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This recipe makes the BEST Chocolate Cake from scratch and it’s the only recipe you need! NEVER buy a box again: this cake recipe makes a layer cake, a sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes! This is an easy and amazing cake recipe with my absolute favorite fudgy chocolate frosting. I’m not great at making cakes but if I can do it, you can do it!

chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and covered in colorful sprinkles.


Why this is the BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe

Let’s head back to basics with this chocolate cake recipe! I already have a lot of basic recipes on this blog (like yellow cake, sugar cookies, red velvet, etc.) and I’m trying to complete the list. While I already have a chocolate cupcake recipe (which really an amazing recipe), I wanted a versatile chocolate cake recipe too.

I worked extra hard to come up with a chocolate cake that is:

  • Moist and tender
  • Super chocolatey and rich but not overly so
  • Easy to work with, with a simple batter
  • Can make cupcakes OR any cake

Whether you’re looking to make a perfect 8-inch or 9-inch layer cake, a 9×13-inch sheet cake, or 24 wonderful cupcakes, this chocolate cake recipe is the only one you need in your arsenal. You can use any frosting, but my fudgy chocolate frosting is by far my favorite.

chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and covered in colorful sprinkles.

Ingredients Needed

  • It has the usual cake making suspects: sugar, all-purpose flour, and eggs.
  • Cocoa is a usual ingredient in chocolate cake, and you can use natural unsweetened cocoa powder or special dark (that Hershey’s one) but you cannot use dutch process in this cake. (Read about cocoa.)
  • Oil: I love using oil instead of butter in a lot of my cakes. I find that a liquid fat gives more moisture in a cake than a solid one, hence using oil or melted butter.
  • Baking Soda and Baking Powder: The two work in tandem to create lift and keep the cake light and airy. Baking soda requires an acid to help it activate (like buttermilk). Baking powder is made up of baking soda and enough acid to already cause the reaction. Using them both gives the extra lift needed that baking soda alone wouldn’t be able to give. (Learn more about baking soda vs baking powder.)
  • Buttermilk: Since baking soda requires an acid to activate it and make it work, that’s why I used buttermilk. That tanginess of the buttermilk acts as an acid that helps the baking soda work.
  • Hot water: when added to a chocolate cake recipe, it helps to bloom the cocoa. Blooming the cocoa is an important step because it brings out the flavor and adds depth to the cake. Don’t skip the hot water!

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

process shot of chocolate cake.
process shot of chocolate cake.
process shot of chocolate cake.
process shot of chocolate cake.
process shot of chocolate cake.
process shot of chocolate cake.

How to make Chocolate Cake

  • Whisk granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour in a large bowl.
  • Stir together buttermilk, hot water, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
  • Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until batter forms without lumps.
  • Pour into prepared cake pans or cupcake pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.

Best Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Honestly, I can eat this cake plain, but I’m weird. Vanilla frosting or cream cheese frosting is amazing. So is my Brown Butter Chocolate Frosting.

This recipe uses another favorite chocolate frosting that is super fudgy. What makes it so good and fudgy? Melted Butter!

Besides the melted butter, this frosting has the other usual subjects: powdered sugar, cocoa, salt and vanilla.

It also uses milk to thin it and it is important you use whole milk (low-fat or non-fat is fine too) and not heavy cream. Heavy Whipping Cream will make it too gloppy to spread.

The most important tip about the frosting is that, because it starts with melted butter, you have to make it right before you use it. It will start to harden after a little bit, so have the cakes all ready to frost BEFORE making the frosting, and it’ll spread just fine.

chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and covered in colorful sprinkles.

Substitutions

Using milk or nondairy milk

If you don’t have buttermilk you can substitute milk but you also need to add an acid or the baking soda won’t work. If you’re substituting milk, add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to the milk; that will create buttermilk!

To use non-dairy milk, just make sure to add 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice to the wet ingredients. This will create the chemical reaction needed to activate the baking soda.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Yes! To make a gluten free chocolate cake, just substitute 1:1 gluten free all-purpose flour (my favorite is the light blue Bob’s Red Mill package).

Chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and rainbow confetti sprinkles

Other Pan Sizes

I love that this cake recipe cane be used to make other size cakes and cupcakes.

Here are the best pan sizes for this cake:

  • Two 9-inch rounds (with tall 3-inch sides; that’s important!)
  • Three 8-inch rounds
  • 9×13-inch pan
  • 24 Cupcakes
chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and covered in colorful sprinkles.

Tip From Dorothy

Expert Tips

Baking soda and acid creates a chemical reaction. Remember that volcano from 3rd grade? It erupted right as you added the vinegar; same goes with baking. The baking soda chemical reaction begins right away and if you don’t bake it quickly enough, your cake won’t rise.

If a recipe calls for baking soda (especially a cake), it needs to be baked ASAP. There’s no wait-and-let-it-sit with this batter. Make it then bake it!

  • Measure your flour the right way.
  • Grease your cake pans properly for easy release.
  • Use the toothpick test for doneness, from the center of the cake.
  • Want an extra kick from the chocolate? Add 1 teaspoon of instant espresso or 1 tablespoon instant coffee to the hot water. You won’t taste the coffee flavor, but the coffee will bring out the chocolate flavor even more.

FAQ

How do you keep chocolate cake moist?

Make sure not to over bake the cake or it will be dry. This cake is super moist thanks to the baking soda and vinegar!

How to store chocolate cake?

Store the frosted cake loosely covered. You don’t have to chill it but you can, although the refrigerator can dry it out. Once it’s sliced I recommend storing it on the counter for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze a simple chocolate cake recipe?

You can freeze the layers before you assembling, just wrap them well in plastic wrap first. You can freeze the whole cake frozen but I don’t really recommend that unless you’re just freezing leftovers.

chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and covered in colorful sprinkles.

BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe

4.57 from 67 votes
This is the only chocolate cake recipe you need! Skip the box and make my Best Chocolate Cake recipe. This cake recipe makes a layer cake, a sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes!

Recipe Video

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Yield 12 servings
Serving Size 1 slice
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Ingredients
 

For the Cake

  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar  (350g)
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (60g)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (304g)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (119 ml)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup hot water (237ml)
  • 1 cup buttermilk (237ml)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)

For the Fudgy Chocolate Frosting:

  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (85g)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar (565g)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted (227g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons milk (75ml), use regular milk for best results
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Instructions

Make the Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake pans with liners or grease and flour cake pan(s).
  • Whisk together sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Whisk oil, eggs, water, buttermilk, and vanilla in a large measuring cup or bowl.
  • Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Batter will be thin.
  • Pour into prepared pans and bake as directed, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Cool completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting right before using:

  • Add powdered sugar and cocoa to a very large bowl. Whisk to combine and get out any lumps.
  • Pour in unsalted butter and mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer until crumbly, then add vanilla and salt.
  • Add milk and mix until frosting is smooth and the desired consistency. Use immediately.
  • Bake Time:
    24 cupcakes: 13-16 minutes
    Two 9-inch rounds: 28-35 minutes
    9×13-inch pan: 35-40 minutes

Recipe Notes

  • Use Unsweetened Cocoa or Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa but NOT Dutch Process
  • Substitute 1:1 gluten free AP flour to make these gluten-free
  • For the buttermilk, you can substitute milk or non-dairy milk by adding 1tsp vinegar or lemon juice to the wet ingredients.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 664kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 566mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 73g
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

Did you try this recipe? Click the stars to rate the recipe below

Hands down the BEST Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe you’ll try! So easy, moist and has a fudgy chocolate frosting. This can be made as a sheet cake, layered cake or even cupcakes.

Favorite Cake Recipes



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.57 from 67 votes (45 ratings without comment)

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45 Comments

    1. Just make sure to whisk them when you add them as long as you do that you’ll be fine. Don’t just add them and let them sit – they might cook.

      Reply

  2. I’ve been using this recipe for a few years now exclusively for my chocolate cakes and frosting. It never fails, the cake is moderately dense but also tender and moist, and the frosting isn’t too sweet.
    I typically use oat milk in place of buttermilk and sometimes use hot coffee instead of water to enhance the chocolate flavor (you can’t taste the coffee).
    Today I had to make a dairy and gluten free chocolate cake with frosting which felt intimidating. I used your recipe and used the oat milk instead of buttermilk, Bob’s red mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour, and country crock plant based butter instead of regular butter in the frosting. You wouldn’t believe it- it tastes the same as the regular flour/dairy cake!! Your recipe is so wonderful because it allows for some wiggle room. I am so thrilled that I was able to easily adapt this for my coworker’s need. Thank you thank you for this keeper, tried and true recipe!

    Reply

  4. I love this recipe. It’s easy and delicious. Chocolate cake is all my husband wants me to bake and I have to act fast if I want a piece of this one.

    Reply

  5. I was very happy with this recipe! So moist…not crumbly. I’ve made it twice. The first time I used Special dark cocoa and it was amazing. This time I used regular cocoa, also great.The only change I made was regular milk with vinegar instead of the buttermilk, This is my favorite scratch cake ever.

    Reply