This is a really easy yet exceptional Chocolate Cake that truly tastes of chocolate. The crumb is beautifully tender and moist, and it keeps for up to 5 days. It requires no beater, just a wooden spoon.
Frost generously with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for a terrific birthday cake, afternoon teas or to take to gatherings. For a richer, fudgier chocolate cake, try this Chocolate Fudge Cake.
This is the Chocolate Cake
If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that sometimes I get real stubborn about doing certain things the “right way”. And there’s also a time and a place for shortcut recipes and quick dinners.
Then there’s recipes like this Chocolate Cake which tick all the boxes – it’s easier than the way I’ve been making everyday cake for most of my life, and the results are better.
You’ll love how it really does taste of chocolate even though it’s only been made with cocoa powder (the secret is to add boiling water – it makes the chocolate flavour “bloom”).
You’ll love how tender the crumb is, and how it stays moist for 4 to 5 days.
You’ll love how the cake can stand on its own so you could just dust it with icing sugar then serve slices with dollops of cream on the side. Though of course, smothering it with frosting never hurts….
This is the famous Hershey’s Chocolate Cake recipe which I tried on the recommendation of Michelle from the Brown Eyed Baker (one of the first places I go in hunt for baked goods). I tried it without massively high expectations, because I thought “how much better can this be than the usual, being such a simple recipe?”
I love being proved wrong when it comes to food. So wrong in fact, that even though I tinkered with the recipe multiple times, I landed right back where I started using the recipe exactly as written.
I truly think this might be the only recipe on my entire blog that I’m publishing from another source without changing the ingredients at all. It’s unheard of! But to me, it’s perfect as it is. I don’t see myself using any other recipe for an everyday Chocolate Cake, ever again.
Incredibly quick and easy
My friend Jo from Jo Cooks calls this the Lazy Ass Chocolate Cake. And rightfully so, because it’s astonishingly quick to make the batter, with all the ingredients mixed up in one bowl using a whisk.
There’s no need to cream butter like the usual recipes because this one is made with oil which is the reason why this cake is beautifully moist. No more dry chocolate cake! ?? (Also means this is more forgiving than most, having once accidentally left it in the oven for 15 minutes longer than necessary and it still wasn’t dry).
I’m publishing this recipe as part of the Easter Recipes posted yesterday! So here it is, dolled up for Easter. The same cake in the photos above, the same frosting, topped with speckled Easter eggs, baby chicks (both from Woolworths in Australia), and a chocolate basket. I’ve provided directions in the notes of the recipe for how I made that chocolate basket (hint – it involves a balloon…).
My everyday Chocolate Cake
Easter aside, I call this my everyday Chocolate Cake because it’s just that – my new favourite to make for any occasion. There will be times that call for a mud-cake like Fudge Cake made with both cocoa powder and melted chocolate. There will be times that call for intensely dark chocolate cakes. There will be times that you need / want the nutty brownie-like Flourless Chocolate Cake. And there will be times you’re after one that’s light-as-air, a delicate chiffon cake.
This one is for all the other times when you just want a great, classic Chocolate Cake. Which in my world, is 80% of the time! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (265g) plain / all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (55g) cocoa powder , unsweetened (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda (bi-carb soda)
- 2 cups (440g) white sugar (Note 1)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs (~55-65g / 2 oz each)
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk (low or full fat)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil (or canola)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 1/2 batches Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (slide scaler on recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C / 320F (fan/convection).
- Read Note 4 regarding shelf positions.
- Grease 2 x 22cm/9" cake pans with butter, then line the base. (See Note 3 regarding springform pans and other pan sizes).
Batter:
- Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add Sugar and salt. Whisk briefly to combine.
- Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk well to combine until lump free - about 30 seconds.
- Add boiling water and whisk to incorporate. The batter is VERY thin (see video).
- Pour batter into cake pans.
Baking:
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. See Note 4 regarding cook time if pans are on different shelves.
- Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks upside down (Note 5).
- Cool completely before frosting. I frosted the cake with my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (scale recipe up by 50%).
Recipe Notes:
This works great in a bundt pan (50 minutes) or a single 22cm/9" pan (40 - 45 minutes). The original Hershey's recipe also suggests the following pan sizes which I have not tried myself:
* 13 x 9 x 2" / 33 x 22 x 5 cm rectangle pan, 35 - 40 minutes
* 3 x 8" / 20cm round pans, 30 - 35 minutes Quick way to make cake pan liner for base: take a piece of baking paper and fold in half, then quarters, then keep folding so it's a small long triangle. Line up the pointy end with the middle of the cake pan, then snip the end off at the edge of the cake pan. Unfold and voila! A near perfect round cake pan liner that fits your pan perfectly! 4. BAKING / SHELVES - If your oven is large enough for both cake pans to be on one shelf, place the shelf in the middle of the oven. If it's not large enough, put one shelf 1/3 of the way down the oven, then the next shelf below it (check to ensure cake pan fits). If cakes are on separate shelves, take out the top one at 35 minutes per recipe, then move the bottom one up to the top shelf and bake for a further 5 minutes. 5. I turn the cakes out upside down so the flat base becomes the surface used for frosting. Flat surface just looks nicer when you cut into the cake! This cake comes out pretty level, but if you want to be extra neat, feel free to level the cakes using a serrated knife. 6. EASTER DECORATIONS as pictured in post and in the Easter Recipes post: baby chicks $2, speckled chocolate eggs and shredded paper all from Woolies. Chocolate basket made as follows: blow up balloon to the size you want the basket to be, place with tied end down in a rice bowl or something it fits in. Melt baking chocolate in microwave (about 1/2 cup chips/buttons), then transfer into small ziplock bag. Snip corner, then drizzle chocolate over exposed half of balloon. Let set in fridge, then carefully release air from balloon. Voila! Chocolate basket! Fill with shredded paper, eggs and chicks. 7. STORAGE: Keeps in an airtight container for up to 5 days and is still lovely and moist. Refrigerate if frosted and it's very hot where you are. Freezing not ideal because it's such a moist cake that it makes the crumb a bit wet so while it still looks like cake, when you eat it the texture is almost like chocolate pudding cake. Still tasty, just not as cakey as it should be. 8. DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, different measures - This recipe will work with cup measures whether you are in Australia, US, Canada or anywhere else in the world (except Japan, please use weights provided). Measuring cup sizes in the US and Canada are slightly different to the rest of the world, including Australia. While for most recipes, the difference is not enough to affect the outcome of the recipe, for baking recipes, it can mean the difference between success or an epic fail. I always test my cakes and cookies using both Australian (rest of world) and US cups to ensure it works for both. Usually it's fine, such as this Chocolate Cake (either recipe has enough flex and/or difference is relative across the ingredients). If not, I provide ingredient measures for different countries (such as these Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies). 9. Nutrition is per serving, cake only, assuming 12 servings.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Dozer vs tiny toy chick.
Chick won.
Made this chocolate cake for our Grandson’s 13th Birthday and everyone absolutely loved it. So simply to make and I followed the directions exactly. Thanks Nagi
I have tried making this cake twice followed the recipe completely to its instructions and after 35- 40 minutes the cake is extremely wet and is only cooking on the sides. Such a waste of ingredients! any reason this is happening?
Hi Charlotte, sounds like it may be a problem with your oven – is your thermostat working correctly? Good way to check is to put an oven thermometer in the oven and make sure it’s reaching the correct temp that you’re setting the oven at ❤️
Hi Nagi! Thank you for sharing this recipe! My cake turned out tasting salty 😔 what type of salt do you use? I used Himalayan pink salt
Hi Jaz, sorry you had issues here – it definitely shouldn’t be salty! The type of salt doesn’t matter – but the grain size does. What type of pink salt are you using? N x
I’ve made this cake 10 times Every single time I’ve been asked for the recipe. I love it but do prefer the Chocolate icing recipe from hummingbird bakery to go on top.
Only question is-when I tried to top them on top of each other I found it hard to get them not to slide off. Any suggestions?
Hi Rachel, you mentioned you use a different frosting – this will be the cause for them sliding. N x
No this was when I used your icing! I’ve always used the hummingbird bakery one before and never had an issue?
Hi Nagi,
Can I use powdered sugar and will powdered sugar also be 440 grams?
Thanks
Mayanka
Hi Mayanka, yes you can use the same in weight of powdered sugar (it essentially is just a finer grain that castor sugar) N x
Made this for my son’s birthday cake this weekend with the chocolate buttercream icing in the shape of Grizz from We Bare Bears. OMG, the cake was so moist and the icing was delicious! Kids and adults alike went back for second and third serves. I’ve made many of your savoury recipes and they all turn out great. This was the first time I tried one of your sweets and I was not disappointed. Thanks again Nagi! x
WAHOO! That’s the BEST compliment Tanya! N x
I have made your chocholate cake recipe a few times and everyone has loved it. It is the best chocholate recipe i have ever made, you cant go wrong with it. Ready to do another one now just because… Thankyou so much.
Woot! That’s great to hear Jacky!! N x
I have made this cake at least 10 times. I don’t make it a double decker cake and I don’t ice it. I just bake 2 separately and give 1 to my M.I.L.
I’m wandering would this be okay to do as one big all together cake instead of splitting in 2?
Hi Brooke, I’m so happy you love it! I talk about pans and cook times I the recipe notes – N x
This cake is amazing. I’ve made it a few times and it’s always a hit. It is very, very sweet so I have cut back to 3/4 cups sugar and will probably cut back to even less next time. My daughter requested this for her 11th birthday so it’s in the oven as I type this. I use the buttercream frosting attached to this recipe and its make it even more delicious. The frosting is also super sweet but I’m not sure how to make it less sweet without actually making less frosting yield. Anyone know how to do this? The frosting is great either chocolate or vanilla.
Hey there Nagi & Dozer 🥰
I’m making this cake again.. at the request of my daughter. She loves it so much she devoured the last cake all by herself. literally. 😂 thanks again Nagi for the simple recipe. Gonna be pairing it with the choc buttercream ..yummeh!
Better make 2!! 😂
Hi Nagi- this looks amazingly easy and awesome. I would like to make these into cupcakes and then add a blood orange curd filling. Do you thing this recipe will work for that? Any suggestions on cooking time? Thanks. Can’t wait to try this!
That sounds amazing Julia, what time shall I come over?? Depending on the size of the cupcakes, I’d check at 20 minutes – N x