Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (9×13 Recipe)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
An easy, rich 9×13 Chocolate Cake Recipe made in one bowl with minimal ingredients. Based on my popular best chocolate cake recipe, it is tender, moist, and delicious!
This is the easiest 9×13 chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever made. From my Best Chocolate Cake that everyone loves, I’ve made the cake even easier and sized for a 9×13 sheet cake!
I love this easy 9×13 size cake for taking to potlucks, tailgating, baking, taking to friends or neighbors, and for making a quick and easy cake! It transports beautifully in the baking dish and I love that I don’t have to worry about a cake slipping or sliding on a cake plate! Another favorite version you may enjoy is my Chocolate Loaf Cake. So easy!
I originally shared this recipe in 2014 and have updated it to include the metric conversion to grams as well as updated the recipe sizing to make for a thicker cake based on reader feedback.
Best Chocolate Cake (9×13 Recipe)
What Makes a Chocolate Cake Moist?
This cake recipe includes the perfect ratio of oil, milk, and boiling water to make it moist without having to use melted chocolate. The combination of the fat, protein, and water temperature produces a moist and tender crumb.
Ingredients for Easy 9×13 Chocolate Cake
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- all-purpose flour – I recommend using a good quality all-purpose flour that works well in baking. You can also substitute with cake flour if needed.
- sugar – You’ll use granulated sugar.
- unsweetened cocoa powder – I use unsweetened cocoa powder.
- baking powder – used to leaven the cake.
- baking soda – also used to help the cake rise.
- kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you substitute with Morton’s Kosher salt, fine sea salt, or table salt, you will only need half the amount of the salt called for in the recipe.
- espresso powder – Espresso powder enhances the flavor of chocolate in recipes. The amount used in this cake does not give a coffee flavor to the cake or leave a bitter aftertaste that you may get from using brewed coffee or instant coffee in the cake batter. You can use homemade espresso powder or your favorite store-bought. Many grocery stores now carry it. You can also omit it if you prefer or are unable to find it.
- milk – You can use buttermilk, whole milk, or coconut milk.
- vegetable oil – the oil is key for a moist chocolate cake.
- egg – Make sure that your egg is at room temperature so that it combines more easily into the cake batter.
- vanilla extract – Use good quality vanilla extract.
- boiling water – helps release the chocolate flavor in the recipe. Please don’t skip it!
Chocolate Buttercream
I scaled the chocolate buttercream frosting to work perfectly in a 9×13 baking dish. The cake still rises nicely so that you have a lovely, thick cake that you then top with a generous amount of silky chocolate buttercream.
Chocolate Buttercream Ingredients: you’ll need butter, cocoa powder, confectioner’s sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and espresso powder.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep. Preheat the oven and prep the baking dish.
Make the cake batter. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder to a large mixing bowl. Whisk through to combine. Add the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture and combine. Carefully stir in the boiling water until well combined. The cake batter will be thin.
Bake the cake. Pour the cake batter into the prepared 9×13 baking dish. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool the baking dish on a wire rack until cooled completely.
Make the frosting. Meanwhile, add cocoa powder to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to break up any large lumps in the cocoa powder. Add the butter and using a hand mixer, cream the butter and cocoa powder together until well combined. Add confectioner’s sugar to another large bowl and whisk through it. Add the confectioner’s sugar and milk to the cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After combining each addition, turn the mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added. Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well. Mix until the frosting is silky and smooth.
I put together a quick video to show you just how easy the cake is to mix together. Seriously, it’s the easiest and most delicious cake ever, I think! 🙂
As with any 9×13 cake recipe, you can cut the pieces as generously or as conservatively as you please. You can cut the cake into 2-inch x 2-inch pieces for 24 servings or 2-inch x 3-inch pieces for 18 servings.
Here’s my Easy 9×13 Chocolate Cake Recipe. I think you are going to love how simple it is!
Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (9×13 Recipe)
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Recipe (9×13 Recipe)
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (396 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (63 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (2.8 g) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (2.3 g) espresso powder
- 1 cup (227 g) buttermilk, whole milk, or coconut milk
- 1/2 cup (99 g) vegetable oil
- 2 large (100 g) eggs
- 2 teaspoons (9.4 g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (227 g) boiling water
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (9×13 Recipe)
- 1/2 cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup (169.5 g) butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups (283.7 g) confectioner’s sugar
- 1/4 cup (56.7 g) milk
- 1 teaspoon (4.7 g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.57 g) espresso powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare one 9×13 baking dish by brushing with homemade chocolate cake pan release (chocolate cake goop), spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large mixing bowl.
- Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together until well combined. Carefully stir the boiling water into the cake batter and pour into the prepared 9×13 dish.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. You can follow my tips for how to tell when your cake is done.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (9×13 Recipe)
- Add cocoa to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through to remove any lumps.
- Add the butter and cream together butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.
- Add sugar and milk to cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added.
- Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.
- If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake. Cover and keep on the counter for up to 3 days for best taste.
Notes
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 cup whole milk, buttermilk, or coconut milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
This is one yummy recipe! I’ve made the 9 inch cake pan recipe and it was a hit. I would like to know that if I want to half the 9×13 recipe to make 12 proportions, what size cake pan should I use?
Wonderful cake. I followed the instructions and it was delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe. It made my son happy.
So happy that your you and your son enjoyed it! Thanks so much! 🙂
Can I bake 2 of these and use for a 2 layer cake? Thanks in advance! I use the original recipe for the 9 inch pan often and I love it !!
Casey, you can make a layer cake out of the 9×13 cakes. Since you will be making a 9×13 layer cake, I would suggest you use the full recipe for the Best Chocolate Cake Recipe Ever! for each of the layers and bake in the 9×13 pans. The layers would be thicker than the 9×13 recipe cake. You will want to prepare the cake pans by spraying well with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring prior to pouring in the cake batter. Then after baking, remove cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Once the cakes have cooled the 10 minutes, place a wire cake rack on top of the cake pan and turn the cake upside down onto the rack. Take a second rack and place over the bottom of the cake and, similar to a sandwich, turn the racks so that the bottom of the cake layer is resting on the rack. Remove the rack from the top of the cake and let the cake cool completely. Hope this helps!
I love this recipe, its the one I use for my partner’s work colleagues occasionally because sometimes cake makes a rough day less tough. My question is though, do you use a ceramic baking dish or a metal baking tray to cook the cake. Because your photo looks like it’s in ceramic. Is there a difference in the cake? Would the cooking time be different?
Hello, I followed the recipe and the cake in the 9×13 pan is less than an inch. Is this expected? If I double the recipe for this size, will it be double the thickness?
Hi Sara,
As I state in my post, my family likes the ratio of the cake and the frosting for this size cake. In the recipe Notes, I state that if you like a thicker cake, use the full recipe for the Best Chocolate Cake Ever Recipe. Hope you this answers your questions and you enjoy your cake. Thanks!
This was fantastic! I used a half a cup of brewed coffee instead of water and espresso powder because I didn’t have any. Also substituted some sour cream for milk in the icing. Will make again and again! Thank you!!!
I followed the recipe as written, used a 9×13 pan, and my cake only rose to about an inch high… Is that expected? From the pictures, I was expecting something more like 1.5, 2 inches thick. I made sure to watch it like a hawk in the oven based on how shallow the batter was, and took it out after only 20 mins. Passed the toothpick test.
Hi Emily,
I’ve included a note in the recipe. I made the recipe as written for the 9×13 cake as I like the frosting ratio as pictured. But if you wish for a thicker cake, you can adjust as mentioned in the recipe notes. I hope this helps and that you enjoy it! Thanks!
In the kitchen, baking is my weakest skill set…but this recipe was terrific! Moist cake, not too sweet and that touch of espresso is right on point! THANK YOU!
So glad to hear that you enjoyed it, James! Thanks!
Hey so , I’ve noticed that there’s no butter added to the chocolate cake recipe is it really not a problem?
The recipe is delicious as written in my experience, Danya. I hope you enjoy it! xo
It’s New Year’s Eve and I hope this cake is going to make it wonderful ❤️. I will insta you on how it turns out ❤️!! Happy New year 🥳
I hope you enjoy it, Danya! Make sure you read the notes about what to do if you desire a thicker cake. I like it as is because I like the frosting to cake ratio, but I’ve left a note in case you want a thicker cake. Thanks! xo
Hey again Robin! How thick is this cake? I’m planning to make it for new year’s eve and would really appreciate it if you replied. Thanks!
I made it 2 years ago in a large angel food pan (I love the look with the hole in the center) for my youngest gal’s 3rd birthday, and it was nice and thick! I am making it again today for my middle gal’s NYE 7th birthday. I will be using a Wilton dinosaur cake pan. 🙂
Can I make your nine inch chocolate cake in a 11x14x2 inch sheet pan. I need to feed about 40 people. Is it the same amount of batter or should I make one extra nine inch round ? Thanks
Hi Diane,
I have the baking directions for a Large Sheet Cake size using my Best Chocolate Cake recipe. It’s one recipe worth, but baking instructions are for the sheet cake size.
However, you say you need enough to feed 40 people – I’m not sure the 11×14 is enough to that many. I cut generous sized slices and get 12 servings for this size cake. You know more about what you need than I do, but I just wanted to mention that for your consideration.
I hope this helps and that your father in law has a wonderful birthday! xo
Can I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of whole milk?
You can use almond milk in this recipe, Tiya.
Proportions are all wrong!! A 9x 13 pan is 117 square inches. Each 9 inch round pan is 63 square inches, or 126 square inches total for 2 pans. The ingredients in this recipe is about half of of the round recipe so the cake is less than an inch tall. Took it out in 20 minutes and was already way over cooked. Please fix this one!!
Mary, I’ve included a note in the recipe. I made the recipe as written for the 9×13 cake as I like the frosting ratio as pictured. But if you wish for a thicker cake, you can adjust as mentioned in the recipe notes.