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.
Susan Minihane
I have a cake business and this is my go-to chocolate cake. I use to use the cake recipe on the back of Hershey’s cocoa. While delicious, it was too soft and crumbly for stacking and making cakes. This cake is perfect! It is moist yet firm and great for stacking and decorating. I think the combo of sugar/brown sugar and butter/oil and coffee do the trick! I also think *real buttermilk* is needed. It is superior in taste and rise to the homemade buttermilk method. Thanks Sam! You have replaced Sally’s Baking Addiction as my go to baking blog. Bravo!!
Sam
Thank you so much, Susan! That is so sweet. I am so glad you enjoy the cake so much. I hope you love everything else you try just as much. ๐
Theresa
Can you bake in two round 9 inch nonstick pans? What would be the bake time?
Sam
Hi Theresa! You can bake this in 2 9 inch round pans. The layers will be a little bit thinner. I’m not sure on the bake time. It will be slightly less than the 8 inch pans. I would just keep an eye on them. ๐
Theresa
Thanks!!! I made your German Chocolate Cake and it was sooooo good!!!! Looking forward to baking this! Thanks for your videos and recipes – love them!!
Sam
I know you are going to love this one too! ๐
Gillian
Hi! I plan in making this for tomorrow. Is there any part of this recipe I can make ahead? Thank you!
Sam
The frosting may be ok to make ahead of time, or mix just the dry ingredients together, but other than that it’s best to do it all at once. ๐
Gillian
Thanks Sam- looking forward to it! I’ve made two other of your cakes and they are fantastic!
Sam
This one definitely won’t disappoint. ๐
Solis
How can I make batter 3 โ8 inch cake pans? I have read that just doubling the recipe makes it bad because of baking soda. I love this recipe btw!
Sam
It is true that some recipes don’t double well, but that is not the case here. To make 3 layers you will need to increase the recipe by 50%. Enjoy! ๐
Cassie
Hi! I plan on making this for my daughter’s birthday today. I accidntally bought “light” buttermilk, will this be okay, or should I get regular buttermilk before making?
Sam
Hi Cassie! The light buttermilk has a lower fat content so it could potentially make the cake slightly dry, but it could work here. If you have whole milk and lemon juice you can make my buttermilk substitute as well. ๐
Addy
Hi Sam I really want to try this recipe I am so excited thanks for sharing I love your videos
Sam
I hope you love it, Addy! ๐
Anele Ndala
This is one of my favorite Chocolate cake recipe the chocolate cake is so moist and delicious, I enjoy making this cake, my daughter is super obsessed. thank you so much for all the great recipes.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Anele! ๐
Hope
This recipie gave me the perfect sponge I was looking for . Much love and duas
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Hope! ๐
Lucy
So good. Grandkids want this for all future birthdays. First cake I have ever made from scratch. I don’t know why I waited so long. Very easy and so delicious.
Sam
Homemade is ALWAYS better! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, Lucy! ๐
Suzanne Hummek
Could you make this in a 13×9-inch pan instead of as a layer cake?
Sam
Hi Suzanne! Yes, that should be fine, I would start checking it around 30 minutes. Enjoy! ๐
Marah
Iโd love to try this recipe! Is it possible to follow the exact same batter recipe with 6 inch cake pans instead of 8? If so, what is the baking time for using 6 inch pans?
Sam
Hi Marah! This will make enough to fill about 3 6 inch pans. I’m not quite sure of the baking time though.
Andres
can i just use a whisk to make this recipe? i feel like doing it manually makes the batter less worked on
Sam
Hi Andres! It iight be a bit of a strain on the whisk when you add the butter and oil to the flour as it gets a bit stiff, but you could use a spoon or spatula at that point if needed. I often make this cake without a stand mixer, but with this recipe it is important that the ingredients be very well-combined and the batter be completely smooth and lump free. While you don’t want to over-beat the batter, this recipe is a bit different from traditionally creamed cakes like my vanilla cake where you have to be especially light handed with the batter.
Naomi
I really want to try this recipe. After making the batter, is it okay to bake it after 40 minutes and leave it in the counter?
Sam
Hi Naomi! The batter should be fine to rest on the counter for 40 minutes. I would cover it with plastic wrap while it sits. ๐
Brenda Power
How much Buttermilk, in Metric,
Why is there so much sugar in this cake?
Sam
Hi Brenda! 1 cup = 237ml. There is a lot of sugar because it’s a big cake. ๐
Chelsea Ponath
I have made this recipe so many times and itโs always such a huge hit! Iโm making it for a gender reveal next month, and the mama to be is obsessed with those sprinkles of course lol. Any chance you would remember where they were from!?
Sam
Hi Chelsea! I actually buy them in bulk and make some mixes for myself. Congratulations on your little one! ๐
Lauren
Hi Sam! How did you get the perfect crescent moon shape, and clean sprinkles on the bottom? Iโd love to make this exactly for my daughterโs moon themed birthday ๐
Sam
For the top I just kind of placed them. There wasn’t really any trick to it. For the bottom I take a big handful of sprinkles and press them into the side then clean up everything that doesn’t stick. ๐
Lauren
Thank you!! Looking forward to trying it!
Karen
So excited to make this! If I make use less batter for each of my 8” cake layers, do you think I would be able to get 3 of them?
Sam
Hi Karen! You could do that, but the layers may end up being pretty thin. You can just increase the recipe by 50% and make 3 normal layers if you want. ๐
Jach26
By hands down the bessssst chocolate cake I have ever made.. and I made 2 mistakes thanks to the interruptions.. I, added baking powder (not needed) and then I realised I forgot to add the sugar added just before the butter milk & coffee .. And it still it came out 10/10 ๐
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake so much! ๐
Susan Foster
I’ve made this cake so many times, and each time I do different frosting for it. The first time I used peanut butter as the middle layer frosting and my kids loved it. Now I’m always making it for my son’s birthday every year! Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Susan! ๐