This super easy chocolate cake recipe uses simple ingredients, one bowl, and takes only 35 minutes to bake. You could be eating a delicious moist chocolate cake in an hour! So let's get started.
This is my go-to easy recipe for a birthday cake and it goes fantastic with a scoop of ice cream! I'm filling this two-layer cake with a classic chocolate buttercream that uses powdered sugar and cocoa powder but if you REALLY want to amp up the chocolate flavor you might check out my chocolate fudge frosting recipe. This is also the perfect dessert for when your sweet tooth is just craving a nice warm piece of chocolate cake!
What's In This Blog Post
Easy Chocolate Cake Ingredients
One of the best parts about this recipe is its simplicity. By using basic ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry, we'll create a moist, fudgy, and downright irresistible chocolate cake.
The secret ingredient to the best chocolate cake is the hot coffee! Believe it or not, coffee actually accentuates the flavor of chocolate and you don't taste it at all. If you don't want to brew coffee you can also use hot water and espresso powder.
If you don't like coffee, you can use hot water.
The heat from the coffee also helps rehydrate the cocoa powder so that your chocolate cake is extremely moist.
Speaking of cocoa powder, we are using Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder because it's widely available and the flavor that most people enjoy for their chocolate cake but I encourage you to use whatever cocoa powder you enjoy.
I'm also using buttermilk in this recipe and it's the secret ingredient for amazing flavor and making your cakes extra moist. If you don't have any buttermilk you can make a substitute using 1 cup of milk and 1 Tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. The acid in the buttermilk helps break down the gluten in the all-purpose flour for a super soft texture.
This cake uses vegetable oil to keep the texture of the cake nice and soft and moist but you can use any neutral oil that you have on hand, even olive oil!
The chocolate frosting uses corn syrup but if you don't have any on hand, you can use honey which actually adds a delicious flavor to the chocolate frosting.
Cake Decorating Tools
Even though this is a very easy chocolate cake recipe and we are using simple cake decorating techniques, you may want to have an offset spatula and a turn table on hand. You can definitely get away with just frosting on a plate but it can be challenging.
I also usually use a kitchen scale to measure my ingredients because it is the best way to get accurate measurements but if you dont have one, it is ok to just use a measuring cup (watch my video below on how to properly measure with a liquid measuring cup and dry ingredients measuring cup).
How To Make Easy Chocolate Cake Step-By-Step
- Brew your hot coffee or prepare your boiling water.
- Preheat your oven to 335ºF (the lower heat prevents the cake from doming too much).
- Prepare two 9" cake pans with some cake goop (homemade pan release) or use whatever type of of pan release you like.
- Add all your ingredients (except the hot coffee) into a bowl and mix them together on medium speed until they are combined (about 30 seconds.)
- Add in the hot coffee and mix for 1 minute.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between two 9" round pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out cleanly.
- Let your cakes cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes then flip them out onto a cooling rack to fully cool down before frosting. I like to put mine in the freezer for 30 minutes to flash cool them so I can frost them right away.
How To Make Chocolate Frosting
This chocolate frosting recipe is perfect for this moist chocolate cake recipe. It's SO fudgy and not as sweet as traditional chocolate frosting.
- Add the chocolate chips, milk, vanilla, and corn syrup to a microwave-safe mixing bowl.
- Melt the chocolate mixture together in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds and stir and then heat in 10-second increments and stir until it is fully melted and smooth. Let the chocolate mixture cool until it's barely warm.
- Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer on low speed with the paddle on high speed for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. It will look dry at first, just keep going. You can also use a large bowl and an electric mixer if you prefer.
- Add the cooled melted chocolate mixture to the butter mixture and mix until it is smooth and fluffy. The desired consistency of the frosting will be different depending on the temperature. If it is too stiff, warm it up slightly in the microwave and stir. If it is too soft let it sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set up.
- The frosting can be used immediately to frost a cake or put into a piping bag for decorations.
- Cover it with plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for 3 days. If you plan to keep it longer, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Tips For Decorating A Cake
You don't need a lot of fancy tools to decorate a cake but it helps to at least have an offset spatula, bench scraper, and turntable. You can find inexpensive cake decorating sets online or at cake decorating stores.
If you need more information on how to decorate a cake for the first time, you can follow my easy tutorial on how to make your first cake.
Easy Chocolate Cake Decorations
Once the cake layers have cooled on a wire rack, it's time to bring out your creativity. I frosted my cakes with a simple chocolate fudge frosting but this cake pairs perfectly with cream cheese frosting, chocolate buttercream frosting, or even a simple chocolate ganache.
It's important that your cakes are fully cooled down before you frost them. If they are still warm and you want to speed up the cooling process, place them into the freezer for about an hour to cool them down faster.
- If you have a big dome on your cake you can trim it down with a serrated knife to make it flat.
- Place the first layer of cake onto your cake platter.
- Put a big dollop of your fudge frosting onto the cake layer and smooth it out with an offset spatula.
- Place the second layer of cake on top.
- Cover the whole cake in a layer of frosting.
- I use my offset spatula (or a spoon) to make swirls into the surface for the perfect-looking dessert. Add a few chocolate chips to the top to finish it all off.
FAQ
Yes you can! Fill your cupcake liners about ½ way full and bake at 350ºF for about 15-20 minutes.
Recipe
Equipment
- 2 9" cake pans
Ingredients
Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup cocoa powder Hershey's
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup hot coffee or hot water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanila extract
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Easy chocolate cake instructions
- Heat oven to 335ºF and prepare two 9” cake pans with cake goop or another preferred pan release
- Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low 5 seconds just until combined.
- Add in the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl.
- Turn the mixer down to low and add in the hot coffee and mix until just its just combined.
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans.
- Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pan for about 15 minutes (or until the pan is barely warm to the touch) then invert onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream Instructions
- Combine the chocolate chips, corn syrup, milk, and vanilla in a heat proof bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir and then heat in 10-second increments and stir until it is fully melted and smooth. Let the chocolate mixture cool until it's barely warm.
- Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer on low speed with the paddle on high speed for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. You can also use a large bowl and an electric mixer if you prefer.
- Add the cooled melted chocolate mixture to the butter mixture and mix until it is smooth and fluffy.
- The frosting can be used immediately to frost a cake or put into a piping bag for decorations.
- Cover it with plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for 3 days. If you plan to keep it longer, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Hanako says
Hello Liz 🙂 Avid fan here 🙂 Can you make the measurements into grams? I am so poor at numbers and we are used to use grams here in Norway 🙂 pretty pretty pretty please 🙂 thank you so much 🙂
The Sugar Geek Show says
Just hit that metric button under the ingredients and you got grams 🙂
Abbey Burke says
Hiya I’m from the uk do you use self raising flour or just plain four ??
The Sugar Geek Show says
UK has cake flour, google shipton mills cake and pastry flour
Kimberly says
Okay, I feel like a dummy asking. Are heavy cream and heavy whipping cream interchangeable? I can only find one (heavy whipping cream) in my grocery store and googling comes up with conflicting information.
My soon-to-be 15 yr old’s birthday request was a chocolate and yellow stacked cake! Looking forward to baking your cake recipes this weekend. 😁
Elizabeth Marek says
For this purpose yes they are
Monica says
GREAt Day! Can you use melted butter instead of veg oil?
Elizabeth Marek says
You can but it won't taste quite as moist
Corneluis says
Hi, love your strawberry cake. I have made it 4 times! Every slice was amazing. I need help in the 1st 3 ingredients for the chocolate cake above.
10 oz AP flour 2 cups
14 oz granulated sugar 2 cups
4 oz natural cocoa powder like HERSHEYS 1 cup
The measurement in the front doesn't match the measurement at the end of the line. Which is correct?
Elizabeth Marek says
Hi there. These are correct. 1 cup of flour weighs 5 ounces. 1 cup of sugar weighs 7 ounces. This is why we use a scale. Different ingredients weigh different amounts.
Zelma says
Hello! Can I make this recipe using a hand balloon whisk or electric whisk?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you can
Saima says
Good recipe but wish it was in metric
Elizabeth Marek says
You can select the metric button on the recipe card
Rashmi says
Hey Liz,
Can i bake this cake in one 9" sq cake pan? Pl. guide on temp and time settings of convection
Love
Rashmi
Elizabeth Marek says
Please use the cake batter calculator above the recipe to adjust the amount of batter
uma g says
thank you so much for this recipe...it was great for my blackforest cake. I am making this again. question, how much instant coffee do i add to half cup of hot water? my cake raised alot. any reason for that?
Elizabeth Marek says
It should say on the container how much instant coffee you should add to one cup (8 ounces) of water
yaren says
i made this cake for my brother's cake and everybody seemed to love it! it was so easy to make and delicious nonetheless, looks like it's gonna be my go to choc cake recipe 🙂
Angie says
Hi liz , will This recipe be enough for 3 6" layers Pans 2" tall each or would i have to do 1.5 batch?
Elizabeth Marek says
You can use the cake batter calculator above the recipe to figure out how much you need to make.
JANE M says
I would like to bake this recipe in 2x 10" x 2" pans. Will I have to adjust the baking powder and/or baking soda amounts since the tin surface area is larger? I adjusted the rest of the recipe so I have 9 cups of batter.
Thanks for your help.
Elizabeth Marek says
No you do not need to make any other adjustments
Bless says
Hi I have to make a wedding cake and the bottom 10inch of the 3 tiers is chocolate. Will This recipe hold up well for a tiered cake with proper dowelling. Tanx.
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes it will
Kimberly says
Three months ago I asked a silly question and got a prompt reply back. I appreciate the time you took to answer my question and was able to use the recipe with confidence (that I wasn’t messing up a simple instruction).
I alternated this recipe with the funfetti cake recipe for my 15 year old’s birthday cake. It was a huge success and the chocolate cake layers were the clear winner. Both recipes stacked well for a four-layer double barreled cake.
Using your recipe again this week to donate a birthday cake to a deserving 11 year old girl.
I appreciate the wealth of information and tasty recipes you share on your blog. Thank you!
Sheri says
Looking forward to tasting this. Currently, the cake is in the freezer awaiting the big day. Can this frosting be made up a day or so ahead of time and be kept in the refrigerator and/or frozen for a certain amount of time?
Sugar Geek Show says
Yes check out my easy buttercream frosting recipe for more info. This frosting can last 2 days at room temp, 2 weeks in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.
Bree M says
I absolutely LOVE this chocolate cake. I am Australian and have only every known the typical chocolate mud cake recipes when it comes to cooking a chocolate cake. This simple chocolate cake has changed the way I cook and my customers love it !
Chonte' says
Best chocolate cake recipe EVER!!!! Thank you so much for sharing.
Julie says
I love the batter scale calculator you provided, thank you! I did have one question about weighing out the eggs when the amount isn't an even say "2 eggs". How do I weigh 2.66 eggs?
Sugar Geek Show says
I'd recommend using a scale for all of your baking, so that way if you use the batter calculator it will be easier to weigh out weirder amounts. One large egg is generally 2 ounces. https://sugargeekshow.com/news/digital-kitchen-scale/
Steph says
Would this chocolate cake taste good with your vanilla easy buttercream?
Sugar Geek Show says
Absolutely!
Jessica says
Hello, I just made this recipe. Can I put it in the fridge for two days until I’m ready to frost the cake? Thank you
Sugar Geek Show says
Hi! I would wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer until you're ready to frost. They can sometimes dry out in the fridge.
Veena says
Hi, would callebaut cocoa powder work with this recipe?
Thanks
Kristen Chang says
Delicious both cake and frosting. I will be using this as my chocolate cake recipe from now on. Before, I had about 3 I liked but this is better than them all.
Kara G says
Would the cake batter calculator used on your vanilla cake recipe that has the variations of pan sizes and servings work the same for this recipe? I don’t see a calculator on this recipe just the adjuster for serving number
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes it does