A rich, moist, classic, and completely from-scratch homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe! Surprisingly simple, this cake is fudgy and full of decadent chocolate flavor (thanks to key ingredients like buttermilk and brown sugar). I like to frost this cake with a silky chocolate buttercream, but include other frosting options for you in the recipe!
The Only Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe You’ll Ever Need
This chocolate cake is not new to the blog. I originally published it over two years ago after a ton of trial and error… a ton. In fact, it took me almost 5 months of failed cakes and frustration to perfect this homemade chocolate cake recipe.
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.
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!). This chocolate cake has already earned a fair number 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!).
Frosting: So Many Choices!
I frosted this cake with my favorite, silky smooth chocolate frosting. In my opinion a good chocolate cake needs a good (decadent) chocolate frosting, and this one is it. Chocolate lovers… you can thank me later.
However, if you’re looking for something a little different I included a few other options in the recipe. Two of my favorite options would be my Cream Cheese Frosting or Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Or maybe the Peanut Butter Frosting (because peanut butter and chocolate!)… so many options!
How to Make Chocolate Cake Moist
Each ingredient in this chocolate cake recipe was carefully chosen to make for a moist chocolate cake.
- Buttermilk gives this cake a great flavor but also keeps it soft and moist. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use my easy buttermilk substitute instead.
- A blend of butter and oil gives us a cake with great flavor that’s also moist. Don’t substitute the oil for butter or your cake will come out dry, and don’t substitute the butter for oil or you’ll lose some of that great butter flavor!
- An extra egg yolk contributes to the tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb.
- Brown sugar combined with white granulated sugar is also key. The molasses in the brown sugar adds to the flavor and, surprise, makes the cake moist.
Ingredients for Chocolate Cake
Another way to keep this chocolate cake moist is to take care that you do 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 and it will come out dry and crumbly.
How to Make Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cake really doesn’t get much easier than this. I’ll often use my stand mixer to make this batter, but doing it by hand is absolutely an option. Simply:
- Whisk together your dry ingredients (including your sugar and brown sugar).
- Add wet ingredients (minus hot coffee) and stir until well-combined. OK now once wet and dry ingredients are combined you can add your hot coffee. Stir carefully (don’t splash yourself!) and make sure all ingredients are well-combined.
- Pour into two round cake pans that have been lightly greased and floured (or sprayed with baking spray) and make sure you line the bottoms with parchment paper first! Your cakes will never stick if you follow this step!
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
When checking to see that my chocolate cake is finished baking, I do the “toothpick test” mentioned above.
However, I really look for the toothpick to come out with a few moist crumbs (not with wet batter, they should distinctly be crumbs) and not to come out completely clean. The cake will continue to bake in its pans while it’s cooling, so if the toothpick comes out completely clean then you run the risk of the cake over-baking and drying out while it’s cooling. We want a moist chocolate cake, so look for crumbs!
A crumb coating is always a good idea — 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 frost completely for a crumb-free frosting!
Do I have to use Coffee in My Chocolate Cake?
No, actually you can use hot water instead. However, it is important that you use a hot liquid, whether coffee or water. The reason for this is that the hot water will “bloom” your cocoa powder, fully developing the chocolate flavor in this cake.
Now here’s why I recommend using coffee: It won’t make your cake taste like coffee but it will enhance the chocolate flavor. Since I’m not actually a coffee drinker I keep a jar of instant coffee in my house specifically for this chocolate cake recipe — I just dissolve a teaspoon of instant coffee into hot water before adding it to my batter.
Can I use this recipe to make Cupcakes?
You can, but I’ve found that this chocolate cake recipe is so moist that the cupcakes sometimes try to just fall apart, and you really need a fork to eat them. Because of this, if you’re looking for a good chocolate cupcake recipe I really recommend trying my easy chocolate cupcake recipe instead.
If you still want to make cupcakes, this recipe will make about 22-24 cupcakes. Fill each cupcake liner no more than ⅔ of the way full and bake on 350F (175C) for 16-18 minutes. Don’t get me wrong, they’re incredible, just make sure to keep a fork handy 😉
Can I substitute Self Rising Flour or Cake Flour?
I do not recommend substituting self rising flour for this recipe. Self rising flour contains baking powder and salt and this recipe already has its leaveners and salt accounted for. I can’t guarantee results if you try the cake this way.
As for cake flour, I’ve never used it with this chocolate cake because it simply has never been necessary and I don’t often keep cake flour on hand. I specifically developed this recipe to work with all purpose flour and deliver a soft, moist, and stable but not at all dry crumb. If you try it with cake flour I’d love to hear how it works for you, though!
Can I Freeze This Chocolate Cake?
Yes, you can freeze the layers (after they’ve cooled completely) by wrapping them very well with plastic wrap and then freezing. The cake may also be frozen after it’s frosted. To do this I would place your cake in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes or until the frosting is firm, remove it and wrap very well and then return to the freezer. This cake may be frozen for up to a month.
More Cake Recipes to Try:
Enjoy! I’d love to hear how this recipe works for you!
Let’s bake together! Head on over to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 200 recipe videos that you can watch for free!
The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (205g)
- 1 cup brown sugar packed (200g)
- 1 cup sugar (200g)
- ¾ cup natural cocoa powder (I do not recommend substituting Dutch processed) (75g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted (113g)
- ½ cup canola oil (may substitute vegetable oil) (118ml)
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk¹
- ½ cup hot coffee² (or 1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved into ½ cup hot water) (118ml)
Silky Chocolate Buttercream³
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (170g)
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (226g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (320g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream (30ml)
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare two deep 8" round cake pans⁴ by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly greasing and flouring the sides. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whisk together flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add melted butter and oil, stir well.
- Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Pause occasionally to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
- Stir in vanilla extract. Gradually add buttermilk and stir well.
- Add hot coffee, stirring until ingredients are well-combined (be sure to scrape sides and bottom of bowl again).
- Evenly divide batter between prepared pans. Bake on 350F (175C) for 35-40 minutes (toothpick inserted in center should come out with moist crumbs).
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips at 15 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until chips are completely melted. Set aside and allow to cool slightly (about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally).
- Cream room temperature butter with an electric mixer. Stir in slightly cooled chocolate and beat well.
- Gradually add sugar, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl occasionally.
- Sprinkle in salt and vanilla extract, stir well.
- Gradually add heavy cream, increase speed to high and beat for 1 minute.
- Spread a thick layer of frosting over the top of one cake round and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Top with second cake round and evenly frost cake. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- Vanilla Frosting
Nutrition
Recipe originally published 02/27/2017.
Sarah
Thanks for your recipes Sam….this chocolate cake is a hit each and every time❤
Jessica
Hi Sam! Love this recipe & have made it several times! Curious how long you would recommend refrigerating it (unfrosted)? Could I make the cake 2 days ahead of when serving and frost on the day off without compromising it?? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Jessica! I’m so glad you have enjoyed the cake! Honestly I generally don’t recommend refrigerating cake if you can avoid it. The refrigerator dries out cakes, even if they DO have frosting on it (which can help prevent some moisture loss). If you want to make it 2 days in advance I would either freeze and then thaw and frost or just keep wrapped on the counter (I don’t really like to do this more than a day in advance generally myself). I hope that helps!
Eliza Jane
Hey Sam! I was wondering if I could mix this batter with your Best Vanilla Cake recipe batter to create a swirl cake. Let me know what you think!
Sam
Hi Eliza! You could do that, but I would recommend checking out my marble cake instead. 🙂
Vidisha
My mother made this cake last year for my sister’s birthday, and it was just amazing! Our whole family swears by your blog now, and here I am, one year later, looking for a cake I can bake for my sister’s birthday this weekend! Thank you, Sam, for all the work you put in to perfect your recipes! 🙂
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Vidisha! 🙂
Sarah
Hey Sam, just made this cake (still cooling) and it is SO moist. Falling apart moist. Can I back off the oil a little, or butter, or both next time? I don’t think it’s under baked… toothpick test came out perfect.
Sam
Hi Sarah! I wouldn’t recommend cutting the oil or butter or anything like that. Did you cut into it when it was still warm? It seems odd that it’s falling apart if it was finished baking. 🙁
Sarah
This was after I’d let them cool in the pan. They came right out but just started to fall apart as I adjusted on the cooling rack once they were out of the pan. The icing hid everything and they tasted amazing, so I’ll definitely make again, regardless!
Sam
I’m glad it was still really good! 🙂
Cat
Hello Sam,
I’m looking for a recipe for chocolate cake, and this one sounds devine. My question is, can I use decaf coffee? I’m allergic to caffeine, but the small amount in decaf baked into a cake should be okay. I don’t know if the caffeine content would alter anything about it. I assume not? I also was wondering about maybe using a hazelnut flavored coffee or if that would alter the final flavor too much? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Cat! The decaf coffee should work just fine. The coffee really helps to bring out the chocolate taste here. Adding a hazelnut coffee would definitely alter the flavor so to be safe I’d probably just stick to the decaf. 🙂
Yazmin
Hi. Thank you for this. I have one huge important question. Can I make one cake and keep it in the fridge to frost it the next day??? Will it taste ok? Does this ruin the cake? Help.!
Sam
Hi Yazmin! I would just let the cake cool completely at room temperature and then wrap it with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out over night. There’s no need to place the cake in the refrigerator. 🙂
Michael
Have you used cake flour for this recipe??
Sam
Hi Michael! I have not, but I know others have with success. 🙂
Judy
Would I be able to use a 13 x 9 pan for this cake? Cooking time?
Sam
A 9 x 13 will work here but I’m not sure on a baking time. Enjoy! 🙂
Shirish Sen
Can caster sugar work instead of normal sugar
Sam
That should work fine here. 🙂
Keerthana
Sam, this is the second recipe of yours I’ve tried out! I naturally gravitate towards those who specifically weigh out their ingredients as opposed to volumetric measurements 😉
I love love loved it. I’m going to use a whipped chocolate ganache as the frosting, and this chocolate cake, I feel, is the perfect vehicle for it. Not too sweet, not too intense. I look forward to attempting more of your recipes 😀
Best,
Keerthana
Keerthana
Erm, there was a total moment where I fully licked the batter. I normally scrape the whole bowl and get all the batter into the cake tins, but… this time, I didn’t. Stood over the sink and just went for it. Salmonella be damned!
Sam
🤣 I can’t say I haven’t done the same thing. 🤣
Sam
Thank you so much, Keerthana! I’m so glad you have enjoyed everything so much! 🙂
Satya & Aiyana
This cake is definitively the best chocolate cake EVER! it is most and perfectly sweetened! and the frosting is AMAZING!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Rebekah
Another winner from Sam! I did a lot of experimenting and made a chocolate sponge recipe from the Great British Bake Off and this recipe before I committed to my cake for a special occasion. Hands down the best chocolate cake and way way better than the other recipe I tried. This is now my go to Chocolate Cake. My brother who is not a big fan of cake in general could not stop eating it, what a hit! Highly recommend this recipe, tested and approved!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Rebekah! 🙂
Saba
Hi Sam!
So I love this recipe, but sometimes it comes out a bit crumbly. I measure all my ingredients in grams, and I compared some of your recipes and found a little bit of discrepancy. For example, in your german chocolate cake, you have written 1 3/4 cup flour to be 215g, but in this recipe 1 3/4 cup flour is written as 205g. Same with oil. here, 1/2 cup oil is 118ml, wheras in your german chocolate cake recipe 1/2 cup oil is 120ml. Please let me know which measurements are the correct ones. As I really want to perfect this cake because I love the taste!
Sam
Hi Saba! For this recipe I would use the grams as written. I have since standardized all of my measurements so you won’t see that discrepancy in newer recipes. This cake has been done both ways and does work. I think your cakes may be slightly over-baked if they are too crumbly. I’m glad you enjoy the cake. 🙂
Yazmin
Hi. I have a three year old party coming up and i sincerely don’t feed him any white sugar or powdered sugar. We do honey and in desserts have done brown sugar or natural cane sugar. Will your cake recipe work with any of those alternatives? I would really love to try it, it sounds great (without coffee). I’d really appreciate your feedback. Same goes with the cream cheese frosting on your other recipe and the frosting on this one! Thank you!
Sam
Hi Yazmin! I haven’t tried it but I think the cane sugar or brown sugar could work. The brown sugar will make the cake a little more moist. 🙂
Diandra Cocco
Hey! I am hoping to make this cake with 2 layers so that it is tall but i only have one 8″ pan that is 4″ high. can i put all the batter in one pan and cut it in half once it cools? I know it will take longer to cook. I have done this with some vanilla cakes but not sure if the. chocolate cake is too soft for this? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Diandra! I haven’t tried it, but I think it could work here. 🙂
Juliana
Amazing! Made cupcakes using this and paired it with cookie dough frosting. It was a hit!
Sam
That sounds like the perfect pairing! So glad you enjoyed, Juliana, and thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you! 🙂
Karen
This was the best chocolate cake ever. I made peanut butter frosting since it was my daughters birthday. Every one loved it. It’s 5 stars.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Karen! 🙂
Raine
Greetings! I had a sourdough chocolate cake that was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made or eaten. No others, be they sourdough or not, ever turned out as moist (except my Texas sheet cake–but that’s not quite the same–lol). I’m no longer messing around with sourdough, and I haven’t been able to find a replacement chocolate cake recipe. However, your recipe looks similar…but not sourdough (yay!). I can’t wait to try this. I don’t do layer cakes unless it’s for a special occasion–and those are rare. lol If I bake this in a 9″x12″ (or is it 13″?) baking dish, would the bake time need to be altered? I feel like I’d need to add maybe 5-10 minutes. Does that sound right? Thank you for sharing your fantastic recipes (I’ve made several and have enjoyed them all).
Sam
Hi Raine! I hope you love this cake! I haven’t personally baked it in a 9 x 13 but I’d imagine it would need a few minutes longer. I would just be sure to keep an eye on it while it bakes. 🙂
Michelle
I found this recipe on your site last year and have made it several times. It is my favorite chocolate cake ever. It’s really simple to make and yields incredible results. I had been looking for a chocolate cake recipe for the longest time that tasted like a chocolate cake I remember from my childhood and this fit the bill perfectly. Thank you so much Sam for this recipe and all the other wonderful recipes you share with us.
P.S. I just took “my favorite chocolate cake” out of the oven and will be frosting it with your silky chocolate buttercream in a few minutes!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Michelle! I could go for a chocolate cake with some chocolate frosting right about now. 🙂
Idania
Hello I had a question would I be able to use this recipe for a Bundt shape cake pan? Thank you
Sam
Hi Idania! This will work in a bundt pan, but probably won’t make as much batter as your typical bundt cake. Enjoy! 🙂
Raine
Hi Sam!
This really is the best chocolate cake! I’ve made it 3 times since originally messaging you–it’s that addictive. It works out brilliantly in the 9×13 baking dish. As it happens, I don’t really have to add much baking time (maybe a minute, and I think that’s just me being a little “extra” because the toothpick comes out clean at 35 minutes). I love this with a simple white, buttercream frosting. The last time I made it, I got my frosting recipes mixed up in my head and added some cream cheese as if I were making cinnamon rolls. What a happy accident! It cut down on some of the sweetness of the buttercream, and the slight tang of the cream cheese was perfect with the cake. So thankful I found your recipe (though my waistline isn’t at all happy with you). LOL
Sam
That is so awesome! I’m so glad you have enjoyed it so much. Sometimes a little mistake can lead to great discoveries. I apologize to your waistline. I feel your pain. 🤣
Kat
Hi!
I just wanted to comment that I’ve been using this recipe as my go-to chocolate cake recipe since I found it two years ago!!! It’s by far my favorite chocolate cake recipe I’ve tried! I’d say it’s foolproof, but I have some cakes in the oven right now and I don’t want to jinx them! Thank you so much!
Sam
I’m so glad you have enjoyed it so much, Kat! Thank you for taking the time to comment. 🙂