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.
I’m sorry your cake fell, Jennifer. There can be several reasons this can happen. If you live in a high altitude area, you will definitely need to make adjustments for high altitude baking for this cake. Other reasons can be opening the oven door before the cake has finished cooking, taking the cake out of the oven before it is completely done in the middle, over mixing the batter which incorporates too much air in the batter – this is easy to do with the high powered mixers today, oven not heating to the set temperature or having uneven areas of temperature, letting the batter sit too long before placing it in the oven, all ingredients not warmed to room temperature, and oven not preheated to correct temperature before cake pans are placed inside.
Will espresso instant coffee work for the espresso powder? I think I bought the wrong thing and don’t have time to go back out
Lauren, the instant coffee may be too grainy to substitute for the espresso powder. I haven’t done it but others have said they have made a strong cup of boiling espresso with the instant coffee and used instead of the cup of boiling water. You can also always omit the espresso powder in the recipe. It still has a great chocolate flavor. The espresso just enhances it.
This recipe looks incredible and I’m planning to try it out – would I be able to get some advice on whether adding orange flavour extract would work well with the flavour of the cake? If so, how much would I need to add? Thanks!
Alex, I have never added orange extract to the cake or the frosting so I can’t tell you how much to add. Some others have comments that they have so maybe some of them can tell you how much they added.
This is by far the best chocolate cake ever!!! I could eat it all day everyday. lol. I am trying to make a vanilla version now substituting the cocoa for more flour like u suggested. I have tried ur vanilla cake but I love this chocolate cake so much felt i needed to try it as vanilla. cupcakes are currently in the oven. So glad I came across this recipe.
Hope you enjoy the cupcakes, Nicole!
Hi! I’m hoping to make a decorated Halloween cake, but my past experiences with chocolate cakes have been troubling, to say the least. This one looks moist and delicious, but I’m wondering if it would be sturdy enough to hold up three layers decorated with frosting, chocolate decorations, and candies? Thanks 🙂
I added a strawberry filling between the layers instead of the frosting, and it worked our great! the cake was really moist and delicious, thank you for the recipe 🙂 will try it again for sure
That sounds delicious, Adeena. I’m so glad you love the cake!
Could you use cacao powder in place of cocoa powder? I just realized I bought cacao powder by accident and it’s my daughters birthday on Saturday. Thanks for your help!
Alice, I have not used cacao powder in this recipe so I can’t tell you from experience what would happen. I do understand that cacao has a more bitter taste than the cocoa powder and also absorbs liquid more than the natural unsweetened cocoa powder I use. There would need to be adjustments made to the recipe but I can’t tell you exactly how to make those. I’m sorry I can’t tell you how to make the adjustments. I do hope your daughter has a very happy birthday on Saturday.
I really love your best chocolate cake recipe!! I’ve made this cake for my son’s birthday and would like to make again for my husband’s birthday. Can you give me any advice on how to modify your recipe for 6 inch cake pans?
Angela, I haven’t made this cake in 6-inch pans. However, several people have commented that they have. Here is part of Shireen’s comment: “This definitely Is the BEST chocolate cake recipe ever! I separated into four 6” pans and made 2 mini layered cakes. Used the buttercream frosting recipe too! This cake is so moist and my sister in law kept saying “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” to me for sending her this cake.” Some other people have divided this recipe into 3 6-inch pans. I hope this helps.
Wondering about the cook time in a 6 inch pan? Same temp? Thank you!!!
Jessica, I haven’t made this recipe in 6-inch pans so I can’t tell you the adjustment for cook time, etc.
Has anyone tried making this in a 20cm? If so do I need to adjust baking time and temperature?
I’m with the hordes of others that have made this with great success, it really is the best ever! I was wanting to make it in a Bundt pan this week… what might I have to do differently? Longer cook time? Same temperature or different? I don’t usually use Bundt pans but I’m attempting a dragon cake for my son’s birthday. Thank you for an incredible recipe!
Jeralyn, you can use a Bundt pan for this cake. Bake it at 350ºF just as the recipe instructs. It will take a little longer for it to bake in the Bundt pan, about 35 to 40 minutes. Hope your son has a very happy birthday! Thanks!
I’m excited to try this chocolate cake for my friend’s birthday. Since it’s only for four adults and wonder if I make half the recipe would it make a one layer cake (using a 9″ pan)? Otherwise it seems the layers would be very thin. Other options?
Melinda, you can make half this recipe in one 9-inch pan. Hope everyone enjoys the cake and that your friend has a very happy birthday.
DO NOT make this cake if you don’t want to keep making it forever after😁it’s just that good!! The espresso powder kicked the the chocolate taste up a notch Perfect!! Someone told me it’s better than a professional cake bakers cakes & those were delicious This one is divine!! When people sitting around you are asking who made this amazing chocolate cake you know the recipe is a keeper
Thank you so much, Emma! I’m thrilled everyone loves this cake. xo