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.
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. ๐
Brittany
I love to bake cakes so I have tried quite a few chocolate cake recipes to find the best: chelsweets, Sallyโs baking addiction, and half baked harvest. Your chocolate cake is the BEST I have ever baked! Iโve shared your cake with various friends and family and they all are also blown away! Youโre so talented and all your hard work developing recipes and sharing them is SO appreciated! Youโve got the best chocolate chip cookie and pie dough recipes as well, by the way. Donโt ever stop, youโre extremely talented! Iโm thankful for you, Sam ๐
Sam
Wow that is a HUGE compliment! Thank you so much! I really appreciate you following along. ๐
Matthew
Made today for wifeโs birthday. We are chocolate cake connisseurs. This cake was likely the moistest weโve 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. ๐
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 ๐ 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 ๐ 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. โบ๏ธ
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 ๐
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. โบ๏ธ
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! ๐
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 goodโค
Lots of Love From Pakistan๐
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. โบ๏ธ
Heike
Hi Sam,
I love to bake theme cakes for my boysโ birthdays (itโs my creative explosion) and Iโve 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. โบ๏ธ
Caera
Since itโs 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. โบ๏ธ
Janie
Can you substitute sour cream in place of buttermilk?
Sam
Hi Janie! I wouldn’t recommend it.