The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe {Ever}
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The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe – A one bowl chocolate cake recipe that is quick, easy, and delicious! Updated with gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free options!
The best chocolate cake recipe. Ever? There are plenty of claims for the best chocolate cake recipe. I get that. But with one bite of this decadent, moist chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, every single person around the table commented that this was the best chocolate cake they’d ever tasted.
So as for my house, this chocolate cake recipe now holds that honor.
As the compliments continued, I didn’t begin to tell them how easy it was to make.
In all honesty, it is probably one of the easiest cakes I’ve made in a long time, really, but I just smiled and thanked them.
As we continued on gobbling up the cake, drinking our coffee or iced cold milk, the compliments just kept coming.
Then the requests for the recipe started.
That’s generally when you know that folks really like what you’ve made if they ask for the recipe and tell you for what event they plan to serve it.
As a cook, that really is one of the highest compliments you can receive – well, at least in my book.
The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe Ever
It was great to hear that they thought the cake was just as good after their last bite as they thought it was with their first.
Here’s another great thing about this recipe. The cake batter really can be made in a bowl without the use of a heavy duty mixer. Of course, that just makes things easier, but this is easily a recipe my Grandmother would have enjoyed making in her tiny kitchen with a whisk and a bowl. And I’m sure it would have turned out perfectly, too.
I’m not going to kid you, this makes a very rich, moist chocolate cake recipe. So if you are a faint of heart chocolate cake person, this is not the cake for you.
Based on the Old Fashioned Hershey’s recipe, I sort of went a bit heavy-handed with some changes testing cake after cake until I got it just the way I wanted it, but the end result was oh so worth it. The crumbs left on the plate gave that away.
Ingredients
For this chocolate cake, you’ll need the following ingredients.
- all-purpose flour
- sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- espresso powder – I give more information on the espresso powder below
- milk – you can also use buttermilk, almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk
- oil – you can use vegetable, canola or melted coconut oil
- eggs – when baking, I like to use room temperature eggs
- vanilla extract
- boiling water
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying them with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring them. You can also spread the pans with my homemade chocolate cake goop (pan release).
Whisk dry ingredients. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
Mix in wet ingredients. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter until well combined.
Bake. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean.
Frost. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely. Frost with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Espresso Powder
One of the ingredients that really made this cake recipe come to life, in my opinion, was the addition of espresso powder in both the chocolate cake and in the chocolate frosting.
If you’ve not tried a bit of espresso when baking with chocolate, you really should.
The espresso works to elevate the flavors in much the same way as vanilla extract and I now think of it as an essential part of my spice cabinet.
Espresso powder is easy to find at the grocery store or even online if your grocer doesn’t stock it normally, but I use it fairly frequently and it can become a little pricey. I’ve started making my own homemade espresso powder and since I have I’m not looking back! It is so easy to make and have on hand!
Believe me when I say, it is very much worth the effort to have just for those times you are baking with chocolate!
So my friends, if you have a chocolate cake lover in your midst, make them this cake. If they’ve had a bad day this is certainly something that will brighten it for them. If they’ve had a great day, then this chocolate cake is a great way to celebrate with them!
Let me just say again, this amped up classic chocolate cake + this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe = the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had!
How to Make Ahead and Store the Homemade Chocolate Cake:
Both the cake and the chocolate frosting can be made ahead. Allow the cakes to cool completely, wrap them well in plastic wrap and place each layer into a gallon zip-top freezer bag. Freeze the cake layers for up to one month.
To frost the cake, simply remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator with wrapping intact. Then, frost the cake once it has completely thawed.
Store the cake at room temperature on the counter. I like to store under a cake dome to keep the cake fresh.
Chocolate Cake Modifications You May Be Interested to Know About:
Note that I have updated the recipe to include some additional ingredients that I have tested through the years. I have found that this chocolate cake is even more versatile than I originally imagined! I’ve listed some of the modifications I’ve tested that I think may be of interest to you.
As a Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Recipe:
To make the cake as a gluten-free chocolate cake recipe, I’ve successfully used an equal amount of gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour listed in the recipe.
As a Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake Recipe:
To make the cake a dairy-free chocolate cake recipe, I’ve used almond milk as well as coconut milk in place of the dairy. While not dairy-free, I’ve also used buttermilk in place of the milk with great results.
As an Egg-Free Chocolate Cake Recipe:
To make the cake an egg-free chocolate cake recipe, I’ve used 2/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce in place of the 2 large eggs in the recipe. You will note that you may have to bake the cake just a few minutes more. Be sure to check with the skewer for doneness.
I’ve also used Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer with great success.
To Use Butter and Other Oils:
I have tested the chocolate cake recipe with additional oils, as well as butter. I’ve tested using an equal amount of melted coconut oil to the vegetable oil called for in the recipe. I’ve also tested using the same volume of melted butter in place of the oils in the chocolate cake. While it does make the cake texture slightly different, it is still delicious and worth trying if you’d prefer to use butter in place of oils in your chocolate cake.
Whew! See what I mean! This is the chocolate cake of everyone’s dreams, I think!
The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe {Ever}
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (396 g) 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, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup (227 g) milk, or buttermilk, almond, or coconut milk
- 1/2 cup (99 g) vegetable oil, or canola oil, or melted coconut oil
- 2 large (100 g) eggs
- 2 teaspoons (9.4 g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (227. g) boiling water
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray, buttering and lightly flouring, or brushing them with homemade chocolate pan release.
For the chocolate cake:
- Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
- Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter until well combined.
- Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.
- Frost the cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Notes
1. 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. 2. Milk – The grams in the recipe are for whole milk and buttermilk.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do let me know how you like it.
Here are a few additional ways I like to make this cake!
Chocolate Cupcakes
If you are looking for cupcakes from this recipe, I’ve shared my recipe for the best chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. This recipe makes a perfect dozen so that you can scale the recipe to make as many chocolate cupcakes as you need! Talk about easy! 🙂
9×13 Chocolate Cake
I love this version! It is a delicious, scaled-down version that is just the thing for potlucks, reunions, tailgates, and travels perfectly! I’ve also scaled-down the frosting so that has the frosting to cake ratio that my family prefers. It is a definite winner!
Large Chocolate Sheet Cake
Scaled for a crowd, this recipe bakes beautifully in a rimmed half sheet baking sheet and is perfect for all sorts of get-togethers. Think of it as the 9×13’s big brother! 🙂 This recipe features Fudge Icing, but you can definitely substitute the icing for whatever you fancy!
And there you have it. There are so many ways to enjoy this delicious cake. Practically one for whatever need you might have. But, if I’ve missed one, be sure to let me know and I’ll work on it for you! 🙂
Many of you have asked if there is a way to make a Vanilla Cake Recipe that is just as delicious. Well friends, I’ve tested and tested and tested and now can proudly say – YES! I’ve shared the best Vanilla Cake I’ve ever tasted, too! 🙂
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2012.
Can I sub hot, strong brewed coffee for the espresso powder and boiling water? Can not find powder locally.
I don’t use coffee in the cake, Heather. You can omit the espresso if you wish – it’s still delicious. Thanks so much! Enjoy! xo
Hi Heather, your idea will turn out perfect. I do this all the time with this recipe. (great minds think alike..?😊)
Robyn, this cake recipe replaced an old family favorite in my home. Your website is an absolute delight! Thank you for sharing your life . Be blessed.
Thanks so much Wanda!
I have done it with freshly brewed coffee and it was great!
Hi!! I was looking for a chocolate cake to make for my husbands bday and after hours of searching I decided it shall be this one. Seems so easy and by the comments so delicious too. Very excited to make this …
Just a question though, is the sugar used granulated sugar or caster sugar??
Happy birthday to your husband! I hope he enjoys the cake and has a wonderful day! The sugar is granulated sugar. xo
Thank you!!
Just another question too, I’ve never made anything using cup measurements as I am from the uk. But I want to try with this cake , so I was just wondering, are their specific cups used for liquids? Or can you use the same cups for dry and wet ingredients?
Many many thanks xxx
Hi!! Me again, please can you let me know about the cup messurments, if we use the same cup for dry and liquid ingredients.
Thank you xxx
Kokes – we tend to use the same cups for wet and dry in the U.S. Some people get fancy and have special ones, but most home bakers just use the same.
Thanks Wendy !!! I really appreciate your reply and it’s very helpful xxx
YES, there ARE different cups for wet and dry ingredients!! MOST home bakers DO NOT use the same cups if they have ever taken a home economics or cooking class in school! Our teacher told us that if we EVER put liquid in the dry-ingredient measuring cup, we would get an “F” for the day. So there IS DEFINITELY a difference!! IT MATTERS in cooking.
Thanks so much, Wendy, for your comment!
However, I do use both dry and wet measuring cups.
Hope this helps, Koke.
Thanks so much – I hope you all enjoy the cake! xo
Hi
After you’ve made the cake with the frosting can you put it in the fridge overnight ?
Hi Robyn,
I made the cake, cupcakes, and a version of the sheet cake – as other’s have commented it was a total hit!!
I am curious if there is a Ketogenic version of this cake. I would like to try and make it with almond flour, swerve sweetener, etc. Do you have any recommendations for this?
Hi Aubrey!
So happy you enjoyed the cakes and cupcakes!
I am sorry, but I don’t have a keto version of these recipes. xo
Best chocolate cake ever! Made it for labor day and everyone loved it!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Logan! Thanks!
Hi, I made this cake yesterday and had high hopes. I’m in the UK so I followed the conversion as found on your website.
Therefore the recipe was:
450g flour
450g sugar
17.0.1g cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
240ml milk
120ml veg oil
2 large eggs
240ml boiling water
I followed the recipe to the letter and firstly before the boiling water stage it was so dry and thick it broke my whisk attachment in my stand mixer and secondly, post the boiling water it was far from runny, it was thick and syrup like and I struggled to get it out of the mixer bowl.
It seemed to bake ok and toothpick came out clean after 35 mins.
It tasted ok but it was a long way from moist, if anything definitely too dry. It was crumbly and hard.
The reviews of course led me to believe it was amazing and more than anything moist. I’m just wondering if the conversions were wrong, the dry measurements perhaps? Or if I went wrong somewhere?
I tried to follow the buttercream recipe too and the same result:
339g butter
225g cocoa
1125g conf sugar (this blew my mind?!)
60ml milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp coffee
It was so dry by adding a third of the conf. sugar …it was like breadcrumbs I had to almost double the butter amount to get it edible and I still didn’t use at 3/4 of the conf. sugar. A ‘usual’ buttercream to me is almost always double the dry (eg 500g) to the wet ingredients (eg 250g).
Is there something misaligned here? As I said I followed your own conversion chart and something definitely seemed amiss as the result really didn’t match the other reviews and i’d certainly never make it again???
Hi Joanne,
I’m so sorry your cake did not turn out as it should.
For the conversions, I’ve not made using the conversion but will say that the conversion chart uses standard conversions from US to metric. The results you are getting do. It does not sound at all like the cake should be though, so something is amiss.
The breaking of a whisk is absolutely not right as this cake batter is very runny. If you take a look you can see the consistency of the cake batter in the video for the 9×13 version of the cake as well.
I’m so sorry it didn’t work for you, Joanne.
Hi there. 2 cups flour weighs much less than 2 cups sugar, so your conversion is wrong, unfortunately, and tats why the cake was off. 250 grams flour is more accurate and 400 grams sugar.
I would like to begin with saying that I really enjoyed this recipe, Robyn! I used this as a base for my niece’s birthday cake last year and it was a huge hit.
Joanne–I would like to address your conversions for the cake recipe. The conversion chart assumes that volume and weight are interchangeable. In practice, one needs to take into consideration that each ingredient has a different density. For example, one cup of granulated sugar (~198g) is going to be much denser than one cup of flour (~120g). Personally, I like to use a kitchen scale to measure out all my ingredients. I believe it is more consistent and decreases the margin for error. I’ve included my conversions below for you to try out–I hope you have more success with the recipe if you decide to try it again!
240 g AP flour
396 g sugar
60 g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp espresso powder
240 mL buttermilk
120 mL veg oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
240 mL boiling water
I used a different frosting recipe when I made this, but I’ve listed some conversions that you can use:
1/2 cup butter = 115 grams
1/2 cup cocoa powder = 40 grams
1 cup confectioners sugar = 120 grams
(although, I usually add half the amount of sugar, then continue adding in smaller increments until I get my desired texture)
I hope this helps!
Thanks so much Tiffany! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Made this cake for my daughter’s birthday. I used the coconut oil, and because I have it in all the time, I used chocolate coconut milk. Used orange frosting as my daughter loves chocolate orange combo. It was an absolute hit!!
Thanks for such a fabulous and versatile recipe, I am going to be trying it for my daughter-in-law, who is gluten intolerant, dairy intolerant AND vegan!! Wish me luck!
And thanks again x
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I can’t wait to hear how it works for your daughter-in-law! xo
Made it for labor day everyone loved it!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, Logan!
Hi. I’ve made this cake a few times. Each time it comes out very fudgy. We don’t have all purpose flour, so I’ve used cake flour instead. Could this be the reason for the difference in the cake texture? Any advice on how to remedy this? Tia
Hi Natalie,
I’m not sure why your cake is too fudgy. Your flour could possibly give the cake a bit of a different texture, but not sure. Please make sure that you are using the other ingredients and instructions in the recipe and following the boiling water step as in the recipe too. Also check to make sure that your cake is completely done when baking too as it’s possible your oven may take a minute or two longer (sometimes ovens can be “off” from other ovens). I hope some of these tips help to figure out what may be happening. Thanks!
Delicious!!!!! I was worried about how thin it was it at first but it came out perfect!!