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Chocolate Cake

By:Nagi
660 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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.

A photo showing half a Chocolate Cake frosted with Chocolate Buttercream on a white cake stand with a large slice partially pulled out.

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….

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting on a white cake platter with a piece cut out, photographed from overhead.

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 website 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.

How to make Chocolate Cake

Incredibly quick and easy

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).

Close up photo of a slice of Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Chocolate Frosting on a white dessert plate with a fork partially cutting into it.

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…).

A Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting decorated with small speckled Easter eggs and tiny fluffy yellow chicks.

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

A moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting on a white cake platter with a slice cut and partially pulled out and a stack of dessert plates next to it.

A slice of Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting on a white dessert plate with a fork, ready to be eaten.

Watch how to make it

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Chocolate Cake with buttercream frosting on a white cake stand, ready to be cut and served

Chocolate Cake

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 45 mins
4.99 from 160 votes
Servings8 -10 slices
Tap or hover to scale
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Recipe VIDEO above. This is the everyday Chocolate Cake I make over and over again. The crumb is tender and moist, it truly tastes of chocolate (rarer than you might think!) and you only need one bowl and a whisk. It's the famous Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Cake , one of the few recipes I've used from another source with no changes to the ingredients at all (yes it's Perfect!)

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups plain / all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder , unsweetened (Note 2)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda (bi-carb soda)
  • 2 cups white sugar (Note 1)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs (~55-65g / 2 oz each)
  • 1 cup milk (low or full fat)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180C°/350°F (160°C fan). Read Note 4 regarding shelf positions.
  • Grease 2 x 22cm/9" cake pans with butter, then line the base. (Note 3 re: 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:

1. Sugar - I use caster / superfine out of habit for all baking recipes, but regular is ok too.
2. Regular cocoa powder works just fine here, but dutch processed will make it a slightly more intense chocolate flavour. I use regular for this cake.
3. SPRINGFORM PAN (important): Even the best ones are not 100% leakproof so with very thin batters like with this cake, you will get a small amount of leakage. The best way to combat this is to "plug" the space where the sides meets the base with butter, and place a tray on the bottom of the oven to catch drips (don't put cake pans on the tray, it affects heat circulation).
OTHER PANS (use same oven temp per recipe):
  • bundt pan - 50 minutes
  • single 22cm/9" pan - 40 to 45 minutes
  • 2 x 20cm / 8" pans - 38 minutes
  • 3 x 20cm / 8" pans - 25 minutes
  • 33 x 22 x 5 cm / 13 x 9 x 2" rectangle pan - 35 - 40 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:

Calories: 351cal (18%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Life of Dozer

Dozer vs tiny toy chick.

Chick won.

Cute Golden Retriever with head on white table with tiny toy fluffy yellow chick right in front of his nose.

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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660 Comments

  3. Judy Dunne says

    Hi Nagi,
    This cake looks delicious. I have so many cake pans already but not exactly like yours. I have two 22cm sandwich cake tins. Would they be suitable? I really don’t want to buy more tins.
    Kind regards,
    Judy

    Reply

  4. Max says

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi, I made this cake for my nephew’s birthday and filled it with chocolate mousse and topped it with chocolate ganache. Everyone absolutely loved it! Can I use this recipe to make cupcakes?

    Reply

  5. Edzelle De Castro says

    Hi! I want to make just one 9-inch layer of the cake, do I just half the measurements of the ingredients? Also, what is the measurements for a one layer 6-inch cake? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Edzelle, yes half the ingredients to make just one cake – it will be quite short, however. I haven’t tried making this in such a small amount so I’m not sure it can be done in one 6″ pan sorry! N x

      Reply

  6. Annette says

    You didn’t disappoint on this recipe! Was an amazingly quick make and tasted fab.
    I made it into cupcakes and everyone raved.
    The only thing I added was a bit of coffee as I usually do with chocolate cakes. Just added with the hot water in ratio.
    Thanks for sharing this Nagi.

    Reply

  7. Harpreet Wadhwa says

    Hi Nagi 🙂 I want to make the cake using granulated baking splenda, should I substitute it cup for cup? Thank you

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Harpreet, sorry Splenda isn’t a direct 1 for 1 sup with sugar, so changing the amount will affect the taste and texture unfortunately – N x

      Reply

  9. Amy says

    5 stars
    Nagi thankyou so much, this recipe is amazing!!!! I made it for my little one’s birthday cake, I used 2 x 20cm round tins and baked in a fan forced oven on 160 degrees for 42min. I did the extra 50% x chocolate buttercream recipe but didn’t need all the buttercream when decorating the cake. Everyone loved it, my Father in law said it’s the best chocolate cake he’s EVER tasted. Others were so impressed they wanted the link to your recipe so they can make it too. Thankyou for a such a delicious and easy chocolate cake, it will be my go to chocolate cake recipe from now on. Thankyou Nagi xoxo

    Reply
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