The short answer: this chocolate cake recipe is a moist, one-bowl cake made with cocoa powder, oil and a cup of hot coffee or water, baked in two 9-inch pans at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes.
- No mixer needed for the batter
- Measure flour lightly and use room-temperature eggs and milk
- Do not overbake, and cool completely before frosting
- Bake times for layers, 9x13 and cupcakes
- Next step: Plan it with the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99).
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This chocolate cake recipe is a moist, one-bowl cake made with cocoa powder, oil and a cup of hot coffee or water. Whisk everything together, pour the thin batter into two 9-inch pans and bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes. Frost it with a fudgy chocolate buttercream, and you have a birthday or holiday cake that needs no mixer for the batter and stays soft for days.
Save the recipe in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99), and plan a holiday dessert table with the Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99, $25.94).
I love cooking, and a simple chocolate cake is one of the easiest ways to share that. It is forgiving, it travels well and almost everyone at the table says yes to a slice.
Chocolate cake recipe ingredients
| Cake | Amount |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 1¾ cups |
| Granulated sugar | 2 cups |
| Unsweetened natural cocoa powder | ¾ cup |
| Baking soda | 1½ teaspoons |
| Baking powder | 1½ teaspoons |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| Large eggs, room temperature | 2 |
| Whole milk | 1 cup |
| Vegetable or canola oil | ½ cup |
| Vanilla extract | 2 teaspoons |
| Hot coffee or boiling water | 1 cup |
| Chocolate buttercream | Amount |
|---|---|
| Unsalted butter, softened | 1 cup (2 sticks) |
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | ¾ cup |
| Powdered sugar | 4 cups |
| Milk or cream | ⅓ to ½ cup |
| Vanilla extract | 2 teaspoons |
| Salt | A pinch |
How to make chocolate cake
- Prep the pans. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment and dust them with cocoa.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt until no lumps remain.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and whisk for about 2 minutes, until smooth.
- Stir in the hot liquid. Slowly whisk in the hot coffee or water. The batter will be very thin, and that is correct.
- Bake. Divide the batter between the pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn the layers out onto a rack and cool completely before frosting.
Wash your hands after cracking eggs and wipe the counters when you finish, two of the habits in the FoodSafety.gov 4 steps to food safety. And skip the spoon-licking: the FDA advises against eating raw batter because raw flour and eggs can carry germs.
How to make chocolate buttercream
- Beat the softened butter for 2 minutes, until creamy and pale.
- Sift in the cocoa and powdered sugar, then add the vanilla and salt.
- Beat on low, adding milk a tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
- Beat on medium-high for 1 more minute so it turns light and fluffy.
To frost a layer cake, set one layer flat side up, spread about 1 cup of frosting on top, add the second layer and cover the top and sides. A thin first coat, chilled for 15 minutes, keeps crumbs out of the final layer.
Chocolate cake pan sizes and bake times at 350°F
| Pan | Bake time | Serves | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two 9-inch rounds | 30 to 35 minutes | 12 to 14 | Birthdays, layer cakes |
| Three 8-inch rounds | 22 to 28 minutes | 14 to 16 | Tall celebration cake |
| 9x13-inch pan | 35 to 40 minutes | 15 to 20 | Potlucks, sheet cake |
| 10-inch Bundt pan | 40 to 50 minutes | 12 to 16 | Glazed holiday cake |
| 24 cupcakes | 20 to 24 minutes | 24 | Classrooms, parties |
Easy swaps and flavor ideas
| Version | What to change |
|---|---|
| Mocha cake | Use hot coffee and add 1 teaspoon espresso powder to the frosting |
| Peppermint chocolate cake | Add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract to the frosting and top with crushed candy canes |
| Chocolate peanut butter | Fill the layers with peanut butter frosting |
| Chocolate cherry | Spread cherry pie filling between the layers |
| Dairy-free | Use oat or soy milk in the cake and plant-based butter in the frosting |
| Chocolate sheet cake | Bake in a 9x13 pan and spread frosting right in the pan |
| Eggless | Replace the eggs with ½ cup plain yogurt or applesauce |
Love coconut and pecans? Our German chocolate cake has the cooked frosting. For other classics, see the carrot cake recipe, cheesecake and whipped cream for topping slices. Prefer a chilled custard filling to cake layers? Try easy chocolate pie.
Tips for the best chocolate cake
- Measure flour lightly. Spoon it into the cup and level it. Packed flour makes a dry cake.
- Use room-temperature eggs and milk. They blend smoothly into the batter.
- Do not overbake. Start checking 5 minutes early. A few moist crumbs on the toothpick is perfect.
- Cool completely. Warm cake melts frosting and tears when you spread it.
- Level the layers. Trim a domed top with a serrated knife so the cake stacks flat.
Make-ahead and storage
- Layers ahead: bake up to 2 days early, wrap tightly and keep at room temperature.
- Frosted cake: keep a buttercream cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate it for up to 5 days and bring it to room temperature before serving.
- Freeze: wrap cooled, unfrosted layers in plastic and foil for 2 to 3 months. Food held at 0°F stays safe, and the USDA FSIS freezing guide notes that long storage affects quality, not safety.
- Thaw: thaw layers in their wrapping on the counter for a few hours, then frost.
Chocolate cake for the holiday dessert table
A chocolate cake is an easy anchor for a Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert spread, next to a pie and a cookie plate. Bake the layers two days ahead, frost the night before and you free up the oven for the main meal. Find more ideas in our Christmas desserts, Thanksgiving desserts and best desserts roundups. Keep a short-list of easy desserts for weeknights when you do not want a project cake.
The Family Recipe Binder includes recipe cards, a recipe index, kitchen conversions and a substitutions chart, so your favorite cake and frosting notes live in one place. Write your baking list on the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99). Hosting the holidays? The Holiday Season Bundle ($15.99, $25.94) keeps your holiday budget, gift list and meal plan together, and our free Holiday Budget Starter Kit (3 US Letter pages, emailed after you join the list) helps you set a food budget first. See all our printables.
For a chocolate dessert that travels in one pan, make brownies and cut them after they have cooled.
For the cookie box, make chocolate crinkle cookies with their contrasting powdered-sugar coating.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest chocolate cake recipe? The easiest chocolate cake recipe is a one-bowl cake made with oil, cocoa powder and hot water or coffee. You whisk the dry ingredients, stir in eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, add the hot liquid and bake, with no mixer or creaming step needed.
What makes a chocolate cake moist? Oil and a hot liquid are what make this chocolate cake moist. Oil stays soft at room temperature, unlike butter, and boiling water or coffee blooms the cocoa so the crumb is tender and deeply chocolatey.
Does coffee make chocolate cake taste like coffee? No, a cup of hot coffee in chocolate cake does not make it taste like coffee. It deepens the chocolate flavor, and you can use the same amount of boiling water if you prefer to skip it entirely.
Why is my chocolate cake batter so thin? A thin, pourable batter is normal for an oil-and-hot-water chocolate cake. The extra liquid is what makes the cake so moist, and it thickens as it bakes, so do not add more flour.
What temperature do you bake chocolate cake at? Bake chocolate cake at 350°F. Two 9-inch layers take about 30 to 35 minutes, a 9x13 pan takes 35 to 40 minutes and cupcakes take 20 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
How do I know when chocolate cake is done? Chocolate cake is done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, and the top springs back when pressed lightly. The edges also start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Can I use Dutch-process cocoa in this chocolate cake recipe? You can use Dutch-process cocoa, but natural unsweetened cocoa works best here because it reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise. If you use Dutch-process, expect a slightly darker, denser cake.
Can I make chocolate cake without eggs? Yes, you can make an eggless chocolate cake by replacing the 2 eggs with ½ cup of plain yogurt or unsweetened applesauce. The cake will be a little denser but still moist and rich.
What is the best frosting for chocolate cake? Chocolate buttercream is the classic frosting for chocolate cake because it is easy, fudgy and pipes well. Cream cheese frosting, whipped cream, peanut butter frosting and a simple chocolate ganache are also good matches.
Can I make chocolate cake ahead of time? Yes, bake chocolate cake layers up to 2 days ahead, cool them completely, wrap them tightly and keep them at room temperature. Frost the cake the day you serve it, or the night before, for the freshest look.
Can you freeze chocolate cake? Yes, unfrosted chocolate cake layers freeze well for about 2 to 3 months. Wrap each cooled layer in plastic wrap and then foil, and thaw it in the wrapping so the cake does not dry out.
How do I turn this chocolate cake recipe into cupcakes? This chocolate cake recipe makes about 24 cupcakes. Fill lined muffin cups about two-thirds full and bake at 350°F for 20 to 24 minutes, then frost them once they are completely cool.
Is it safe to taste raw chocolate cake batter? No, you should not taste raw chocolate cake batter. The FDA warns that raw flour and raw eggs can carry harmful bacteria, so wait until the cake is baked before you sample it.
How do I keep track of a family chocolate cake recipe? Write it on a recipe card in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. The binder keeps your pan sizes, bake times and frosting notes together, so the birthday and holiday cake turns out the same every year.
Sources
- FDA: Handling flour safely, what you need to know fda.gov
- USDA FSIS: Freezing and food safety fsis.usda.gov
- FoodSafety.gov: 4 steps to food safety foodsafety.gov