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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!
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.
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!
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.
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).
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
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!
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.
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.
BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe
Recipe Video
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
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 minutesTwo 9-inch rounds: 28-35 minutes9×13-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
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.
I’ am so so happy to have tried your chocolate cake recipe. The family loves it and simple to make it.
thank-you this is a keeper.
I really appreciate this description! It’s so encouraging and makes the recipe sound incredibly versatile, perfect for layer cakes, sheet cakes, or cupcakes. The assurance that it’s easy to make, even for those who might not be confident in their baking skills, is so motivating. Plus, the mention of the fudgy chocolate frosting just adds to the excitement. This is definitely the go-to chocolate cake recipe I’ve been looking for!
I’m looking for the best chocolate fudge frosting that is pictured and written about above—the one with melted butter and milk, NOT heavy whipping cream. I’ve made both over the last few years for my son’s birthday, and we prefer the fudge one! I can’t find it anywhere on the site. Please help!
I don’t have a post specific to that but I have that frosting on my zucchini brownies – you’d want to at least double it – https://www.crazyforcrust.com/zucchini-brownies/
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