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.
Hannah
I made this cake last week and my whole family LOVED it. I used your raspberry filling recipe to but between the layers, and it turned out perfect. This was the first cake Iโve ever baked so I was worried that the cake was a little underdone when I took them out of the pans, but it turns out that it was perfectly moist. I love your recipes and look forward to making many more!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Hannah! Chocolate and raspberry are an awesome combination! ๐
Sarah
Hi Sam! Thank you so much for sharing this cake recipe. My family and I enjoyed it very much. I cut the recipe in half and used 3 6-inch pans and it turned out super cute. I want people to try this recipe with confidence. I am a huge fan of yours and a subscriber to your youtube channel. Thank you so much and keep up the good work!
Sam
Thank you so much, Sarah! I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! Thank you for your support. Happy baking! ๐
Rj
This was the best chocolate cake recipe I have ever used online and Iโve tried quite a few. This cake is very delicious and super moist. The chocolate frosting recipe that goes with this cake, is even better. Yummy!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, RJ! ๐
Marley schrepfer
hi there! I love this recipe but how much batter do I need to make for a 3 layer, 6-inch cake? thank you! ๐
Sam
Hi Marley! This should make enough batter to fill 3 6 inch pans, maybe with a little bit left over. ๐
Paramesh
I made this cake for Fatherโs Day and it was simply fabulous, I just added some orange juice to the chocolate buttercream and it turned out so delicious.
Thank u so much for sharing the recipe we had a special celebration.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! ๐
Chitra
I have just prepared this batter and placed it in the oven but tons of worry as batter was utterly liquid… We followed the recipe to the T…. I just hope it nothing off… All was good till just before adding coffee…
Now it’s in 8ven and tiny light colored bubbles have formed a froth on top… Fingers crossed
Sam
Hopefully it turns out for you. This batter is a pretty runny batter. ๐
Chitra
Hi the cake was a little rubbery and very oily… Greased up fingers… Same happened with marble cake…
Though I made your upside pineapple cake and recipe came out DIVINE…
That’s why I am hell bent on not giving up these other recipes… Help.
Sam
Hi Chitra! Again I am very sorry for the delayed response. I think you may be having the same issue as the marble cake. Try not mixing it so much next time and see how it goes. ๐
Chetana
I tried your recipe, I think you have written 1 and 3/4th cup as 205 g. It think the measurement 250g. It’s very very soft and doesn’t hold shape. I did check with a toothpick. Its comes out clean. But its way to soft and I tried the same recipe twice and both of them got wasted. Sorry. But I am huge huge fan of your brownie recipe !! It’s a big hit. But this cake recipe turned bad for me. Twice.
Sam
Hi Chetana! I just double-checked and the amount listed is correct. Were any substitutions made? I just want to check that natural cocoa powder (and not dutch processed) was used? I’m happy to help troubleshoot further, this is one of my all-time favorite cakes and I’d love for you to have the same result!
Jo
Hi there.
Is it okay if I only use brown sugar instead of both white & brown?
Sam
Hi Jo! That should work just fine here. ๐
Charlotte
Hey Sam! I love your recipes so much, especially this chocolate cake one. Though I’ve made it many times before, this time I have no brown sugar or vanilla extract on hand and I just want to know whether this will completely alter the end result? My local grocers are all out of these 2 ingredients but I still want to make this cake – so any tips would be really appreciated. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Charlotte! You could substitute granulated sugar for the brown sugar but the cake won’t be quite as moist. The vanilla just adds a little extra flavor. The cake will still turn out though. ๐
Jody Friedman
I was wondering why you use oil in this recipe, and softened butter in the best vanilla cake recipe? I have been trying to understand the science behind the baking.
Thank you
Sam
Hi Jody! I actually use a half cup of each in both recipes. The reason to use both is because butter adds an excellent flavor and the oil adds a nice moist texture. ๐
Cherline
Hi how do I amend the recipe measurements to make this into a 3 layer cake with 8 inch pans?
Sam
Hi Cherline! You will want to increase the recipe by 50%. ๐
Emily Robin
Sam,
How do I get the cakes to rise leveled? They have risen a bit in the center unfortunately.
Thanks!!!
Emily
Sam
Hi Emily! They typically rise leveled for me but if yours rise in the center (and don’t settle down after being inverted and cooled) I think the best thing to do would be to let the cakes cool completely and then use a sharp serrated knife to level them. I hope that helps!
Julia
I made this cake for my sisterโs birthday and it was a hit! I used a vanilla buttercream and white chocolate ganache to apply drips and decorated it with paper flowers I made! It turned out beautifully and tasted even better (and Iโm not a huge chocolate person!) I have also made homemade pizza using your pizza dough recipe and I made your homemade biscuits to go with chicken a la king and they tasted amazing! This website is definitely my go to for new recipes from now on!
Sam
Thank you so much, Julia! I am so glad you enjoyed the cake so much. It sounds like it was absolutely beautiful. ๐
Alice
Sam, itโs absolutely delicious!!! I want to make sure I donโt ruin the delicious cake. Do you recommend it be stored in the refrigerator or in an air tight container room temperature?! Itโs about 75 degrees in my house these days. I made the cake with the buttercream icing you provided recipe for (thanks!) but I also made a raspberry jam (raspberry, water, sugar, corn starch) and put it in between the cake layers on top of your chocolate buttercream icing. Thanks so much for your time!
Sam
Hi Alice! I generally like to store mine at room temperature in an airtight container, but with the jam layer and with it being 75 degrees I think I’d recommend keeping it refrigerated in an airtight container just to be safe. I’m so glad you love the cake!! <3
Sheeela
What do I do if I want to use a 9×13 pan instead of a 8โ pan? Can I do this?
Sam
Yes you could! The baking time will vary though, I’m not entirely sure how long it will take but others have said it’s around 30 minutes, definitely keep an eye on it to be safe! Enjoy ๐
Uma G
I made a chocolate cake with raspberry jam filling. Turned out great!! I did reduce the granulated sugar to 100g. The buttercream was too sweet for me. I would probably half it for my recipe next time. Overall the chocolate cake was the best i’ve had. Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Uma! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. ๐
uma g
Hi there, i made the cake again but i had an issue. It didn’t rise and it looked like it had 2 layers…batter turned lumpy. Could it be that my buttermilk/melted butter was not at room temperature?
Sam
Hmm that is really odd. I wonder if one of your ingredients was bad. That would be my best guess, because you should be able to combine everything together pretty easily. Hopefully this doesn’t happen again. ๐