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.
Very tasty!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Rebecca!
Just wondering can you use instant coffee in place of the espresso? I need to make this cake in a pinch and live about an hour from the nearest grocery store. Thanks
Hi Kaitlyn, you can simply omit the espresso powder if you don’t have it available. I found that using coffee and instant coffee in the cake left a slight aftertaste.
Can I substitute espresso powder for instant espresso? Thanks!
Debbie, you can use instant espresso. I hope you enjoy the cake.
Can I use cake flour? is there a reason for using all purpose flour?
You can use cake flour if you prefer. When I used it in testing, I felt like it made the cake too tender where it didn’t hold as well for decorating and slicing.
This is one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes ever! I’ve used it for years and it’s reliably rich, moist, tender and delicious. I do have a question though. I get tunneling so often with this recipe, and I’m not sure why. I’m particularly careful not to overmix the batter, and I’m weighing ingredients, so they should be accurate to what you have here. I don’t always add the espresso powder, because I don’t always want the flavor profile (and sometimes I don’t have any). Do you have issues with this too? Any thoughts on how to avoid it? Thanks!
Hi Deanna, I’m so glad you love the cake! It is fine to omit the espresso powder if you prefer. You may want to test using less if you’d still like to use it in the recipe or use different brands in testing to see what works best for you. I generally make my own espresso powder now or use the King Arthur brand. I’ve not found it giving the flavor profile an espresso powder flavor but enhancing the chocolate flavor. I hope that helps!
I was more asking about the tunneling issue. I just mentioned the espresso powder because that’s my only change. Sorry if that wasn’t clear!
Deanna, I’m sorry I didn’t answer that for you. I haven’t had this cake to tunnel, but several things can cause a cake to tunnel. Over-mixing the batter can happen easily with these high powered mixers sometimes. Another cause is that all ingredients, especially the butter and eggs, are not at room temperature. Also, make sure to thoroughly whisk or sift your dry ingredients:flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder, if using, together to make sure all ingredients are well combined. This will make sure the baking powder and baking soda are evenly distributed throughout the other ingredients. I hope this helps.
Love this !
Taste is amazing and rich only note is the cake is very soft, a bit delicate, so be careful when stacking as crumbs easily separate from the cake !
So I do the cake making for most of our family. And I live in fear that people will ask for ‘just a good plain chocolate cake.’ Blueberry cake, on it. Three tiered layers of cheesecake, I’ll figure it out. But every year someone asks for a ‘plain’ chocolate cake and I spend hours researching, baking, and ultimately irritated that the chocolate cake didn’t taste chocolatey enough, was too rich, or too dry and ulimately was both expensive and a hassle to make (the guests are usually pleased, but I’m frustrated ’cause I could have gotten the same or better results with a box cake). So imagine my chagrin when a family member asked me to provide a chocolate birthday cake less than 48 hours before the party (the same week I was recovering from a nasty flu bug). No time for research or fussy ingredient ordering/finding. Your recipe came up and that was that.
I’m so happy and excited to say I’m 100% sold on this recipe. It was easy to make, cooked up like a dream, required only 1 ‘special’ ingredient (we don’t use coffee for religous reasons, so Postum had to be bought but was findable at the local grocery store), and it tasted great. Chocolatey enough, moist but firm enough to stack, and not *too* rich. The buttercream was recipe was similarly perfect.
I made a 3 tier cake and a 2 layer cake filled with jam. At the conclusion of the party only 4 slices were left. Four-out of 35+ servings. We *always* have at least 1/4 of the main cake left (more when it a chocolate cake). Gone, demolished, and everyone was commenting on how good it was. Thank you, thank you for sharing!! Never going to use a different recipe again!
Ariana! Thank you so much for sharing your experience making my chocolate cake recipe! It has definitely been my go-to chocolate cake for decades now and I hope you always find it as useful as I have. Congratulations on only having 4 slices left at the end – that is a true testament that it was well-loved. I sure hope you are feeling better. xo
Absolutely DELICIOUS! I used your recipe to make 6 mini bundt cakes and 6 mini cakes – THANK YOU!
Oh I love that, Sharon. I’m so glad you let me know how it worked for you. I need to make more mini cakes with this recipe and share with friends! xo
I used the 9×13 version of your recipe for my nephews birthday cake and it was a HIT!!! Everyone loved it!! Instead of a 9×13 pan, I used 2 10×15 sheet pan and doubled the recipe, it was perfect! Also used your chocolate buttercream recipe, again perfect! Thank you!!
Robyn, I’m thrilled this recipe worked so well for your nephew’s birthday cake. Thanks for letting us know the pans you used when doubling the recipe.
I’ve made this cake several times and it’s never failed. I can’t get espresso powder on the island (Lombok Indonesia)so I substitute that and the cup of boiling water for one cup of americano.
Angela, I’m thrilled this cake never fails you and that you found a substitution for the espresso powder that works for you.
I am wanting to make a double layered 9×13 cake. Will this recipe be enough, or should I change the quantity of the ingredients? Thank you!
Hi Jamie,
I use the 9×13 version of my chocolate cake recipe for a 9×13 cake. Take a look at the photos on that post to determine if that is the cake layer thickness that you prefer. If not, then I would use this recipe (the original chocolate cake) to get a thicker layered 9×13 cake. You would want to double the recipe for double layers with either recipe. I hope that helps!
I am planning to make your chocolate cake recipe but I do not see the buttercream recipe, I’m in the market picking up the ingredients. 🙁
Marta, if you click on the underlined words:
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe, you will see the full recipe for the frosting. I hope you enjoy!