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 Robyn,
I made this cake over the summer and it was delicious! I am making it again next week but was hoping to use a bundt pan. If I make it the same exact way but use a bundt pan will that work?
Thank you!
Marie
Marie, this cake is delicious made in a Bundt pan. Use the same recipe ingredients and follow instructions in this recipe. The cake will take longer to bake, about 35 to 40 minutes. The oven temperature will be the same. I hope you enjoy!
Hi Robyn!
I have a question regarding the espresso powder, can it be substituted with powdered black coffee or does the espresso gives more depth to the chocolate flavour? Can’t wait to try this recipe! 🫶🏻
Andrea, when I tried this with powdered instant coffee, the cake had a bitter taste to me. Others have said they have used the instant coffee successfully.
Hi Robyn!
I have been using your recipe for like 5 years now and each time it comes out great. I have 3 questions.
1. I will be baking this cake for my friend’s baby shower (2× 8″ cakes and 2×10″ inches). Should I just double the above recipe?
2. Is it okay to not use espresso powder, since she is not consuming any caffeine?
3. Can I add chocolate chips or semi sweet dark chocolate chunks for an kick of chocolate? If so, how much?Will it affect the batter or the final bake?
The baby shower is almost here, could you please me with these boring questions😂.
Once again, love love love your recipe!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️
Prarthna, (1) I would make 3/4 the recipe for the 2 8-inch cakes and 1.25 the recipe for the 2 10-inch cakes. I would make each set of batter separately. (2) Just omit the espresso powder. You won’t need to make any other adjustments to the recipe. (3) When I added chocolate chips to this recipe, the chips fell to the bottom of the pan. The batter is so thin in this cake that the chocolate chips sank to the bottom of the pan and caused the layers to stick to the pan. Since the cake is foo a special occasion and if you want to try adding chips, I recommend doing a trial run to make sure it works first.
Hi
I want to bake this cake tomorrow please and want to know which type of sugar is best for this recipe?
Thank you 😃
Cynthia, I use white granulated sugar in this cake recipe. I hope you enjoy the cake.
Hello! I am making this cake today for a friend’s bday and had a question. I have 2 ceramic rectangular baking dishes with measures 10.5x7inches not sure if I should modify the recipe. It’s for 20-25 people so I was looking for a bigger sized pan. Thank you so much!
Nicole, I haven’t made this cake in 10.5x7inch pans but I would think 1.25 times the recipe should work those two pans.
Hi!
How would I make this in a 13” by 18” pan?
Thank you!!
Ashley, look at my Best Chocolate Cake with Fudge Icing Recipe. I used a 13×18-inch pan. You can search for the recipe in the Search bar or click on the link to the Large Chocolate Sheet Cake listed after the Recipe card in the post. I hope you enjoy!
Thanks!
Is espresso powder necessary?
Ash, you can omit the espresso powder if you wish. You won’t need to make any other adjustments to the recipe.
I am making this for my son’s 4th birthday..I know it’s a trivial amount of espresso but the idea of a bunch of 4 year olds being even a DROP more hyped up than they already are makes me a bit anxious to say the least. If I omit the espresso is it still delicious?
Ash, I do recommend omitting the espresso powder when making this cake for small children. You won’t need to make any other adjustments to the recipe. The cake is still delicious without it. I hope your son has a very happy 4th birthday!
Thank you! So excited to make this
I’ve trebled your recipe and was a bit panicked at how thin and watery the mixture was, so added a little extra flour ( about 3/4 cup. I poured it all into two large tinfoil rectangular trays as I want to bring this cake, iced and cut into squares, into work for my colleagues tomorrow 😀 Am just hoping it cooks through as it’s deep in the tins. I told my children, going to bed that it might all rise up while they slept to fill the oven and then pour out the door and down the road, like the magic cooking pot! I’ve never seen a recipe with so much raising agent, but then again, I did treble the mixture. Hoping for the best here in Ireland. Thank you 🙏
Lesley, this is a very thin batter for a moist cake and you don’t need to add more flour. I haven’t made this with triple the recipe. I don’t recommend tripling the recipe. I would recommend making this cake again as written for one cake. If I ever need to make more than one cake, I make them one at a time. If you live in a high altitude, you will need to make adjustments based upon the altitude where you live. I live at 1000 feet. I hope this helps.
Hi Robyn,
I am making this today! Since I only have one 8” cake pan, could I bake one cake first? Will it be okay to leave the batter out at room temperature while the first cake bakes?
Alternatively, what could I do to reduce the ingredients to match 1 8” pan?
Ella, I would not bake half the batter at a time due to only having one 8″ pan. The baking powder would not work as well in the second layer (because baking powder is ‘double acting’,meaning that it reacts to both moisture and heat). Fill the cake pans 1/2 full. It takes about 35 to 40 minutes for the cake to bake. Just watch for the edges of the cake to pull away from the pan. You can multiply the ingredients by .40 for one layer. You can also make half the recipe but there may be too much batter. You could make a few of cupcakes with the remaining batter.
Absolutely delicious! I used buttermilk, the cake has great depth of chocolate and it’s moist. I made cream cheese frosting, the cake disappeared in three days!
Thanks, Judy, this sounds delicious with the cream cheese frosting.