake layers.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cake and not a dense and dry cake.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- If your frosting seems too soft for spreading or piping, place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up slightly before using it on the cake.
- Serve at room temperature for optimal taste. Bring the chocolate cake to room temperature before serving to ensure that the frosting is creamy and not hard and will melt in your mouth.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to frost this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let the cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be firmer and won’t crumble up, and prevent the frosting from melting.
John
This cake is seriously so goodd