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.
Farah
Hi Sam. Please help, I’ve followed the recipe to perfection, weighing ingredients, it came out the oven looking perfect.
2 x 8 inch pans.
Few moist crumbs. When I cut it in half the centre has a thick, wet and leathery line.
The parts that did bake properly though are so divine so I’d like to try figuring out where I went wrong.
Sam
Hi Farah! If no substitutions were made then it sounds like it might have just needed a bit more time in the oven, which is a bit odd if the toothpick came out with just a few moist crumbs. That is frustrating, though, I’m sorry ๐
Hessa
Hi Sam, may i please ask what kind of sugar do you use in this recipe?
Sam
I use brown sugar and granulated sugar for the cake and powdered sugar in the frosting. ๐
CArmen
Hi, Iโm going to try this,
The Hershey cocoa on the photo itโs Dutch ?
Thanks
Sam
Hi Carmen! It is not, I used natural unsweetened cocoa ๐
Carina
What can I use instead of coffee? I am making it for my brother turning 8 in December.
Sam
You can use very hot water instead of the coffee ๐
Sarah
I usually don’t write reviews but this chocolate cake is OUT OF THIS WORLD! So fudgy, moist and decadent! It’s really like a dream come true! Even when I put in in the refrigerator, it’s still so moist; doesn’t harden at all! Unbelievably delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe Sam!
Sam
You’re so very welcome, Sarah! I truly think it’s the best chocolate cake in the world, too, I’m so happy you enjoyed it so much! Thank you so much for commenting, I appreciate it! ๐
Amy
Hi there Iโd like to bake this as a 10โ cake would it work? Thanks
Sam
Hi Amy! This will work in a 10″ pan. The layers will be a little thinner unless you increase the recipe and your baking time will change. I’m not sure how long they would need to bake, but just keep an eye on them. ๐
Rachel
Hello! I do not have buttermilk, should I use hole milk instead?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Rachel! Use my buttermilk substitute instead. ๐
Marissa
Iโm planning on baking this for a birthday, but I wanted to do a 6 inch pan. Would this work for this recipe? If so would it be a shorter baking time?
Sam
Hi Marissa! It will make enough for 3 6 inch cakes. You would need to bake it for less time but I’m not sure how long they would need to bake. Enjoy! ๐
Sunitha Vijayan
Hi Sam,
I made this cake just now and my quest for a perfect chocolate cake ends here….it was WonderfuLL and delicious๐…thanks a lot for sharing this fabulous recipe…
Sofia
I am baking this cake for a birthday party and I wanted to do one layer vanilla and chocolate, would the texture of this cake be similar to your โbest vanilla cake recipeโ?
Sam
Hi Sofia! I would say they are pretty similar. Sounds like an excellent cake! ๐
Kerry
All purpose flour is quite hard to come by in South Africa. If I used cake flour, would it be ok? Obviously I would have to do the correct ratio
Sam
Hi Kerry! Cake flour will work, just make sure you do the proper ratio as you said. ๐
Farah Khan
Hi Kerry. Please let me know how much of cake flour did you use and how did it turn out?
Addi
I made this cake just a few days after trying your awesome vanilla cake (which turned out great)! This cake was chocolatey and very tasty. The frosting also tasted great but it was gritty. That’s the case with a lot of frostings I make. Maybe I don’t powder it enough…
But other than that, it was awesome!
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Addi! ๐
Yvette
Iโve been looking for a stand out chocolate cake recipe. This is it!! Itโs incredibly moist and itโs good enough that you could eat this without any frosting. My husband is usually โmehโ about chocolate cake, but he ate two pieces after I dished it up! For anyone wanting to use a 9×13 pan, I baked it in a 9×13 glass pan and it took about 40 minutes.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Yvette! ๐
Shabnam
Hi Sam wanted to ask can i make the frosting a day before and keep it in the fridge? You mentioned the cake can be made and wrapped with cling film. Wanted to get it all ready a day before. Thanks
Sam
Hi Shabnam! You can make it in advance. You will want to cover the bowl tightly with cling wrap. When you pull it out of the refrigerator it will need to sit at room temperature for a little while and will probably need to be stirred again. ๐
Jennifer Wilson
This is an amazing cake recipe. By far the best Iโve ever tried. Thank you for sharing!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jennifer! ๐
Marcia Hamby
Hi Sam, wanting to make this and use mini bundt pans. Suggestions please?
Sam
Hi Marcia! I haven’t made them in mini bundt pans, I would just recommend not over-filling the pan and keeping an eye on them so you don’t over-bake them. ๐
Shabnam
Hi Sam made this yesterday, it was the best yummiest chocolate cake I have ever made or eaten !!!! Thank you so much made it for my husband’s birthday and everyone just gobbled it up, got sooo many compliments! Thank you!!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Shabnam! ๐