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.
Hi! First of all I’d like to say I HATE it when people leave comments where they’ve changed a perfectly great recipe but I was attempting to replicate my daughters favorite “birthday cake” from a local restaurant. I made this cake around 11pm and had it iced complete with white frosting and sprinkles by 1 am. I used Einkorn flour and kept everything else the same. I used espresso coffee I ground at home.I made traditional buttercream icing with Kerrygold butter. My daughters said I nailed it… so mission accomplished! Thank you for the recipe. I texted it to my daughters and saved it on my phone.🙂
Kathy, I’m thrilled that your daughter’s birthday cake was a hit! I hope she had a very happy birthday.
Hi Kathy! I’m making this for my daughter’s birthday and plan on using Einkorn flour as well. Did you do the same amount of Einkorn flour as the flour the recipe calls for? And everything else exactly the same? This will be easier than I thought! Excited to try it.
How would you recommend adjusting the recipe to be gluten and dairy free and using 3 x 6” pans (to make a 3-layer 6” cake)? I was thinking of using Cup4Cup.
Susie, I give options that I have used to make this cake gluten free, dairy free, and egg free in my post under Chocolate Cake Modifications You May Be Interested to Know About:. I have used Cup4Cup successfully by just substituting it for the all-purpose flour in the recipe.
I haven’t made this as a 6-inch cake but several people have commented that they have. Some said they bake this recipe in 3 6-inch pans at 350º for about 30 – 35 minutes. Others have said they baked them for about 40 minutes. Of course, the amount of batter and baking time depend on the depth of your pans. Just watch for the edges of the cake to turn loose from the pan and the top of the cake too spring back when lightly touched.
Hi Do you think this would carve well? I would usually freeze and then carve anyway but am concerned it will fall apart cos it looks so moist and fluffy!
Carylyn, this is a really moist cake. I’m not sure how well it will carve. I haven’t tried it.
I have been using this recipe for YEARS, best chocolate cake ever!
I love it when someone tells me they have been making one of my recipes for years. Thanks so much, Bree!
I was really excited about making my moms bday cake with this recipe. When I took them out of the round pans, they both broke and stuck to the bottom (I greased it). Pretty bummed but it’ll still taste good. I got this recipe from a friend who made cupcakes and they were delicious!
Laura, here are a few tips that may help you. Butter and flour the cake pans generously or put parchment rounds in your cake pans so the cake won’t stick to the pans. I would recommend placing the pans on a wire rack when you take them out of the oven to allow them to cool in the pans for the 10 minutes described in the instructions to get more air underneath the pan. Do not leave the cake in the pan to cool longer than 10 minutes or the cake will stick to the pan. 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. Once the cakes have cooled thoroughly, you can then frost them. I hope this helps.
Hi. This is the MOST delicious cake. But like Ron, I’ve had three in a row sink into the middle. Do you have any advice for an 8″ round cake pan for cooking time? I don’t have any 9″. I know that it can be 25% different in height apparently so I wonder if this should bake for more than 35 minutes? Toothpick test is dry. So I am not sure where I am going wrong BUT no one complains about your extra buttercream chocolate frosting taking up all the extra sunken space. Even people that don’t like frosting LOVE yours!!!! Thank you for this recipe!! Rob.
Rob, it can take 35 to 40 minutes for the 8-inch round cake to bake. These are the recommendations I gave Ron? He stated his cake baked successfully after following those tips. There are several reasons that can cause a cake to sink in the middle: 1) opening the oven door before the cake has finished cooking which would not be your problem, 2) taking the cake out of the oven before it is completely done in the middle, 3) over mixing the batter which incorporates too much air in the batter – this is easy to do with the high powered mixers today, 4) oven not heating to the set temperature or having uneven areas of temperature, 5) letting the batter sit too long before placing it in the oven, 6) all ingredients not warmed to room temperature, and 7) oven not preheated to correct temperature before cake pans placed inside. To fix your cake, you can level the cake layers but may have really thin layers or you can fill the sunken area with frosting. Also, if you live in a high altitude area, your cake may sink unless you make adjustments to the recipe. I live at 1000 feet. The best site I have found for high altitude baking is the Colorado State University Extension.
Hi! I’ve made this cake before and love it! I’d like to make a triple layer cake and would like to know if I can make 1.5x this recipe. Would it work? Thank you!
Krista, you would need to make 1.5 times this recipe for the 3 layer cake.
Hi, I’m planning to make this for my daughter’s 11th year old birthday, but I’m not quite sure if they would like the taste of the espresso powder. Do you think the espresso powder will work fine, or is there a substitute?
Thanks,
Valerie
Valerie, you can just omit the espresso powder. There is no coffee flavor. It just enhances the chocolate flavor but you may want to limit the caffeine for the younger group. Hope your daughter has a very happy 11th birthday.
Robyn, this recipe is SO WORTH IT!
I bet you have an idea of how much I’ve been struggling to find a chocolate cake recipe, even for cupcakes, and this one just melted my heart and became a classic in my family. I’m so grateful that you shared this with the world. And the frosting! AHHHHH loved it.
Thanks so much, Carolina. I’m so glad this cake is now a favorite at your house, too.
Thanks for your help. The third time was the charm!!!
Thanks, Ron. I am so glad your cake was a success!