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 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.
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 am making this cake for a second time as it was so delish the first time! I made the cake for my daughter’s and nephew’s birthdays in August. It was moist, chocolatey, and quite beautiful too! I used a classic bundt pan and the cake was gone in record time (even amongst those who profess not to like sweets). This is my new go-to chocolate cake recipe. I used chocolate ganache icing and it was fabulous. Today I’ll be making chocolate buttercream (also incredible). If you’re on the fence about making this cake, hop off the fence and do it! Easy-peasy and so unbelievably good! BTW, I omitted the espresso powder and will try the cake with it in the future. I revised the bake time to 35-40 minutes with the Bundt cake pan.
Nancy, I am so pleased that you love this cake recipe and found it so easy to make. I hope you do try it sometime with the espresso powder. The cake is delicious without it but the espresso powder just enhances the chocolate flavor to me.
I made this chocolate cake recipe for my high school class and they devoured it! It was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had! I substituted the chocolate icing for cream cheese icing!
Thank you for letting me know, Mrs. W. I’m sure this cake was delicious with cream cheese icing.
Hello, should I use caster sugar or just white granulated sugar for the cake? Thanks
Shannon, I use granulated sugar in this cake recipe. I hope you enjoy!
I Have just made this cake, I DO NOT like chocolate or chocolate cake….but man this is good!! been making cakes for years and this truly is the most moist and light cake..and the flavor! the best!
My question is, would it make a good vanilla cake if I omit the Coco powder and replace with custard powder?
To make the vanilla cake based upon my Chocolate Cake recipe, just omit the cocoa powder and replace with same amount of flour. I don’t use any custard powder in the cake. I hope you enjoy, Martina.
This truly is the best chocolate cake ever! Thank you so much for the gift of this recipe. Every time I eat any other chocolate cake, I can’t help comparing it to this recipe, and this one always wins! It is the absolute favorite cake in my house, and I’ve made it for my kids’ birthdays. Now I have a question: I’m planning to make a 2-layer 9×9 square cake (Minecraft Creeper) and I’m wondering how to scale the recipe up so that the layers aren’t too thin. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Lynn, you should be able to multiply the recipe ingredients by 1.25 to fill the 2 9×9 square pans. I love the idea of the Minecraft Creeper cake! I hope your son has a very happy birthday and loves his cake!
hi I have made this delicious cake several times. each time was a wonderful and delicious dessert. I want to use Splenda this time for my diabetic husband and it’s his 71st birthday. and I would like to use my bundt pan and need to know how long to bake it. is Splenda just equal amounts as sugar in the recipe?
thank you for a great and tasty cake
Marlene, you can substitute Splenda cup for cup with granulated sugar. I haven’t made this cake with Splenda but other people have and said it is delicious. The cake will take longer to bake in a Bundt pan, about 35 to 40 minutes. The oven temperature will be the same. I hope your husband enjoys the cake and has a very happy birthday.
Hello! I will try this recipe soon. Can I use a Nescafe instant coffee instead of the instant espresso? Thank you 🙂
Early, when I made the cake with instant coffee, I thought it made the cake taste bitter.
Robyn, I’ve wanted to make this cake for a while – and finally had the opportunity today (twice!). I took the first nine inch cake to a funeral meal at church today, and then halved the cake recipe to make a mini 4-inch cake for home, utilizing the leftover icing. Delicious!!! It tastes just as scrumptious as it looks in your photos!
Jennifer, I’m happy you loved the cake.
I just made this as a belated celebration for my husband’s and my birthdays, which were last week and we were traveling. He had gotten me a Kitchen Aid Mixer for my birthday and I was so excited to use it! I made it exactly by the directions, using buttermilk and two 9” round cake pans. It was by far the best cake I have ever made! It was so moist and chocolaty delicious and easy! I will definitely be making this again!
Happy late birthday to you and your husband, Robin. I’m thrilled that you both loved this chocolate cake. Thanks for letting me know.
Hi! I have been wanting to make this for ages and now my son has asked me to make a very chocolatey cake for his birthday. So I plan to make it tomorrow (Sep 30) and the party is on Sunday evening, and there’ll be 25ish 8-year-olds with their parents, so I’m doubling everything. SI really, honestly don’t know, could such a quantity of espresso be bad for the kids? Maybe I should use a little bit, like 1/2 a teaspoon for the entire thing, or none at all?
Also, I plan to bake it in my deep oven sheet pan and then cut a big square and a smaller one to make it 2-level (he also wants his cake 2-level and SpongeBob-themed 🙂 ). And frost with blue buttercream (Bikini Bottom). Hopefully, it will turn out as amazing as it looks in the photo. 🙂 (Just blue on top!)
You can just omit the espresso powder without any other substitutions if you are making for children and don’t want the caffeine. The cake sounds great as Sponge-Bob themed. I hope your son has a very happy birthday and loves his cake!