Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (9×13 Recipe)
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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
Wow! ! Delicious cake! I made some adjustments for our higher altitude – slightly reduced sugar, slightly more liquid and higher temp fan oven for shorter time. I also didn’t have espresso powder so just dissolved good quality instant coffee in the boiling water and added it to the milk for the icing. Complete winner! Thank you so much x
So happy you liked it, Lara! Thanks so much! xo
I was not very impressed. Very dry, flat and livery sweet.
I’m sorry your cake was dry Holly! I’m not sure what went wrong, but something must have – this is an extremely moist cake and should rise to a nice size cake for this pan.
Thanks.
I attempted making this cake and it was absolutely delicious! However, I had a hard time taking cut pieces out of the pan without them breaking apart. It ended up being delicious crumbly messes in our plate and we enjoyed it nonetheless but I’d like to improve on it. Any ideas why that may have happened?
Hi Mariam –
I’ve not had that happen, so I can’t be certain what it was. Is it possible that your baking powder or baking soda was a little older – maybe over 6 months old?
I am happy you enjoyed the cake though! Thanks so much! xo
I just pulled this out of the oven — smells divine! My cake is also only about half an inch deep, all fresh rising ingredients. Thinking I’ll just make the layer cake recipe and bake it in the 13×9. Thanks — made vanilla buttercream and just waiting for it to cool!
Hi Robyn, your recipe is really amazing, I tried it it and it tasted lovely and looked like the picture. I look forward to trying the rest of your recipes and I can’t emphasize more on how delicious it was!
Thanks so much, Tina! So happy you enjoyed it and hope you like all my other recipes as well! xo
I just made this cake and it is delicious. But, it is so flat! It is only about 1/2 inch thick. I was concerned when I poured it into the 9×13 pan (double checked the measurements) as it seemed pretty scant. I then searched other 9×13 recipes and they all called for double the ingredients for that size pan. Am I missing something? This seems to fit the 9×9 pan recipes that I have. It’s a good cake but I will need to bake another one to have enough for the birthday!
Hi Sybil,
The cake should have risen to result in a nice, thick 9×13 cake. I’m sure they were, but one thing to double check is that your baking soda is less than six months old and that your baking powder is fresh and active so that it makes the cake rise properly.
I had the same experience, with fresh leavening ingredients, too. Great tasting cake, but I’m going to try it in a 9×9 next time.
Hi Elizabeth –
I’m very glad you enjoyed the cake! I’m not sure why it didn’t rise as it should for the 9×13 because it should be a full, thick cake in that size pan. Thanks so much!
Hi, Robyn! I just wanted to tell you how much I love this cake. (I’m sure you get that all the time!) This has become my go-to recipe for my sister’s kiddos’ birthday cakes for the past two years. They all love it so much, and always beg for this to be their birthday present from me. I’ve always made the original recipe in a round pan, but this Christmas, some coworkers asked me to bake them a rectangular sheet cake for a gathering. Of course I was going to use this recipe… and when I saw you had scaled it for a 9X13″ pan, well… this has been perfect for me. It’s as though you read my mind! Thank you so much for all you do! You are as amazing as your delicious recipes. Happy holidays, and thanks again!
Hi Berk – I’m so happy you enjoy the cakes! Thank you so very much! Have a wonderful new year!!! xo
Cant wait to try your chocolate cake! Sorry if I sound dense. I just started to bake and not sure on the instructions. In the frosting ingredients it says 1/2 cocoa. What half is that? A teaspoon or tablespoon or half of the cocoa mentioned in the 1/2 cup in cake ingredients? I don’t want to assume anything.
Thanks,
Bobbi
Thank you so much, Bobbi – you actually found an error! It should read, “1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa” and I have it corrected now. I really appreciate you asking this so that I could fix it!
I hope enjoy the cake and I truly appreciate you very much! xo
Haven’t been able to find the expresso powder….am looking in baking section. ..is that correct? Any suggestions. ..was wanting to make this for Thursday evening small group
I actually save out some coffee in the morning and boil it to add when mixing. Works great. Love these cakes!
Thank you so much, Shayne! So glad you enjoy them! xo
I found it at quality foods In the coffee section
Hi! Would I be able to bake this in a standard bundt pan? I’m making a caramel chocolate cake for a co-worker’s retirement party Wednesday.
Hi Amanda –
I’ve not made this recipe in a bundt pan. Thanks!