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 or chocolate ganache for a luxurious rich option. For a richer, fudgier chocolate cake, try this Chocolate Fudge Cake. The ultimate glaze to impress, however, is without a doubt Chocolate Mirror Glaze…..
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 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.
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).
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
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Chocolate Cake
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
- 1 1/2 batches Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (slide scaler on recipe)
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:
- 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
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Dozer vs tiny toy chick.
Chick won.
Ivy says
This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe. Everybody that tastes it, loves it.
I’ve even made it using gluten-free flour and coconut oil and it works a charm.💝
Robyn Wyllie says
Hi Nagi, I made this cake last week for my granddaughter’s 2nd birthday. I made it in a slab tin and it tasted awesome! I’m not great at cooking cakes from scratch and it did break in half when I moved it to decorate lol!
Icing is wonderful for covering mistakes. The party was a farmyard theme so of course it was decorated with animals! I must practice my decorating skills. 🙃Thanks @recipetineats
Dilpreet says
It was really good and it was fun to make.
Min says
How do I make this in 3 6inch pans?
francesca says
First time making this for my sons birthday cake, it turned out perfectly and tasted delicious. Also made the chocolate buttercream icing which was also amazing. Nagi’s recipes always turn out!!!
Marbleless says
Easy and wonderful. I put raspberry jam on the base layer then covered it with frosting. When you make the parchment circles, don’t throw away the scraps! They fit perfectly around the bottom of the cake when you frost it!
Patricia says
I made this cake and the buttercream frosting for my daughter’s birthday tonight. She is picky about frosting but loved it! I piped a border on top and edged the sides and it turned out beautiful. Thank you for another delicious, easy recipe!
Willow Molly says
ABSOLUTELY MY FAVOURITE CAKE!! Thankyou so much Nagi! Just so moist and mouth-watering😍
Stephie says
I’ve been looking for a chocolate Dolly Varden cake recipe but couldn’t find one. I did a trial run with this recipe and it worked out beautifully! So moist and chocolatey even though I didn’t have quite enough cocoa powder. I made some adjustments owing to the tin shape – baked on the bottom shelf at 150 fan forced for 80 mins. Love that there’s no beating required so I can bake while the kids are asleep, the night before the party! Thank you Nagi
Lauren Leaver says
Hi nagi
if I want to add a 3rd layer to this cake to increase the serving/portion size how do I do that?
Juniper says
I have been making this chocolate cake for years. It’s the best chocolate cake recipe I have ever tried. Easy to make a simple ingredients.
Judi says
Love your recipes Nagi and took a look at this one just for interest. I was so happy to see it’s the same one I’ve used for all my grandchildren’s birthday cakes! Isn’t it a great recipe? … it just melts in your mouth!
Jessica says
A beautiful chocolate cake recipe, I made it with the premium Dutch pressed cocoa and 2 single shots of espresso coffee filled up with boiling water to make the cup, perfect flavour. The cook time in the recipe in the book says 35 minutes, the instructions say 45 minutes, it was ready at 35 minutes in my fan forced oven so I’d check at 35, This cake is just perfection!
Taya says
I am 9 years old and this is so far the best cake I have ever made and tasted in my life.
I changed it a little by adding sprinkles and little flowers on top of the icing.
Natasha says
Made a very late decision to bake this for my husband’s birthday. Turned out amazing! It’s the first cake I’ve ever made, I’m so proud of myself. Thank you for making this task not at all intimating.
Kate says
Made this for a family birthday and used chocolate ganache rather than frosting. This is the best chocolate cake ever and was a huge hit.
Wilmer says
This was my first chocolate cake from scratch and it was so incredibly moist and delicious!! paired it with your chocolate buttercream frosting and it was just amazing, thank you for this recipe <3
Maria says
Hi can I use a plant based milk? If so which one? Thanks
Caitlin says
Hello, I’d like to make this for my children. Can I reduce the amount of sugar?
Kylie O'Gorman says
I halved the sugar in this and it turned out perfect. 2 cups of sugar is insane for any cake. So yep, 1 cup of sugar totally works 🙂
Ron says
OMG I wish I never made this cake for the family, they ask me for it all the time, best chocolate cake ever