The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe {Ever}
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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 with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
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 or buttering and lightly flouring.
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.  Â
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.
Another great cake recipe! I made the white cake, (which was incredible) , so I tried the chocolate cake recipe for a birthday cake. I used buttermilk Instead of milk, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. I filled it with a frosting that was like the inside of a Hostess HoHo, then frosted it with a chocolate ganache. There is none left! Huge hit, I’m sure I’ll be making it again soon.
Hi Robyn!
This one’s a winner. My family absolutely loved it. The cake was gone before the day ended. Thank you for the recipe.
Anyway, your blog is lovely. Can’t wait to try the rest of your recipes. =)
I used your recipe in my first attempt ever to bake chocolate cake and it turned out so well! I read from the comments that the runny batter is normal so I wasn’t worried. I used a 12″ x 12″ pan that’s 1.5″ deep and baked for only 15 minutes. I ran out of cocoa powder so I made a chocolate ganache instead for frosting. Thank you so much for this recipe! Definitely the best chocolate cake recipe! Will your your frosting recipe next time too!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I made this cake for a birthday party and my family loved it; they keep talking about it! It was super moist with a delicious flavor. Fantastic!
No doubt about it…..best chocolate cake ever!! I followed the recipe exactly and ended up with a beautiful, delicious cake. I thought the cake batter might be a little too runny at first, but it baked beautifully. It’s rich, but not too sweet and has a true chocolate flavor. This is my new go to favorite recipe. Thanks Robyn!!!
I have never posted a comment re: a recipe, but I needed to with this one. I wholeheartedly agree with Gayle. I needed to find a chocolate cake recipe that required only ingredients I had on hand as I was baking it during a bad snow storm and stores were closed. I didn’t have cake flour or buttermilk or sour cream. I did have espresso powder. Anyway, I also followed the recipe exactly and I used half Hersheys cocoa and half “good quality” cocoa. The cake was amazing. We renamed it “Worth the calories cake!”.
I live in Denver and never quite know how to adjust cakes for altitude. Any suggestions?
For each extra inch tin size increase the mixture Quantity by half
Hi Leah,
I live in the Denver area as well and after 3 years of searching for a solution, a professional baker friend of mine gave me these high altitude adjustments for my cakes. These adjustments are simple and seem to work perfectly.
1. Raise baking temperature 25*
2. Lower baking powder to 1/4 tsp (per tsp in recipe). Baking soda needs no adjustment.
3. Lower sugar 1 1/2 tbsp (per cup in recipe)
4. Raise flour 3 tbsp (per cup in recipe)
5. Add 2 tbsp extra butter (per cup in recipe)
6. Watch baking time and adjust according to your oven. The baking times at this altitude can be longer or shorter depending on what you are baking. I now mark all my recipes with my own baking time that I have tested.
I hope this can help you, as know how absolutely frustrating high altitude baking can be.
Thanks so much for sharing all of your high-altitude tips, Kelly! I know others will find them useful, too!
Thank you, Kelly, for posting this! I live in the Denver area and I made this cake last year for my daughter’s birthday. It was very tasty, but sunken in in the middle. I plan to make her the cake again this year, including your suggestions. Hopefully, it will turn out just right!
Thanks Kelly my Son lives in Denver and I was so traumatized when I went out there for Thanksgiving and used my regular “deep south” recipe. Even though all the guys ate it anyway, I could not. The baked goods were terrible and I didn’t realize why at the time. I really appreciate your advice. I now have it copied to my computer and put it on a recipe card for my old recipe box!
i made this cake today…. It came out absolutely fantastic.
Thank u.
I’m sure someone has already asked this but I’m going to ask again anyway. I have never baked a cake using espresso powder. Does it give ANY coffee flavor to the cake or frosting? I know you said it enhances the chocolate flavor but I cannot stand coffee, not even the hint of it. I want to make sure I don’t waste a cake. If I can taste it at all, I won’t like it. Can you please advise?
Truthfully no, you will not be able to taste any coffee flavour whatsoever. It just enhances and deepens the chocolate flavour, and makes it luxurious. Truly, one of the best kept secrets in the baking world. This is my go to base chocolate cake recipe, I definitely recommend giving it a try, espresso powder and all
Hi Melanie, I had this same question, my cake is for a group of 6 year olds and I’m just sure they would NOT appreciate any coffee flavor! I am making it tonight (but I didn’t have espresso powder, so I used 1/2 tsp of instant coffee in the boiling water) and I will let you know if there is any coffee taste!
Cheers!
I also intensely dislike coffee flavor. I plan to leave out the espresso powder; if that seems to not work, I’ll replace it with cocoa powder.
Last night I had a chocolate cake at a restaurant. The coffee flavor was so strong I did not take a third bite (I took the second to convince myself it was there). The description on the menu did not mention coffee, or I would have chosen a different dessert.
One time I ordered a hot chocolate form a coffee stand in a mall. It tasted terrible! I returned to the stand and asked if they used coffee, since I’ve heard of places that do it. The clerk was surprised, and humored me by looking at the recipe. She told me that there was a teaspoon of coffee in the huge batch of hot chocolate.
I don’t even like the smell of coffee, and tend to not spend much time in coffee shops because of it.
So, if you’re as sensitive as I am, leave the coffee out or replace it with extra cocoa powder.
I was wondering if I make it in 12inch pan how long do I have to bake it for- also I am gonna cover it with fondant- is this possible? Do I refrigerate it?
Great result with the adjustments for high altitude cities!
Thank you all And greetings from Mexico City!
I made this for my 15 year olds bday a couple weeks ago. It was truly awesome. But to answer the question about the taste of coffee, my 12 yr old son asked me after his first bite if I put coffee in it. My husband & daughter did too. Having said that, there’s no doubt it enhanced the chocolate flavor & we all loved it, so did other family members. When I make it again, I’ll cut the espresso in 1/2 for the cake & frosting. It was a spectacular cake & so easy to make. Loved it & don’t need to look any further for “the” chocolate cake recipe.
I’m going to bake this cake for a friend’s birthday. Can I substitute Dutch process chocolate for the cocoa?
Make it into cupcakes filled with strawberries, dip in chocolate. AMAZING.
Love ya!
Kathleen