Easy Chocolate Cake

4.30 from 40 votes
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What could be better than chocolate cake? Not much! Especially when it’s a deliciously Easy Chocolate Cake recipe – moist, rich, and made from scratch in your own kitchen.

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a whole frosted cake

Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe

I’m such a softie when it comes to cake! My family knows this, so when they want to give me a special treat, it’s often one of my favorite bakery cakes. So indulgent! I love when they do that. ❤️

And, maybe a bit ironically, I also turn to cake when I want to do something special for my family! Making a cake from scratch is one of my favorite ways to show them that I care. Plus, it’s delicious. For everyone. Including me.

This particular cake is… how can I say this? Perfect. Yep, perfect is the word! It’s thick, fudgy, and moist while still being light. It goes beautifully with a whipped chocolate buttercream or any other type of frosting that you enjoy. This is the kind of cake that my kids beg for on their birthdays, because it’s just that special!

A Slice of Chocolate Cake on a White Plate with a Fork Sticking Into it

What You’ll Need

Even though this cake is uber-festive, it’s made from very simple ingredients that you probably already have! So it’s also a great recipe to pull out when you don’t have time to run to the store, but you still want to make something fancy!

  • Sugar: You’ll need two cups of plain ol’ granulated sugar. You can substitute raw sugar here if you’d like.
  • Flour: No need for cake flour; just use 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour. 
  • Cocoa Powder: To make this cake perfectly chocolatey, we’ll be using ¾ cup of cocoa powder in the batter.
  • Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Using both together gives this cake its light quality, making each bite both delicate and rich.
  • Salt: I typically use sea salt.
  • Eggs: You’ll need two whole eggs.
  • Milk: Creamy and dreamy! I use one cup of whole milk in this recipe. 
  • Oil: You can substitute butter if you want a richer cake, but I find that oil gives a great texture and moistness.
  • Vanilla: Go for pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
  • Boiling Water: This old-fashioned technique of adding boiling water will make the batter seem very liquid, but don’t be alarmed! The results will be amazing!
Cocoa Powder, Eggs, Baking Soda, Baking Powder and the Rest of the Cake Ingredients Arranged on a Gray Countertop

How to Make Chocolate Cake

One of the nicest things about this chocolate cake recipe is how easy it is. Unlike traditional sponge cakes, which rely on whipped egg whites for a light and fluffy texture, this easy recipe uses baking powder and baking soda to raise the batter. 

  • Prep Oven & Cake Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, and dust them with flour. Line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper for easy removal.
  • Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined.
A Mixture of the Dry Ingredients for Homemade Chocolate Cake
  • Add Wet Ingredients: Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla to the bowl. Stir until just combined. Pour in the boiling water and mix until smooth. The batter will seem a little runny. 
  • Bake: Pour the chocolate cake batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the center of each cake round is set.
  • Allow to cool before frosting.
A Frosted Chocolate Cake on a White Stand with a Dessert Spatula in the Foreground

Tips for Success

What else should you know about baking a chocolate layer cake? Here are a few tips you might find helpful!

  • Trace the Parchment: To get an even circle for the bottom of your pans, just place a pan on the parchment and trace a circle around the base. Cut the circle slightly smaller than your tracing and it should pop right in.
  • Toothpick Test: You can use a fork or toothpick to test the cake for doneness – just insert the fork or toothpick into the center of the cake and remove it. It should come out clean (one or two crumbs is fine, but no moist, battery clumps).
  • Cool Thoroughly: When you cool the cake, really let it get to room temperature all the way through. If the cake is still warm, even just a little bit, then the frosting is likely to melt off of the cake completely, and not in a glaze-y way, but in a disappointing puddles of gunk way. (Ask me how I know!)
A Bird's-Eye View of Three Slices of Homemade Chocolate Layer Cake

Decorating Ideas

I love to frost this cake with a homemade chocolate buttercream, but you could also use your favorite vanilla frosting, or make a marshmallow fluff frosting. To decorate, try any of the following:

  • Chocolate Curls: Drag a sharp knife across a bar of chocolate to make shavings or curls. Scatter over the frosted cake.
  • Pearls: Shimmery candy pearls (find them on the baking aisle, near the frosting) look beautiful on a dark, chocolatey cake.
  • Ganache: Equal parts of cream and high-quality chocolate make a lovely ganache. Cool it well, then drizzle over the cake for a fancy effect.
  • Crushed Candies or Cookies: Crush up your favorite candy or cookies and sprinkle over your cake! Heath bars, Oreos, or even peppermints!
  • Chopped Nuts: Go for easy chopped walnuts or pecans here. Sprinkle them over the top and press them gently into the sides of the cake.
A Sideways-Lying Slice of Chocolate Cake on a Countertop with a Fork

How to Store a Frosted Cake

  • You can store this cake, covered, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
  • If you refrigerate the cake, cover it and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
  • Allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

Can I Freeze This?

  • Yes, you can! Freeze this cake, well-covered, for up to two months.
  • Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
4.30 from 40 votes

Easy Chocolate Cake

What could be better than chocolate cake? Not much! Especially when it’s a deliciously Easy Chocolate Cake recipe – moist, rich, and made from scratch in your own kitchen.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients 

FOR THE CAKE

FOR THE FROSTING

  • 12 ounces chocolate chips,, finely chopped
  • cups heavy whipping cream
  • 8 tablespoons butter
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Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    Lightly spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and dust with flour.
    Line the bottom of the cake pans with a cutout of parchment paper for easy removal.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined.
  • Add two eggs, milk, oil and vanilla to the bowl. Stir until just combined.
    Pour in boiling water and mix until smooth. (The batter will seem a little runny).
    Pour batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.
  • Place filled pans in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the center is set.
    Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.

FOR THE FROSTING

  • Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl; set aside.
  • Place whipping cream and butter in saucepan and cook over medium heat to just a boil.
  • Pour cream mixture over the chopped chocolate; whisk vigorously until chocolate is melted and smooth.
  • Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
    Remove from fridge and stir; refrigerate about 1 more hour, or until it reaches a spreading consistency.
  • Spread about 1/3 of frosting on one cake layer; top with the other cake layer and spread frosting on top and sides of cake.
  • Cut and Serve.

Equipment

  • Oven

Nutrition

Calories: 644kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 435mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 757IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

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Recipe Rating




81 Comments

  1. Klebefolien says:

    5 stars
    Very yummy

    1. Katerina Petrovska says:

      Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

    2. Nachhilfe Solingen says:

      5 stars
      I can agree with you. I love choclate and cake. And this is the best thing i have ever made

  2. Mary Ann says:

    I made this cake over the weekend and everyone was raving over it – Best Chocolate Cake ever! I did change it just a bit and put vanilla frosting in between layers and for a little decoration on top of cake. Everyone couldn’t get over how moist the cake was.

  3. Grace says:

    5 stars
    Oops. It was recipe USER error. We made it today and it was PERFECT. I bet she didn’t scroll down to the actual recipe with exact measurements. Try it yourself. You’ll see it was your kid that screwed it up. 🙂

    1. Katerina says:

      LOL 😆 I am so glad you tried it again, and liked it! ❤️

  4. Mariah says:

    5 stars
    I feel like this very simple recipe has no business tasting as good as it does. 😆 I did have to bake it about 8 extra minutes, but it didn’t dry it out, the cake didn’t collapse, and it didn’t fall apart on me. I made it for my son’s second birthday and put peanut butter frosting on it. It was well-received! Thanks for the easy chocolate cake recipe!! ❤️

  5. Nachhilfe says:

    5 stars
    I tried your receipe but with stevia instead of sugar. It is the same taste but with less sugar.

  6. Shalise says:

    5 stars
    So quick, easy, moist and delicious! My new favorite chocolate cake recipe.

    1. Katerina Petrovska says:

      I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

  7. MARINA says:

    Chocolate frosting in this recipe is awful. I followed every detail of the recipe and am an experienced baker but there is no way frosting made with a cup and a half of heavy cream and a stick of butter with chocolate chips will have the consistency to be spread easily on the cake. It was running all over the plate as if it was a drink. I did mix it again after an hour in the fridge, then left it covered in the fridge overnight but as I spread it on the cake it just melted and ran down the cake into a messy chocolate pool at the bottom of the plate. A total disaster!! I’ll stick to what I know and not experiment with “easy” recipes.

  8. Elizabeth says:

    5 stars
    This was amazing! Delicious!

    1. Katerina says:

      I’m thrilled to hear you found it amazing and delicious! Thank YOU! 🙂

  9. Rylie says:

    5 stars
    My new fav cake recipe! Any idea if this recipe works for cupcakes/how many does it yield and what would I adjust cooking time to?? 🙂

    1. Katerina says:

      I’m so glad you love the cake recipe! Yes, you can definitely make cupcakes with it. It should yield about 24 standard-sized cupcakes. For baking, reduce the cooking time to 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy baking! 🙂🧁 Thank YOU!

  10. Tuesday says:

    If I make this in a rectangle glass dish, what size and cook time would be needed?

    1. Katerina says:

      You will want to use a 9×13 baking dish and will have to bake it maybe about 10 minutes longer.