One of my all time favorites, this is my moist, fudgy, and completely from-scratch chocolate cake recipe. It comes together in one bowl and pairs well with any frosting! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Cake Recipe
- One bowl recipe! We’re keeping it super simple here today, just like my yellow cake and my spice cake recipes!
- Basic ingredients. All-purpose flour, natural cocoa powder, and buttermilk (or my easy buttermilk substitute!) are as complicated as this gets.
- No mixer needed! While I often use my stand mixer to make this cake, mixing by hand is absolutely an option here.
- Adaptable: you can make a hefty two layer 8โ cake or 9โ cake, or you can do a 3-layer cake–instructions for this are in the printable recipe below!
- Very little chance of over-mixing. I use a version of the reverse creaming method, which means it’s highly unlikely (but not impossible!) to over-mix this batter.
A long-time favorite recipe
This chocolate cake recipe is not new to the blog. I originally published it several years ago after a ton of trial and error…aย ton. In fact, it took me almost 5 months of failed cakes and frustration to perfect this recipe (not as bad as my macarons, but close!)!
And after many, many, many disappointing cakes, it was clear from the first fudgy forkful that this one was a winner. In fact, it’s one of my proudest creations on the blog to-date, and I even used it as the base for my German chocolate cake and my Ding Dong cake.
Today, I’m bringing it back with more notes and helpful tips, but the recipe remains unchanged (because there’s no need to mess with perfection!).
What You Need
Each ingredient in this chocolate cake recipe was carefully chosen to make for a moist and flavorful chocolate cake recipe.
- Buttermilk gives this cake 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!
- Oilย 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. It’s important that you stick with natural cocoa powder here, since we are only using baking soda. Using dutch process cocoa could cause rising issues in this recipe.
- 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. 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)!
SAM’S TIP: The best way to keep chocolate cakeย (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.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chocolate Cake
- Whisk the dry ingredients and sugars together in a large bowl.
- Stir in the butter and oil. The batter will be stiff at this stage–this is totally normal, just make sure all the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Add the eggs, extra yolk, and vanilla, then scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combining nicely.
- Gradually stir in the buttermilk. The batter will still be pretty thick here, but it will get a lot thinner with the next step!
- Pour in the hot coffee/water–slowly and carefully since it is very hot! I recommend scraping your bowl again at this stage just to make sure nothing is hiding on the bottom or sides. It’s important that the batter be smooth and uniform so that it bakes evenly.
- Divide the batter into your pans and bake. I love using parchment circles 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.
- Cool the cakes in their pans for a few minutes, then invert to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Level your cakes if needed/desired. This is entirely optional, and most of the time this cake bakes up pretty level for me! Here is the inexpensive cake leveler I like to use.
- Frosting with your favorite frosting and decorate as desired. 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!
Frequently Asked Questions
I typically use 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 โfavoriteโ frosting is lighter, sweeter, and more buttercream-esque.
I included a few additional ideas below if you are looking for more. Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, coffee frosting, or even Oreo frosting would also be good…so many options!
You absolutely can, but my preference for cupcakes is my easy chocolate cupcake recipe instead; it yields a light, springy texture that just 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 โ
of the way full and bake for 16-18 minutes.
I perfected this recipe years ago, before I’d developed weight standards for using a kitchen scale across my website. Back then, I would measure everything into my measuring cups and then I would check those measurements on the scale and record them. As I’ve developed a standard, I’ve updated my older recipes to reflect that standard. Weights are the most accurate, so I have kept the weight the same but updated the cup measurement to reflect the standard.
This recipe has already earned lots of 5-star ratings, but I’d love to hear what you think! Leave me a comment and a rating once you try it out (please!).
Enjoy!
Letโs bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube ๐
The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 โ cup (208 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ยพ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking soda
- ยพ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
- ยฝ 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
- ยฝ cup (118 ml) hot coffee or hot water
- 1 batch chocolate frosting see note
Recommended Equipment
- 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.ย
- 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 โ cup (208 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ยพ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder, 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking soda, ยพ 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.ยฝ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ยฝ 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).ยฝ cup (118 ml) hot coffee or hot water
- Evenly divide batter between prepared pans. Transfer to center rack ofย 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 (I love both of these options!). Here are some other frostings that work really well with this cake:- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- Coffee Frosting
Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.ยFreezing
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
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.
Recipe originally published 02/27/2017.
Melinda
Delicious, I had to use cream cheese in place of eggs since have egg allergic child- worked out great, Iโm sure original is even better! Recommend ๐
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Melinda! ๐
Rachel
Hi! I love all your recipes I’ve tried so many of them and they have always been a hit!! My absolute go to now!
My brother requested a chocolate cake for his birthday so of course I wanted your recipe, however I was only able to find dutch processed cocoa in stores right now ๐ is there any modifications I could do to use that for this recipe? Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipes, Rachel! I am glad that you have enjoyed them! Unfortunately, with this recipe, I do not recommend substituting Dutch-processed cocoa. ๐
Rachel
I was able to find the right cocoa today! Should we use light or dark brown sugar for this recipe? Thanks ๐
Sam
Hi Rachel! You could use either. I typically use light brown sugar. ๐
Ana
I am looking forward to trying this as I have already made your Worst Chocolate Chip cookies and Peanut Butter cookies and they were both wonderful. I don’t have any milk on hand, would it be possible to substitute yogurt or sour cream? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Ana! I haven’t tried it but I think sour cream would work if you add a bit of water to it (It looks like you would need 3/4c of sour cream and 1c of water) If you try it please let me know how it turns out. ๐
Arina
Hi. When I measured out 1 and 3/4 cup flour it was close to 270g, not 205g like you have listed. Google says 1 and 3/4 should be about 225g. Just wanted to check if that was a typo. The cakes are in the oven now..
Sam
Hi Arina! I have standardized all of my measurements so that number listed on my site is accurate. Everyone can get to different weights depending on how they measure the flour. You can check my post on how to properly measure flour to see just how easy it would be to have variations. ๐
Viken
Wow Sam, this is an amazing cake! Both my boys and my wife loved it!
Just wondering if I can bake it in a Bundt tray or one layer instead of two…
If so how long in the oven for the Bundt format and what about time and size if one layer instead of two
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that everyone enjoyed it, Viken! Yes, you can bake it in a bundt pan next time or if you want to half the recipe and bake one pan verse two that will work as well. As for timing for the bundt pan, that I am not certain so you will just need to keep an eye on it. For one layer cake 9″ pans, it should be the same that is listed on the directions. Thanks for trying my recipe! ๐
Laura
Such a wonderful recipe! I made this for my sonโs birthday today and itโs absolutely perfect! I made your funfetti cake last month for my daughterโs birthday and that was five stars also!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!
Laura
Sam
Thank you so much, Laura! I am so glad you enjoyed the cake so much! I appreciate your support and comments. ๐
Tiffany
This cake is perfect and delicious.
The batter seemed quite thin, so I was a little worried but it baked perfectly.
I used 6″ pans (no idea where my 8″ have gone to)and baked for 30 minutes. This made three 2 inch thick layers. Definitely could have done four 1.5 inch layers.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it turned out perfectly and that you enjoyed the cake, Tiffany! Thank you so much for sharing how many 6″ cakes you were able to get out of this recipe and the bake time. Others will appreciate it! Thanks for the feedback. ๐
Steph
Hi Sam is it possible to add raisins and rum to this recipe? Or would this mess up the whole cake? I figured it would just be like adding choc chips or another flavouring but unsure?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Steph! I have not tried adding either to this cake recipe, but it should be fine. Let me know how it turns out.
Arti
Can i make this without eggs?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Arti! Unfortunately, I do not reccomend it.
Stella Lummus
I was skeptical that a from scratch recipe could be this good and soft and not super dense. By far the best cake recipe. Very detailed and I used the substitution for buttermilk and it was still wonderful. Thank u so much for sharing with us!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake so much, Stella! Homemade is always better if you ask me. ๐
Dakota
Hi ๐ Iโve made this cake before (so good!), but this time Iโd like to make it a three layer cake using 9-in pans. Would increasing the recipe by 1/2 be appropriate?
Sam
Hi Dakota! Yes increasing the recipe by 50% will give you enough for 3 layers. I’m so glad you enjoy the cake so much. ๐
Ashley
Hi Sam, Iโm planning on making a 2 layer cake with 10×2 inch cake pans… do I need to make any recipe adjustments? Thank
You!!!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ashley! 10″ diameter pans that are 2″ high? I just want to clarify. If that is the case, no adjustments are needed for the recipe. Your cake layers will be slightly thinner than what is shown and need a little less time to bake. With that being said, I would just keep an eye on them while they bake. Enjoy! ๐
Bunmi
Can I also make the milk hot as well as the hot coffee
Sam
There is no need to with this recipe.
Toria
If Im going to make a recipe, I check and see if sugarspunrun has a recipe for it first! This cake is our go to chocolate cake and it’s so good.
Sugar Spun Run
That is so sweet, Toria, thank you so much for always coming back to my site first, that means so much to me! I am happy to hear how much you have enjoyed my recipes, including this cake. Thanks for commenting. ๐
Kade
I halved this and made just one 9 inch round of this tonight as an after dinner treat and MAN! Totally blows the Hershey chocolate cake I typically make out of the water!! SO moist and delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear how much you enjoyed the cake, Kade. Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. ๐
SJ
Can I just use ganache as the frosting? I don’t have an electric mixer.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, SJ! Yes, that will be fine. Here is my recipe for ganache if needed. I also have a texas sheet that uses a chocolate frosting that does not require a mixer to make if you’d like to try that as well. It is heavenly! ๐
Amber
I read somewhere in this article that this will be the last chocolate cake you ever make. IT IS TRUE. This cake is so deliciously wonderful, moist, and perfect! Best chocolate cake Iโve ever had!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Amber! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! ๐