One of my all time favorites, this is my moist, fudgy, and completely from-scratch best chocolate cake recipe. It comes together in one bowl and pairs well with any frosting! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Why This is THE Chocolate Cake Recipe You Need:
- Ridiculously moist, even days later: Most cakes dry out by day two… not mine! Thanks to a strategic combo of buttermilk, oil, butter, and an extra egg yolk you’ll get a moist, tender crumb that stays soft, fudgy and rich, even straight out of the fridge!
- Bold chocolate flavor. No flat cocoa flavor here. By blooming the cocoa with hot coffee we unlock its full intensity. While the cake doesn’t actually taste like coffee, it has a deeper, more complex chocolate flavor in every bite.
- No mixer, no fuss, no fail! Made in one bowl with no special equipment required, this cake comes together so easily (though of course feel free to use your stand or hand mixer, if you feel so inclined!).
- This is the chocolate cake recipe you’ll come back to. This is the one I make for birthdays, holidays, or any time I need a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. It’s reliable, richly chocolatey, and just plain better than the rest (if I do say so myself). If you don’t believe me, here’s a recent 5-star review:
“Perfect as is no changes needed! This cake yields a tender, moist crumb packed with flavor. I used the hot coffee as suggested and it really helps the flavor pop. I topped it with the oreo icing and and even our picky eaters came back for seconds. Thank You!“
– Elayna
What You Need
Each ingredient in this chocolate cake recipe was carefully chosen to make for a moist and flavorful chocolate cake. Let’s go over the key players:
Note: This ingredient photo does not include ingredients for the frosting, as you can use your favorite (suggestions below!).
- Buttermilk gives my chocolate cake recipe intense 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!
- Oil 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. I recommend using natural cocoa powder for best results.
- 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 (which is why I prefer it to water). 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)!
Remember, this is just an overview of some of the key ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
SAM’S TIP: The best way to keep this chocolate cake recipe (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.
How to Make The Best Chocolate Cake
Step 1: Reverse creaming (sort of!)
We are essentially using a modified version of the reverse creaming method (previously shown in my caramel cake!) for a super moist crumb. This means we first combine the dry ingredients (and the sugar, which is technically a wet ingredient) and then add oil and melted butter. The mixture will be thick and crumbly, but stir until all of the dry ingredients are completely moistened. An electric mixer makes this a bit easier, though I’ve done it by hand before with just a spatula.
Step 2: Add the rest of the wet ingredients
Eggs, an extra yolk, and a healthy pour of vanilla extract go in first. Make sure the eggs are room temperature, or they can make it difficult for the batter to combine, resulting in a wonky, uneven cake. Next stir in the buttermilk, the batter will thin a bit here, but it really becomes thin once you add the (hot!) coffee.
You can use hot coffee or hot water for this step, but the most important thing is that it’s, well, hot! The heat from the warm liquid “blooms” the cocoa, as mentioned in the “Ingredients” section above (see that section again if you’re curious about why I prefer coffee to water, too!).
Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl here so the batter is smooth and uniform. And it will seem thin! This is absolutely normal!
Step 3: Bake & cool (then decorate!)
Divide the batter into 8″ round baking pans and bake. I recommend using circles of cut out parchment paper 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 (makes things so much easier and less stressful!). Once they’ve finished baking, let them cool in the pans for a few minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
If needed/desired you can level your cake layers (this is the inexpensive cake leveler (affiliate) I like to use) and then decorate with your favorite frosting. 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
The secret to a truly moist, fudgy chocolate cake recipe comes down to a few key ingredients and techniques. Buttermilk (full-fat, and better if it’s the real deal and not a substitute) gives the crumb a soft, tender texture while a combo of oil and butter gives you the bet of both worlds — lasting moisture and rich flavor. An extra egg yolk adds a luxurious fudgy bite, and most importantly don’t overbake it! Pull the cake out of the oven when there are a few moist crumbs on your toothpick (but no wet batter), that’s when the magic happens.
Final tip: I recommend if you haven’t already, learn how to use a kitchen scale to consistently have best results with all of your baked goods.
I typically use chocolate buttercream or 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 “favorite” frosting is lighter, sweeter, and more buttercream-esque.
Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, coffee frosting, brown butter frosting, peanut butter frosting, caramel frosting, or even Oreo frosting would also be good as decadent options, or lighten things up with fresh fruit and try my strawberry frosting, raspberry buttercream or even my blueberry frosting!
Yes, you can use my chocolate cake recipe for cupcakes, but my recommendation is to make my easy chocolate cupcake recipe instead; it yields a light, springy texture that 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 ⅔ of the way full and bake for 16-18 minutes.
Perfect Frosting Pairings:
This chocolate cake recipe has already earned hundreds of 5-star ratings, but I’d love to hear what you think of it! Leave me a comment and a rating once you try it (please!).
Enjoy!
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The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup (208 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
- ½ 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
- ½ 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.
- 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 ⅔ cup (208 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ¾ 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.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ 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).½ cup (118 ml) hot coffee or hot water
- Evenly divide batter between prepared pans. Transfer to center rack of 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
- 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.
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. I’ve updated the post to have new photos, a new video, and more helpful information, but the recipe has been extensively tested and was not in need of improvement, so it remains the same!
Tina
Hi, is this batter suitable to use in a single (very deep) 8 inch tin?
Thanks for all your great recipes and tips btw!
Sam
I think that will work, but it will definitely have to bake for much longer, and I can’t be sure exactly how long as I haven’t tried it. 🙂
Brittany
I love to bake cakes so I have tried quite a few chocolate cake recipes to find the best: chelsweets, Sally’s baking addiction, and half baked harvest. Your chocolate cake is the BEST I have ever baked! I’ve shared your cake with various friends and family and they all are also blown away! You’re so talented and all your hard work developing recipes and sharing them is SO appreciated! You’ve got the best chocolate chip cookie and pie dough recipes as well, by the way. Don’t ever stop, you’re extremely talented! I’m thankful for you, Sam 😁
Sam
Wow that is a HUGE compliment! Thank you so much! I really appreciate you following along. 😊
Matthew
Made today for wife’s birthday. We are chocolate cake connisseurs. This cake was likely the moistest we’ve ever tasted. So rich and the coffee addition gave it a distinct flavor without sacrificing the chocolate taste. Will certainly keep this recipe in mind for years to come. Thank you for publishing the recipe and perfecting it.
Sam
Than you, Matthew! I am so glad you enjoyed it. 😊
Morgan
I ran across your website while looking for a good chocolate cake recipe for my husbands birthday. THIS CAKE IS DELICIOUS!!! It was a total hit!! And the video was so helpful, I watched it while I made the cake. So fun! And that frosting….OMGOSH! Soooo good! The only thing I did different was use my fresh duck eggs. I use duck eggs for baking 🙂 I currently have your pumpkin muffins in my oven. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes! I’m hooked! I’ll let you know how the cupcakes go. I am making the cream cheese frosting for them right now 🙂 Thanks so much, I look forward to making many more of your yummy recipes!
Sam
Thank you so much, Morgan! I am so glad you are enjoying everything and hopefully you enjoy everything you make just as much. ☺️
Mandi
Can I make this in a 9×5 loaf pan? Any idea on how to adjust baking time?
Sam
I have not tried it that way so I am not sure. Sorry 🙁
Ayeza
hi Sam,
Iam going to make this cake and i have only salted butter available at home. Please tell me can i use it?? and will it effect the taste of cake???
Sam
You can use salted butter, just cut the salt to 1/2 teaspoon as opposed to 3/4 teaspoon. I have a helpful guide for using salted vs. unsalted butter if you are ever in a pinch and need to know quickly. ☺️
Aisha
Thank you Sam. I’ll try using the brown sugar & I’ll let you know how it turned out.
Michele
How long would you bake this cake in a 9×13 glass pan?
Aisha
Hi Sam
Thank you so much for taking time to help us all. I’m one of your fans. I’m just wondering if I can substitute brown sugar with white sugar. Instead of using I cup white sugar & 1 cup brown sugar, I’ll just use two cups white sugar. What is the advantage of using brown sugar?
Thank you so much.
Sam
Hi Aisha! You can sub the brown sugar for white sugar if you prefer. The reason I like to use some brown sugar in this recipe is because it enhances the flavor and it helps to make the cake more moist, so while my preference would be to use white and brown sugar, it will still turn out if you sub the brown for white. Enjoy! 🙂
Aisha
I just tried this recipe yesterday & WOW! This is it! Thank you so much. Hubby loved it too.
Fatima
hi Sam.
This recipe looks so good❤
Lots of Love From Pakistan😊
Sam
Thank you so much, Fatima!!
Ayeza
Hey!! I am loving this recipe and will try it surely.. please tell me if i can bake this cake in one 9″ inch pan???
Sam
You can make it in a 9 inch pan, but you will have left over batter. You could split the batter between 2 9 inch pans the bake time would just be less. ☺️
Heike
Hi Sam,
I love to bake theme cakes for my boys‘ birthdays (it’s my creative explosion) and I’ve used many websites and recipes over the years. I must say though, that your recipes, your advice and explanations as well as your rapid responses to people posting are amazing!!
I love your recipes and I love your page!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Kind regards from Germany,
Heike
Sam
Hi Heike! Thank you so much for the kind words. I am so glad you enjoy my site and recipes. ☺️
Caera
Since it’s so moist, will it hold fondant well?
Sam
Honestly I have never covered this one in fondant. I think it would hold pretty well.
Saj
This cake us so delicious. Thanks for the recipe. Wondering if I can double it for a sheet cake? Thanks
Sam
Doubling the recipe shouldn’t be an issue. ☺️
Janie
Can you substitute sour cream in place of buttermilk?
Sam
Hi Janie! I wouldn’t recommend it.