One of my all time favorites, this is my moist, fudgy, and completely from-scratch best chocolate cake recipe. It comes together in one bowl and pairs well with any frosting! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Why This is THE Chocolate Cake Recipe You Need:
- Ridiculously moist, even days later: Most cakes dry out by day two… not mine! Thanks to a strategic combo of buttermilk, oil, butter, and an extra egg yolk you’ll get a moist, tender crumb that stays soft, fudgy and rich, even straight out of the fridge!
- Bold chocolate flavor. No flat cocoa flavor here. By blooming the cocoa with hot coffee we unlock its full intensity. While the cake doesn’t actually taste like coffee, it has a deeper, more complex chocolate flavor in every bite.
- No mixer, no fuss, no fail! Made in one bowl with no special equipment required, this cake comes together so easily (though of course feel free to use your stand or hand mixer, if you feel so inclined!).
- This is the chocolate cake recipe you’ll come back to. This is the one I make for birthdays, holidays, or any time I need a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. It’s reliable, richly chocolatey, and just plain better than the rest (if I do say so myself). If you don’t believe me, here’s a recent 5-star review:
“Perfect as is no changes needed! This cake yields a tender, moist crumb packed with flavor. I used the hot coffee as suggested and it really helps the flavor pop. I topped it with the oreo icing and and even our picky eaters came back for seconds. Thank You!“
– Elayna
What You Need
Each ingredient in this chocolate cake recipe was carefully chosen to make for a moist and flavorful chocolate cake. Let’s go over the key players:
Note: This ingredient photo does not include ingredients for the frosting, as you can use your favorite (suggestions below!).
- Buttermilk gives my chocolate cake recipe intense 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!
- Oil 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. I recommend using natural cocoa powder for best results.
- 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 (which is why I prefer it to water). 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)!
Remember, this is just an overview of some of the key ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
SAM’S TIP: The best way to keep this chocolate cake recipe (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.
How to Make The Best Chocolate Cake
Step 1: Reverse creaming (sort of!)
We are essentially using a modified version of the reverse creaming method (previously shown in my caramel cake!) for a super moist crumb. This means we first combine the dry ingredients (and the sugar, which is technically a wet ingredient) and then add oil and melted butter. The mixture will be thick and crumbly, but stir until all of the dry ingredients are completely moistened. An electric mixer makes this a bit easier, though I’ve done it by hand before with just a spatula.
Step 2: Add the rest of the wet ingredients
Eggs, an extra yolk, and a healthy pour of vanilla extract go in first. Make sure the eggs are room temperature, or they can make it difficult for the batter to combine, resulting in a wonky, uneven cake. Next stir in the buttermilk, the batter will thin a bit here, but it really becomes thin once you add the (hot!) coffee.
You can use hot coffee or hot water for this step, but the most important thing is that it’s, well, hot! The heat from the warm liquid “blooms” the cocoa, as mentioned in the “Ingredients” section above (see that section again if you’re curious about why I prefer coffee to water, too!).
Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl here so the batter is smooth and uniform. And it will seem thin! This is absolutely normal!
Step 3: Bake & cool (then decorate!)
Divide the batter into 8″ round baking pans and bake. I recommend using circles of cut out parchment paper 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 (makes things so much easier and less stressful!). Once they’ve finished baking, let them cool in the pans for a few minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
If needed/desired you can level your cake layers (this is the inexpensive cake leveler (affiliate) I like to use) and then decorate with your favorite frosting. 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
The secret to a truly moist, fudgy chocolate cake recipe comes down to a few key ingredients and techniques. Buttermilk (full-fat, and better if it’s the real deal and not a substitute) gives the crumb a soft, tender texture while a combo of oil and butter gives you the bet of both worlds — lasting moisture and rich flavor. An extra egg yolk adds a luxurious fudgy bite, and most importantly don’t overbake it! Pull the cake out of the oven when there are a few moist crumbs on your toothpick (but no wet batter), that’s when the magic happens.
Final tip: I recommend if you haven’t already, learn how to use a kitchen scale to consistently have best results with all of your baked goods.
I typically use chocolate buttercream or 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 “favorite” frosting is lighter, sweeter, and more buttercream-esque.
Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, coffee frosting, brown butter frosting, peanut butter frosting, caramel frosting, or even Oreo frosting would also be good as decadent options, or lighten things up with fresh fruit and try my strawberry frosting, raspberry buttercream or even my blueberry frosting!
Yes, you can use my chocolate cake recipe for cupcakes, but my recommendation is to make my easy chocolate cupcake recipe instead; it yields a light, springy texture that 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 ⅔ of the way full and bake for 16-18 minutes.
Perfect Frosting Pairings:
This chocolate cake recipe has already earned hundreds of 5-star ratings, but I’d love to hear what you think of it! Leave me a comment and a rating once you try it (please!).
Enjoy!
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The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup (208 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
- ½ 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
- ½ 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.
- 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 ⅔ cup (208 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ¾ 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.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ 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).½ cup (118 ml) hot coffee or hot water
- Evenly divide batter between prepared pans. Transfer to center rack of 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
- 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.
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. I’ve updated the post to have new photos, a new video, and more helpful information, but the recipe has been extensively tested and was not in need of improvement, so it remains the same!
Melinda
Delicious, I had to use cream cheese in place of eggs since have egg allergic child- worked out great, I’m sure original is even better! Recommend 😊
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Melinda! 🙂
Rachel
Hi! I love all your recipes I’ve tried so many of them and they have always been a hit!! My absolute go to now!
My brother requested a chocolate cake for his birthday so of course I wanted your recipe, however I was only able to find dutch processed cocoa in stores right now 🙁 is there any modifications I could do to use that for this recipe? Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipes, Rachel! I am glad that you have enjoyed them! Unfortunately, with this recipe, I do not recommend substituting Dutch-processed cocoa. 🙁
Rachel
I was able to find the right cocoa today! Should we use light or dark brown sugar for this recipe? Thanks 🙂
Sam
Hi Rachel! You could use either. I typically use light brown sugar. 🙂
Ana
I am looking forward to trying this as I have already made your Worst Chocolate Chip cookies and Peanut Butter cookies and they were both wonderful. I don’t have any milk on hand, would it be possible to substitute yogurt or sour cream? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Ana! I haven’t tried it but I think sour cream would work if you add a bit of water to it (It looks like you would need 3/4c of sour cream and 1c of water) If you try it please let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Arina
Hi. When I measured out 1 and 3/4 cup flour it was close to 270g, not 205g like you have listed. Google says 1 and 3/4 should be about 225g. Just wanted to check if that was a typo. The cakes are in the oven now..
Sam
Hi Arina! I have standardized all of my measurements so that number listed on my site is accurate. Everyone can get to different weights depending on how they measure the flour. You can check my post on how to properly measure flour to see just how easy it would be to have variations. 🙂
Viken
Wow Sam, this is an amazing cake! Both my boys and my wife loved it!
Just wondering if I can bake it in a Bundt tray or one layer instead of two…
If so how long in the oven for the Bundt format and what about time and size if one layer instead of two
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that everyone enjoyed it, Viken! Yes, you can bake it in a bundt pan next time or if you want to half the recipe and bake one pan verse two that will work as well. As for timing for the bundt pan, that I am not certain so you will just need to keep an eye on it. For one layer cake 9″ pans, it should be the same that is listed on the directions. Thanks for trying my recipe! 🙂
Laura
Such a wonderful recipe! I made this for my son’s birthday today and it’s absolutely perfect! I made your funfetti cake last month for my daughter’s birthday and that was five stars also!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!
Laura
Sam
Thank you so much, Laura! I am so glad you enjoyed the cake so much! I appreciate your support and comments. 🙂
Tiffany
This cake is perfect and delicious.
The batter seemed quite thin, so I was a little worried but it baked perfectly.
I used 6″ pans (no idea where my 8″ have gone to)and baked for 30 minutes. This made three 2 inch thick layers. Definitely could have done four 1.5 inch layers.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it turned out perfectly and that you enjoyed the cake, Tiffany! Thank you so much for sharing how many 6″ cakes you were able to get out of this recipe and the bake time. Others will appreciate it! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Steph
Hi Sam is it possible to add raisins and rum to this recipe? Or would this mess up the whole cake? I figured it would just be like adding choc chips or another flavouring but unsure?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Steph! I have not tried adding either to this cake recipe, but it should be fine. Let me know how it turns out.
Arti
Can i make this without eggs?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Arti! Unfortunately, I do not reccomend it.
Stella Lummus
I was skeptical that a from scratch recipe could be this good and soft and not super dense. By far the best cake recipe. Very detailed and I used the substitution for buttermilk and it was still wonderful. Thank u so much for sharing with us!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cake so much, Stella! Homemade is always better if you ask me. 🙂
Dakota
Hi 🙂 I’ve made this cake before (so good!), but this time I’d like to make it a three layer cake using 9-in pans. Would increasing the recipe by 1/2 be appropriate?
Sam
Hi Dakota! Yes increasing the recipe by 50% will give you enough for 3 layers. I’m so glad you enjoy the cake so much. 🙂
Ashley
Hi Sam, I’m planning on making a 2 layer cake with 10×2 inch cake pans… do I need to make any recipe adjustments? Thank
You!!!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ashley! 10″ diameter pans that are 2″ high? I just want to clarify. If that is the case, no adjustments are needed for the recipe. Your cake layers will be slightly thinner than what is shown and need a little less time to bake. With that being said, I would just keep an eye on them while they bake. Enjoy! 🙂
Bunmi
Can I also make the milk hot as well as the hot coffee
Sam
There is no need to with this recipe.
Toria
If Im going to make a recipe, I check and see if sugarspunrun has a recipe for it first! This cake is our go to chocolate cake and it’s so good.
Sugar Spun Run
That is so sweet, Toria, thank you so much for always coming back to my site first, that means so much to me! I am happy to hear how much you have enjoyed my recipes, including this cake. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Kade
I halved this and made just one 9 inch round of this tonight as an after dinner treat and MAN! Totally blows the Hershey chocolate cake I typically make out of the water!! SO moist and delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear how much you enjoyed the cake, Kade. Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
SJ
Can I just use ganache as the frosting? I don’t have an electric mixer.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, SJ! Yes, that will be fine. Here is my recipe for ganache if needed. I also have a texas sheet that uses a chocolate frosting that does not require a mixer to make if you’d like to try that as well. It is heavenly! 🙂
Amber
I read somewhere in this article that this will be the last chocolate cake you ever make. IT IS TRUE. This cake is so deliciously wonderful, moist, and perfect! Best chocolate cake I’ve ever had!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Amber! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂