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
Chocolate Cake
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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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.
Wonderful easy recipe👍, and it’s working . Thank you Nagy ♥️
You’re so welcome Victoria – N x
Hello, i absolutely love all of your recipes and try new ones regularly. Youre my favorite! Now, how can I convert the cake to cupcakes for temperature and time?
Didn’t have 2 cake tins so made cupcakes instead. Got 21 with the recipe, but honestly I could’ve tried for more if my pouring was better! Still delicious.
Wahoo! Great stuff Kim – N x
I don’t have vanilla essence will it still work?
Yes of course Brooke, just leave it out!
Love this recipe. Entered it into the local country show and it won me first place!
However… I first used 1 x 22cm pan and there was a complete overflow 😱. (Is that the correct size in your notes?)
Secondly, my tip to stop leaking springforms is to place a bit if paper towel underneath the baking paper, then close the pan over the two papers. Always works!
Hi Danielle, the recipe says to you 2 x 22cm pans – that’s the reason for your overflow! I’m so glad you loved it though – N x
Hi Nagi, actually under “Note 3 – Other pans”
It does say “or a single 22cm/9″ pan (40 – 45 minutes)”
That’s why I tried just the one pan, but alas it was just too much batter .
Oh sorry! How high was the pan you were using?
Just a regular 7cm high pan. I think it would need to be much higher!
Hi Nagi, I love all your recipes and especially this cake.
I am wanting to make it for my son’s birthday in a couple of days, so I really hope you can help me out and answer this before then.
Can you please help me convert this to suit a 30cm round tin?
Hi Heidi, I’d try 1.5 X the batter – and just watch in the oven (Check with a skewer and continue to cook until it comes out clean) – N x
just wondering is there a vanilla version of this cake? or could i just take out the cocoa and add vanilla extract?
Hi Maria, no not quite – although I have a vanilla sponge on my website that’s amazing!
I made this cake two times in last 10 days and both the time succeed. the results are unbelievable for me. because I had never made any cake before this.
That’s awesome to hear Ritika!
It is a great recipe to make a celebrate a birthday. My dad birthday coming soon. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
I made this cake for my son’s second birthday (turned it into a construction cake) and it was absolutely delicious. Easy to make, perfect texture and so moist. Everyone loved it! Thanks Nagi 😊
Wahoo, perfect Sarah!
Hi Nagi, this cake looks great – wondered if you’ve tried it with a non-dairy milk like almond or cashew or if you think that would work? Have a child with a dairy intolerance coming to my son’s birthday and would love to make a cake that he can enjoy too! Thanks 🙂
Hi Katherine, I haven’t tried it but I imagine it should work just fine – N x
This is my go to chocolate cake, however in recent attempt I have substituted the white sugar for brown sugar as I thought it would add more depth of flavour.
Do you see any negatives for using brown sugar? I don’t see any issues, but wonder whether it changes the structure of the cake 🤔 I can’t remember what it was like with white sugar so thought you would know the science behind it.
Also I was thinking about trying this recipe with cake flour. Thoughts?
Thanks!!!
Hi Tiff, you could definitely sub with cake flour – I haven’t tried with brown sugar just yet so I can’t give you the exact quantity required!
Lorraine I don’t know if you have made this chocolate cake yet with the coffee Nagi is completely right ..use hot coffee instead of the water I am a baker and I use it all the time in my chocolate cakes ..and_________its a secret …it makes all the difference…. believe me
I haven’t made this yet, but I was wondering if I can use coffee instead of the water in this recipe
Sure could, it would be AMAZING!
I love mocha anything…I think I’ll try that….THANKS!
Kindly elaborate how to use coffee instead of water.
Thankyou for amazing recepie.LoVE it!!!!
Oh my goodness! This is the chocolate cake recipe I have searched for my whole life! Perfect texture – not too heavy like a mud cake and not too light like a sponge and wonderfully moist! Thank you Nagi.
I’m so glad you loved it Anneliese!
Hi Nagi, Is it ok to use a 23cm cake pan as having all sorts of trouble finding a 22cm pan?
That will be fine Leanne! – N x
ABSOLUTE BEST CHOCOLATE RECIPE EVER! I used this for my food tech assessment and she has absolutely nailed the recipe. So simple yet so good! The cake is SO moist it my mums favourite
Omg Nagi you have absolutely NAILED this cake recipe! It is THE best cake I have ever made. The icing is also the perfect mix, I often find them too buttery, too salty or too something but this is just PERFECT! Thank you!
Wahoo, I’m so glad you loved it Nicky!!
I’ve made this cake twice and is amazing! I’ve gotten so many compliments. Fantastic recipe!
Wahoo that’s great Alyce!
This is the ultimate best best best chocolate cake ever!!! Followed the recipe to the T and it was just divine my husband, kids and myself enjoyed every piece polished it off! Thank you this will be the only chocolate cake I’ll be making from now on!
Wahoo, I’m so glad it was a hit Deepthi!
❤️ Thank You! ❤️