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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Cake

    The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe

    Updated: Aug 5, 2025 โ€ข Published: Aug 4, 2025 by Sam Merritt โ€ข 976 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    collage of chocolate cake recipe, first image shows cake with bite missing and second shows whole cake slice on white plate

    One of my all time favorites, this is my moist, fudgy, and completely from-scratch best chocolate cake recipe. It comes together in one bowl and pairs well with any frosting! Recipe includes a how-to video!

    Slice of fudgy chocolate cake on a white plate with  cake on crystal platter over blue cloth in background.

    Why This is THE Chocolate Cake Recipe You Need:

    • Ridiculously moist, even days later: Most cakes dry out by day two… not mine! Thanks to a strategic combo of buttermilk, oil, butter, and an extra egg yolk you’ll get a moist, tender crumb that stays soft, fudgy and rich, even straight out of the fridge!
    • Bold chocolate flavor. No flat cocoa flavor here. By blooming the cocoa with hot coffee we unlock its full intensity. While the cake doesn’t actually taste like coffee, it has a deeper, more complex chocolate flavor in every bite.
    • No mixer, no fuss, no fail! Made in one bowl with no special equipment required, this cake comes together so easily (though of course feel free to use your stand or hand mixer, if you feel so inclined!).
    • This is the chocolate cake recipe you’ll come back to. This is the one I make for birthdays, holidays, or any time I need a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. It’s reliable, richly chocolatey, and just plain better than the rest (if I do say so myself). If you don’t believe me, here’s a recent 5-star review:

    “Perfect as is no changes needed! This cake yields a tender, moist crumb packed with flavor. I used the hot coffee as suggested and it really helps the flavor pop. I topped it with the oreo icing and and even our picky eaters came back for seconds. Thank You!“

    – Elayna

    Jump to:
    • Why This is THE Chocolate Cake Recipe You Need:
    • What You Need
    • How to Make The Best Chocolate Cake
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Perfect Frosting Pairings:
    • The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe

    What You Need

    Each ingredient in this chocolate cake recipe was carefully chosen to make for a moist and flavorful chocolate cake. Let’s go over the key players:

    Ingredients needed for my chocolate cake recipe.

    Note: This ingredient photo does not include ingredients for the frosting, as you can use your favorite (suggestions below!).

    • Buttermilk gives my chocolate cake recipe intense depth of flavor and keeps it soft and moist. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use my easy buttermilk substitute in a pinch–but real buttermilk is best!
    • Oil and butter give us a moist cake with great flavor. This combination is especially important if you need to refrigerate your chocolate cake (which could dry out your cake). I originally used canola or vegetable oil in this recipe, but have learned avocado oil works just as well and this is my current go-to.
    • An extra egg yolk contributes to the tender, fudgy, melt-in-your-mouth crumb. If you don’t want to waste your leftover egg white, save it to make some candied almonds.
    • Cocoa powder. I recommend using natural cocoa powder for best results.
    • Hot water/coffee will “bloom” your cocoa powder, fully developing its flavor. Note that using coffee won’t make your chocolate cake taste like coffee, but it will enhance the chocolate taste even more than plain hot water would (which is why I prefer it to water). On the other hand, if you really like coffee and want a coffee flavor, you can always frost this cake with my coffee frosting (I actually like to use the variation in that recipe to make a mocha frosting with this cake)!

    Remember, this is just an overview of some of the key ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    SAM’S TIP: The best way to keep this chocolate cake recipe (or, any cake) moist is to not over-bake it. Make sure that your oven temperature isn’t running hotter than it is leading you to believe (I keep two thermometers in my oven to make sure the temperature is accurate), as an oven that’s too hot will over-bake your cake in your hurry.

    How to Make The Best Chocolate Cake

    Overhead of chocolate cake batter, crumbly before the buttermilk and coffee are added.

    Step 1: Reverse creaming (sort of!)

    We are essentially using a modified version of the reverse creaming method (previously shown in my caramel cake!) for a super moist crumb. This means we first combine the dry ingredients (and the sugar, which is technically a wet ingredient) and then add oil and melted butter. The mixture will be thick and crumbly, but stir until all of the dry ingredients are completely moistened. An electric mixer makes this a bit easier, though I’ve done it by hand before with just a spatula.

    Making chocolate cake batter (adding the coffee).

    Step 2: Add the rest of the wet ingredients

    Eggs, an extra yolk, and a healthy pour of vanilla extract go in first. Make sure the eggs are room temperature, or they can make it difficult for the batter to combine, resulting in a wonky, uneven cake. Next stir in the buttermilk, the batter will thin a bit here, but it really becomes thin once you add the (hot!) coffee.

    You can use hot coffee or hot water for this step, but the most important thing is that it’s, well, hot! The heat from the warm liquid “blooms” the cocoa, as mentioned in the “Ingredients” section above (see that section again if you’re curious about why I prefer coffee to water, too!).

    Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl here so the batter is smooth and uniform. And it will seem thin! This is absolutely normal!

    Two round, freshly baked chocolate cake layers on cooling racks.

    Step 3: Bake & cool (then decorate!)

    Divide the batter into 8″ round baking pans and bake. I recommend using circles of cut out parchment paper on the bottom of my pans (in addition to greasing/flouring them) to ensure there will be no sticking when it’s time to remove the cakes from the pans (makes things so much easier and less stressful!). Once they’ve finished baking, let them cool in the pans for a few minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.

    If needed/desired you can level your cake layers (this is the inexpensive cake leveler (affiliate) I like to use) and then decorate with your favorite frosting. I have a post on how to decorate a cake if you need help with this step (but you can see I kept things pretty simple here).

    SAM’S TIP: A crumb coating is always a good idea! To do this, apply a thin, even layer of frosting to catch all of your crumbs and then place the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove and finish frosting for a crumb-free finish!

    Slice of the best chocolate cake on a plate.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the secret to moist chocolate cake?

    The secret to a truly moist, fudgy chocolate cake recipe comes down to a few key ingredients and techniques. Buttermilk (full-fat, and better if it’s the real deal and not a substitute) gives the crumb a soft, tender texture while a combo of oil and butter gives you the bet of both worlds — lasting moisture and rich flavor. An extra egg yolk adds a luxurious fudgy bite, and most importantly don’t overbake it! Pull the cake out of the oven when there are a few moist crumbs on your toothpick (but no wet batter), that’s when the magic happens.
    Final tip: I recommend if you haven’t already, learn how to use a kitchen scale to consistently have best results with all of your baked goods.

    What frosting pairs well with chocolate cake?

    I typically use chocolate buttercream or my favorite chocolate frosting; however my chocolate fudge frosting works just as well (and that’s what I used in the photos here!). The fudge frosting is thicker, richer and, well, fudgier, while the “favorite” frosting is lighter, sweeter, and more buttercream-esque.

    Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, coffee frosting, brown butter frosting, peanut butter frosting, caramel frosting, or even Oreo frosting would also be good as decadent options, or lighten things up with fresh fruit and try my strawberry frosting, raspberry buttercream or even my blueberry frosting!

    Can I use this recipe for chocolate cupcakes?

    Yes, you can use my chocolate cake recipe for cupcakes, but my recommendation is to make my easy chocolate cupcake recipe instead; it yields a light, springy texture that suits the cupcake form so well.

    However, if you want to make this cake as cupcakes, know you’ll get approximately 24 cupcakes. Fill your liners ⅔ of the way full and bake for 16-18 minutes.

    Cross section of a moist and fudgy chocolate cake on a glass serving platter.

    Perfect Frosting Pairings:

    • Chocolate buttercream frosting on vanilla cupcake
      Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
    • Peanut butter frosting on cupcake
      Peanut Butter Frosting
    • Overhead view of a bowl of coffee frosting with a purple spatula.
      Coffee Frosting
    • Vanilla frosting on cupcake
      Vanilla Frosting Recipe

    This chocolate cake recipe has already earned hundreds of 5-star ratings, but I’d love to hear what you think of it! Leave me a comment and a rating once you try it (please!).

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜

    slice of chocolate cake with a bite missing (showing fudgy texture) on white plate.

    The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe

    This is the BEST chocolate cake recipe! It's fudgy, chocolatey, moist, and made completely from scratch! Be sure to check out the video!
    4.99 from 257 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 12 slices
    Calories: 755kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 ⅔ cup (208 g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
    • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
    • ¾ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
    • ½ cup (118 ml) neutral cooking oil (use avocado, canola, or vegetable oil)
    • 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 cup (236 ml) buttermilk
    • ½ cup (118 ml) hot coffee or hot water
    • 1 batch chocolate frosting see note

    Recommended Equipment

    • 2 8" cake pans
    • Mixing bowls
    • Kitchen Scale recommended

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare two 8" round cake pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly greasing and flouring the sides. Set aside. 
    • In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) stir together flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
      1 ⅔ cup (208 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
    • Add melted butter and oil, stir well. Batter may be thick, this is fine, just stir until all of the dry ingredients are moistened.
      ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (118 ml) neutral cooking oil
    • Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir until well combined. Pause occasionally to scrape sides and bottom of bowl.
      2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • Gradually add buttermilk and stir well.
      1 cup (236 ml) buttermilk
    • Add hot coffee or water, stirring carefully until ingredients are well-combined (be sure to scrape sides and bottom of bowl to ensure batter is uniform).
      ½ cup (118 ml) hot coffee or hot water
    • Evenly divide batter between prepared pans. Transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
    • Allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely before frosting with your favorite frosting (I recommend the one linked in the recipe above, or one of my favorites linked in the notes below!).
      1 batch chocolate frosting

    Notes

    Frosting
    In the video I used my favorite chocolate frosting (linked in the recipe card) but for the photos in this post I used my chocolate fudge frosting, or for the simplest option try my chocolate buttercream  (I love all of these options!).
    Storing
    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 
    Freezing
    You can freeze the completely cooled layers by wrapping them very well with plastic wrap and then freezing.
    You can also freeze the fully frosted cake. To do this, place your cake in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes or until the frosting is firm. Remove it, wrap very well with plastic wrap, and freeze for up to a month.
    Different sized pans
    • Two 9″ pans: Cakes will need to bake for less time, start checking at 27-30 minutes. Please keep in mind that if your pans are dark-colored the cake may need less time to bake.
    • Three 8″ pans: Bake approximately 23-26 minutes.
    • Three 9″ pans. Cake layers will be quite thin. Bake approximately 20-23 minutes.
    Cupcakes
    You’ll get about 24 cupcakes, evenly divide into two lined 12-count cupcake tins and bake for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    Gluten-free
    Readers have commented that they have successfully made this recipe by substituting Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour for the flour called for in this recipe.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 755kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 433mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 857IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Recipe originally published 02/27/2017. I’ve updated the post to have new photos, a new video, and more helpful information, but the recipe has been extensively tested and was not in need of improvement, so it remains the same!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lorie

      August 09, 2025 at 3:28 pm

      Can this cake be made two days before serving?

      Reply
      • Sam Merritt

        August 09, 2025 at 9:59 pm

        Sure thing! you will want to make sure it’s in an air tight container to keep it from drying out. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Maria

      August 01, 2025 at 2:24 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for this recipe! It is definitely my favorite!

      Reply
    3. Margaret

      July 24, 2025 at 11:08 am

      5 stars
      Amazing! This cake is perfectly moist and tastes so, so good. It’s my go-to chocolate cake recipe!

      Reply
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    4.99 from 257 votes (51 ratings without comment)

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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