Chocolate Cake Recipe (VIDEO)
A decadent and moist Chocolate Cake recipe with the easiest whipped Chocolate Frosting. This always gets rave reviews and makes for a stunning chocolate birthday cake.
Chocolate makes everything better, from Chocolate Chip Cookies to Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, and let’s not forget Chocolate Mousse! If you are a chocolate lover, this homemade chocolate cake is for you!
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THE Chocolate Cake Recipe:
My son’s first words when he saw the cake were “Wow that look’s just like the cake from Matilda!” We watched the Matilda movie recently, but I’m betting this one’s even better because it’s intensely chocolatey and satisfies the fiercest craving for chocolate cake without being cloyingly sweet.
We combined our most popular chocolate frosting with these tried and true moist chocolate cupcakes to create the best chocolate cake. You might be surprised to see coffee in the cake batter, and don’t worry, you can’t taste the coffee in the final product, but it really amplifies the flavor of chocolate. Feel free to substitute with decaf coffee if you prefer.
The Best Cocoa for Chocolate Cake:
We used natural unsweetened 100% cocoa or “cacao”. You can use a variety of brands such as Hershey’s, Nestle, or Ghirardelli, but be sure to use “unsweetened” cocoa.
Can I substitute with Dutch Process Cocoa?
When a recipe calls for baking soda, it is best to stick with Natural cocoa powder because it has a higher acidity level than dutch process. You should use the cocoa called for in a recipe for the right chemical reaction to happen. Learn more about all the different kinds of cocoa here.
Tips for Smooth Chocolate Frosting:
The whipped chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting is indulgently chocolatey, silky smooth and one of the easiest frostings you will make. To get the smoothest chocolate frosting, be sure to:
- Cream together the butter and cream cheese first to prevent lumps
- Sift in the powdered sugar and cocoa since cocoa tends to clump.
How to Make Chocolate Cake:
This cake doesn’t get any easier. It’s no more complex than a boxed cake as long as you know how to measure ingredients correctly.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients
- Whisk together the dry ingredients
- Combine wet with dry ingredients
- Divide into prepared pans and bake
How to Get Even Cake Layers:
When making a layered cake, it is important to make sure you are dividing the batter equally. Not only is this important for even heights for a prettier cake, but your layers will have even bake times. I always double check for accuracy with a digital kitchen scale. Zero out the cake pan and weigh how much cake batter is in each pan. Your cake layers will be flawless every time.
More Chocolate Desserts (for Chocolate Lovers!):
- Chocolate Ganache – glaze cakes, cookies or whip into frosting
- Eclairs – dipped in chocolate ganache and filled with cream
- Chocolate Spartak – easily my favorite cake
- Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting
- Black Forest Cake – with cherries and kirsch
Watch Natasha Make Chocolate Cake:
I hope this Moist Chocolate Cake recipe becomes a new favorite for you. Homemade chocolate cake is way better than Costco’s (there, I said it).
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Chocolate Cake Recipe
A decadent and moist Chocolate Cake recipe with the easiest whipped Chocolate Frosting. Homemade chocolate cake makes for a stunning birthday cake.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Chocolate Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups warm coffee (not hot)
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup light olive oil not extra virgin
Ingredients for Chocolate Frosting:
- 12 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter (16 Tbsp) room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
How to Make Chocolate Cake Layers:
-
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter two 9" cake pans and line the bottoms with a ring of parchment paper.
-
In a large bowl whisk together your dry ingredients: 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 2 cups sugar, 2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp salt until there are no more cocoa lumps (a few tiny lumps are ok; it also helps to sift the cocoa before using it).
-
In a separate bowl, mix together your wet ingredients: 2 cups warm coffee, 2 Tbsp vinegar, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract and 2/3 cup olive oil.
-
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until they come together. Your batter will still be slightly lumpy. Divide equally between prepared cake pans, and bake in a preheated oven at 350˚F for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
How to Make the Chocolate Frosting:
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer using paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer with a large bowl), beat together 12 oz cream cheese with 1 cup butter on medium/high speed until creamy (3 min), scraping down the bowl as needed.
-
Sift in 5 cups powdered sugar with 1 cup cocoa powder, sifting in batches as needed to ensure there are no lumps. Then add 1/2 tsp salt. Mix on low speed until well combined. Thoroughly scrape down the bowl, then increase to medium/high speed and beat until smooth and whipped (1 min).
-
Add 2 tsp vanilla and beat on medium/high until smooth (1 min). Now it's ready to be piped onto cooled cake.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
Layered Strawberry Cake Recipe 
Classic Chocolate Mousse (VIDEO) 
Royal Walnut Cake (VIDEO Recipe) 
Poppy Seed Cake Roll with Chocolate Ganache 
Almond Nutella Cake Recipe (Dacquoise) 
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hey Natasha!
I tried this Cake for the 4th time for our Eid holiday last weekend as it came out SO SO good! For the first time I tried it with Hershey’s cocoa and it seriously made a difference.
And I also made it in a Casserole dish and poked holes and added Chocolate Ganache & frosted with Whipped ganache.
Everyone LOVED it!!!
Thank you for your amazing recipes.
Wow, that is so great! Your comments made me so happy, thank you for sharing your good experience with us.
Oh my goodness, this cake is awesome. I made it for my husband for his birthday and he loved it. I have made many of your recipes and have not been disappointed in any of them. Thanks so much for sharing them.
You’re welcome, Nancy! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Natasha! I love your recipes. This is my first time making this and the cake was so fluffy that the middle puffed up. When I put my chocolate cake upside down on the wire rack it seemed to crack in the middle. I am assuming this was only because it was still too warm? Any recommendations?
Hi Karin, that is possible but it is hard to say without being there! It is best to let the cake cool before transferring for this reason also.
Do you have a recipe for a marble cake that combines your vanilla and chocolate cake together? My son is requesting that for his birthday. Thanks in advance for your help.
Hi Lisa, I don’t have anything like that but it’s a great idea. If I come up with something great in the future I will be sure to share it.
Thank you!
Hello! Can I use vegetable oil instead of olive oil?
That should work too!
Super tasty & moist! Loved it! My 5 year old loves chocolate anything & this one here, hit the spot!! The frosting was also delicious!! Creamy & smooth!! Highly recommended. Thank you for sharing your recipes!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Monica!
Amazing cake! I made this for the first time for my 2-year-olds birthday party (she requested a chocolate cake haha). Everyone loved it. I used decaf coffee, and lowered the amount of icing sugar in the frosting to 3.5 cups instead of 5, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It was great – sweet, moist, perfect. I’ll definitely be making it again.
I’m so happy you loved the chocolate cake recipe and frosting! I often love to reduce the sugar when I can get away with it. Thanks for sharing that it works with 3 1/2 cups of sugar instead of 5.
Hi Natasha! I am taking your recommendation and using it as my birthday cake. I am so excited!
Great! Happy Birthday in advance and I hope you love your cake.
Made the chocolate cake for my Anniversary today. Everyone loved it.
Happy Anniversary! I am so glad that everyone enjoyed this cake.
hi Natasha! i was so excited the first time i commented and you replied. at 12 years you’re my favourite food blogger! pls can u replace the vinegar with lemon juice? i want to make it with your amazing caramel sauce for my birthday this week. i’m taking your recommendation and using it for a birthday cake. i’m so excited!
Hi Annah! I’m so happy you’re enjoying our recipes!! Honestly, I haven’t tested that so I’m not sure how it would affect the flavor. One of my readers mentioned this in a comment but it wasn’t clear if she had tested this with her own family version of chocolate cake or our recipe that I had posted: “I’ve also used cider vinegar and lemon juice and again, good results.”
Hi Natasha,
I will be making this today (hopefully). I will be replacing light olive oil with canola. But I have 2 7×3 round pans, what temp and time should I bake them in? Thanks for your help!! I love you recipes
Hi Melanie, I hope you love this recipe! The temperature will stay the same but you may need to alter the bake time.
I’ve made this cake a few times and have SO much fun making multiple layers with frosting in between. I actually cut the 2 round cakes each in half to give it 4 layers. We don’t drink coffee, so I substitute it with hot water, and it still turns out beautifully. But beware–you need a sweet tooth (like me) to eat more than a few bites of this at a time. It’s quite rich!
Isn’t it so good! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Krista!
Hello
How do you measure powdered sugar?
Are you using measuring cups for all ingredients?
Hi Fleur, yes, we use dry ingredient measuring cups for our powdered sugar. I think this post on measuring will be helpful to you.
This recipe is a keeper thank you so much for the ratio of coffee I used Nescafé and two cups of warm water and three tablespoons worked great.It was the best homemade chocolate cake ever.
Sounds like you found a new favorite! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
beautiful chocolate cake and eggless wow looks amazing thank you
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. You’re welcome!
Hi what can I substitute for the coffee we have an allergy to it
Hello Dee. You can’t taste the coffee in the final product, but it really amplifies the flavor of chocolate. Feel free to substitute with decaf coffee if you prefer.
I made this cake with two of my granddaughters for their dad’s birthday. They did most of the measuring and mixing. It turned out moist and delicious. I have never made such a delicious chocolate cake before. I live in Alabama and they live in Oregon so this is a special memory for all of us.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Kimberlee! I’m all smiles
Hello I will be using instant coffee powder to make coffee.Please advise how much to use.its my nieces birthday on Thursday and I want to use this recipe.
We used brewed coffee but I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
Hi I was wondering how much coffee did you put in two cups of water
We used brewed coffee but I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
I haven’t tested this with instant coffee but here is what one of our readers wrote “Update for my cake. I made it again last Saturday for my son’s birthday and it turned out great! It was rich chocolate flavor (nobody noticed coffee). I used corn oil and for 2 cups coffee I used 3 teaspoons decaf instant coffee (light/medium roast).” I hope that helps.
Thank you so much
Hi Natasha
I’m a newbie in baking and I tried to make this cake with the exact measurement of ingredients and instructions you gave but mine turned out to have dry and crunchy outside.
And I thought it lacked of chocolate taste. I used Dutch process cocoa powder (the only cocoa powder I had).
Can I make it with melted chocolate?
Hi Samantha, I haven’t had that experience. I’m more than happy to troubleshoot as it should not be dry or crunchy. Did you make any changes to the recipe and measure your dry ingredients correctly?
Yes, I measured it precisely with grams. Oh I substituted the white vinegar with lemon juice. Is it okay?
Any tips to make a chocolate cake more chocolate?
Hi Samantha, I haven’t tried those substitutions so I can’t say for sure how that would taste or affect the rise of the cake.
Hola natasha! hice solo el biscocho, para una prueba y me quedo sin sabor, por que sera? de textura esta genial. ( recien me acorde que no le agregue el toque de sal) jaja
It should be really sweet, did you substitute anything from the ingredients?
Hi Natasha..maureen here..just wanted to know the receipe of your chocolate cake n chocolate frosting..
Can this cake be kept in the fridge after frosting…thanks ..would appreciate a reply
Hi Maureen, yes this cake does keep well refrigerated.
Hi Natasha,
I made this cake twice and both turned out delicious.
This time I used 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 1/3 cup light olive oil as I ran out of light oil.
Why did the recipe says use only light olive oil? as I couldn’t find a difference in taste
Thanks for sharing that with us. Extra virgin olive oil usually has a taste competed to light olive oil but if you didn’t notice it at all then that’s good. It’s going to work but I just prefer light olive oil.
We are not coffee drinkers so don’t have access to it. Could I just leave it out?
Don’t worry, you can’t taste the coffee in the final product, but it really amplifies the flavor of chocolate. Feel free to substitute with decaf coffee if you prefer.
NatashasKitchen.com If I wanted to bake a bigger cake in a 12×12 pan, what would the measurements be?
Hi Marjie, I haven’t tested this in a 12×12 but I suspect you may have to double or make more of the recipe to be sure you don’t make a very flat cake. One of my readers reported baking the full recipe in a 9×13 pan with good results. She wrote: “Baking it in a casserole-style dish calls for a low and slow cooking method. I cooked it at 300 for 50-55 minutes.”
Hi Natasha,
I am planning to make this for my sons bday. I was wondering if it would hold up with some construction zone decor. If it would work in a large sheet pan and if you have any recommendation on the chocolate toppings?
Hi Ksusha, Without testing it in the same size and with the decor you are planning on using, I could only guess. I would suggest baking until a toothpick comes out clean. If using a very large rimmed sheet pan, it wouldn’t be as tall and would require less baking time. I wish I could give you more detailed instructions on that, but without testing, I am not sure.
Hi Natasha:
I made this recipe and was so very disappointed in how it turned out! The cake was so dense, it only rose about 1/2″ high. I followed your recipe exactly and yours looked so delicious in your photo. I also made the choc. icing and it was way too sweet for my liking. This was for my Mom’s birthday, but fortunately my husband went out and bought a black forest cake for that evening. I can’t figure out what happened to mine???
I so wanted it to turn out like yours!!
Hi Bev, if no substitutions were made in the recipe ingredients and no changes were made in the process, you might need to check your leavening to make sure it is still active.
Okay, thanks Natasha I’ll try that.
Recently I ran out of cocoa powder, I only had half- I substitued dark chocolate for the rest and it was less sweet than the first time. I liked both versions, but prefer the original, I’m into sweet.
I’m so happy that worked out! Thank you for sharing that with me Nichole!
Hey Natasha!
I’ve made this cake 3 times now and each time it was loved by everyone. The 3rd time I made it for my student’s Farewell party (doubled the recipe & made a 1 kg almost cake) and they really enjoyed it!
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
It’s my go-to recipe now and I plan on making them as cupcakes next time.
I’m so happy you found a go-to recipe on our blog! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Hi i had a Doubt in this one ! I tried this recipe and I don’t know what went wrong my cake sunk ! Can you guide me for the same ?
Hi Pritika, it’s hard to say without being there. Was anything altered or replaced in the recipe?
Hi Natasha, can I make vanilla cake with the exact recipe without adding cocoa. And how can I replace coffee?
Hi Dilushika, I haven’t tried that yet to advise so I am not sure how it will turn out without it. You might want to try the vanilla recipe instead.
hi Natasha
I’ve tried this recipe today and it just tastes AMAZINGLY SOOOOOO GOOD I absolutely love it.
but i was wondering do you have any brownie recipe that i can try i need to make a batch for a gathering next week.
Thank you so much for your great feedback! I don’t have a recipe for brownies yet but it’s always requested and it’s on our list.
There really are no eggs in this recipe??
That’s right, Dawn! No eggs!
Wanted to know if instead of coffee, can I use water? I can’t use coffee for health reasons.
Hi Gladys, Coffee will provide the very best flavor because it amplifies the flavor of chocolate and does not taste like coffee. The next best thing would be water. I don’t know if it is an option for you, but decaf coffee would also work fine.
Amazing! I have not changed anything about the recipe and the result did not disappoint. It is a very rich cake due to the wonderful icing so you only need a small slice.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha! I made this cake for Father’s Day, and it was amazing! I received so many compliments, and some said it was the best chocolate cake they have ever had! I actually really liked it the next day cold right out of the refrigerator! It was the first time making a chocolate cake from scratch, and I’ll probably never go back to the box cake! Your recipes always come out great and your videos are so fun to watch. Thanks!
That is so awesome! Your comments really made me smile and inspired me to do more recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Natasha…I tried this.. so amazing taste, when chocolate cake goes with cream cheese frosting…..
Just want to know whether how it will be change, if I will use this recipe for two 6″ cake pans. And just a suggestion only, when you add recipes (cakes), can you mention how it should be change with the small size please… it will be very helpful who wish to make a small potion. And love your smile always.
Thank you so much for that suggestion! This will work in a 6 inch pan but you will need to decrease the amount of batter needed. If you experiment I would love to know how you like that.
I made the cake for fathers day. It Turned out great. It’s moist with no taste of coffee.
After reading all the reviews here, i tweaked the frosting recipe. Some reviews said with the exact measurements, they had enough left over or it was too sweet. So I used almost 3 cups of confectioner sugar with half a cup of cocoa. Rest remained the same. It tasted great.
Recipe is a keeper.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us. We appreciate it!
hii Natasha,
can I substitute baking soda for baking powder? if so how much of baking powder should I add?
Hi Ally, I haven’t tested that to advise. It may not have enough rising power. Baking soda is 4 times stronger than baking powder.
Can i use this recipe to make cupcakes
Hi Allia, I bet that would work!
I would also like to try making cupcakes. What would the baking time be? Thanks for letting me know.
Hi Patricia, we actually combined our most popular chocolate frosting with these tried and true moist chocolate cupcakes to create the best chocolate cake. So I bet that would work!
Hii Natasha,
what type of coffee did you use?
Hello Fiona, we used brewed coffee. I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
I live at almost 5000 feet.
Do you have altitude adjustments?
This cake looks amazing and I’m thinking I want to make it for Father’s Day.
Hi Amber, you can refer to this page for High-Altitute Baking
La mejor
I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Hi,natasha am zenzi I really love wat you are teaching us,last I made lasagne with mince your the best in cooking God bless you nd keep well
Aww that’s the best! Thank you for sharing that with me.
Hi,
Can I use vegetable oil or sunflower oil instead of olive oil?
Hi Dilushika, the olive oil can be replaced with canola oil, I haven’t tried it with vegetable but it should work. The one I use is a LIGHT olive oil so it doesn’t have any flavor. The one you would want to avoid for desserts is extra virgin olive oil since that does have a strong flavor.
Hi again, I just want to add a big thank you for including the measurement in the instructions- saves a lot of time flipping back and forth to the ingredients list – you are brilliant!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that was helpful!
Hiiii Natascha! I made this delicious chocolate cake for my husbands birthday! It was beyond our expectation! Rich and amazing cake
Love it! Thank you so much for your great feedback.
Hi Natasha, I made a lot of your recipes and all are good. For cake, I notice you usually use 1 cup flour but this one is 3 cups flour. I’m planning to make this for my son’s birthday next week. This time he asks for chocolate cake and I don’t like “heavy” cake. Will it taste “heavy”? We love the soft fluffy texture of your strawberry cake (the one with 4 ingredients).
Hi Yanny, this is a little denser than our sponge cake but it is still nice and moist and doesn’t seem heavy. It’s the softest when enjoyed the day it is made, but it does keep well.
Hi Natasha,
I want to make this cake recipe for father’s day, but I do not have the same baking dishes as those that you used. Can I use one baking dish which is larger.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Dania, that should work but without testing it in something like a 9×13 cake pan, I could only guess at the baking time.
Hi Natasha!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I baked this cake with my kids for my daughter’s 9th birthday. The cake was easy to make even with two children wanting to participate in everything. The result was outstanding!
The cake was delicious, especially the buttercream was finger licking good. I think I ate atleast half a cup of it while putting it on the cake.
There were no leftovers! It’s my husbands birthday next month. Do you have an amazing carrot cake recipe I can try?
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, I am so glad that everyone loved the chocolate cake! Here’s my Carrot Cake recipe. I hope you like it too.
A family member is allergic to coffee. What can I substitute.
Hi Mary. Don’t worry, you can’t taste the coffee in the final product, but it really amplifies the flavor of chocolate. Feel free to substitute with decaf coffee if you prefer.
Hi Natasha!
I’m preparing to make 2 of your cakes this week for parties on Saturday. This one and the carrot cake. Sometimes on busy weeks, I bake/frost and place the ready cake in the freezer for a few days until it’s ready to be served. (I use the freezing/thawing methods from cakebycourtney and usually those cakes are with a type of buttercream frosting). However, would you recommend freezing either this cake or the carrot cake already frosted? Or would it be safer to just freeze the cake alone, and just frost the day before the event?
Thanks!
Hi Karina, it depends on the frosting. If it is a buttercream frosting, it will freeze better than a cream cheese frosting. I would freeze the layers then thaw and assemble before your event.
Hi Natasha,
I was wanting to use this recipe but I need my cake to have 3 layers. Since this recipe makes 2 layers, would I just need to divide everything by 1/2 and then add that for the extra layer?
Hi Jenn. You can make 1.5 times the recipe and that will fit 3 pans.
hii Natasha can i use nestle gold coffee or can i use nestle original coffee?
Hi Amirah, I haven’t tested those specifically to advise. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
Hi Natasha,
What’s the difference between this chocolate cake recipe and the one you have posted as chocolate cake with Swiss meringue buttercream. I’m looking for a birthday cake to stack.
Hi Ana, this cake is eggless. I hope that helps.
So geared for those with an egg allergy? Thanks – I’ll use the other recipe then 🙂
Hi Ana, no not necessarily. This one just does not require eggs. It’s a very popular cake on our site.
Wats ur cup size 250 ml ? As im planning to bake this cake … n the metric conversion link i tried many times its not opening i stay in dubai … actually i always measure everything in grams and ml
When you click Jump to Recipe you may click the word Metric to see it in grams.
Please gv egg replacement too mam
We actually didn’t use eggs in this recipe.
Yes yes sorry i didnt mean for this receipe , i loved ur recps n wanted to baked few but had eggs so was just asking pls for vegetarians if possible gv egg replacementif possible by the way just love watching ur video ur too sweet
What’s the difference in terms of flavour and texture between this chocolate cake recipe and your go to chocolate cake recipe? It would be for a birthday cake. I noticed the cocoa amounts and sugar were different between both recipes.
Hi Ana, I’m not sure which other chocolate cake recipe you are referring to. Can you let me know the name of the post? Thanks!
I want to make the chocolate cake, what is the difference between what olive oil to use?
Hi Rosalie, I use an extra light olive oil which has a higher smoke point and is flavorless and odorless. I would avoid using extra virgin olive oil.
This chocolate cake was fabulous! Do you have a recipe for a white cake as well?
Hi Diane, I haven’t tried that yet to advise so I am not sure how it will turn out without it. You might want to try the vanilla recipe instead.
Hi Natasha, thanks for your recipe! Looks great! One question, my roommate is allergic to coffee, what could I substitute this for?
Hello you are welcome. You can’t taste the coffee in the final product, but it really amplifies the flavor of chocolate. Feel free to substitute with decaf coffee if you that’s okay.
Natasha, first I wanna say I was super nervous about making this cake since it was meant for my boyfriend’s birthday and I just didn’t have time to make another one in case this one wouldn’t work. Being OCD, I compared your recipe with many others and it just didn’t make sense to me as all of them asked for eggs and some other ingredients. Anyway, at the end I just decided to go with it. To my surprise, it came out super delicious. I did make some changes to accommodate my boyfriend’s taste. I didn’t put cocoa into frosting. I added blackberries between layers and on top of the cake for decoration. I also covered cake with chocolate shavings. It came out very tasty and very pretty too.
Thank you!!!
That is so awesome! Thank you so much for sharing that with us, it makes me inspired to create more content for everyone. I appreciate your great feedback!
Hi natasha, have tried already some your recipes..it comes out perfect and irresistible…i will try this one now but would like to ask what is the exact measurement of the coffee to be mix with the water? Hope to hear from you soonest…can’t wait to make this chocolate recipe of yours for my husband’s birthday…thank you so much
Thanks for your good feedback, Beverly. We used brewed coffee but I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
Great cake recipe. Made it today. Wondering can I make it without cocoa so it is vanilla? Just leaving out the cocoa will it change texture? Love all you recipes!!!
Hi Patricia, I haven’t tried that yet to advise so I am not sure how it will turn out without it. You might want to try the vanilla recipe instead.
Hi Natasha, I have made this cake in the past and love it! I would like to make a slightly larger cake, possibly a 10” 2 layer, for a birthday party. I am unsure if I should make 1.5 recipes to allow for increase or if one recipe would work well enough. Obviously it might not be quite as tall. Have you tried this? Thank you!
Hi Kelly, I haven’t tested it that way but the cakes would be a little short for a 10″ cake. I would probably increase the recipe and bake a little longer.
Looks delicious!
Can I make these cakes tonight and make the frosting/frost tomorrow?
If so, how would they be best stored? In the fridge or just in an airtight container on the counter?
Thank you!
Hi Autumn, you can make the entire cake ahead of time. This cake does store well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let it come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving so the frosting and cake can soften. It does keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. If making just the layers wrap them in an airtight wrap or container and refrigerate.
Can this recipe be used to make cupcakes? I love the fact that it contains no eggs.
That should work. We actually combined our most popular chocolate frosting with these tried and true moist chocolate cupcakes to create the best chocolate cake.
2/3 cup light olive oil not extra virgin
can I use vegetable oil instead?
Hi Hala, the olive oil can be replaced with canola oil, I haven’t tried it with vegetable but it should work. The one I use is a LIGHT olive oil so it doesn’t have any flavor. The one you would want to avoid for desserts is extra virgin olive oil since that does have a strong flavor.
Thx.. I have tried it today with corn oil and didn’t taste it yet
Wish it’ll work
Thx for the recipe
You’re welcome! I hope you love this recipe!
I used coffee decoction from a filter (about 4tsp/cup) also I halfed the recipe and used 6 inch pans. Came out just fine. I’m noting this one down.
Gelreat to hear that, Sha. Thanks for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha, I made this cake
today and was delicious . I used grape oil , 4cups powder sugar and I add 3 tsp of instant coffee to the 2 cups of water always your recipes turn out very well
That is so awesome! Thank you for sharing that with us and I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Hi! Whats the measurement you used to make a cup of coffee? How many tbs/ tbsp in a cup of water?
Hi Gina, I haven’t tested this with instant coffee but here is what one of our readers wrote “Update for my cake. I made it again last Saturday for my son’s birthday and it turned out great! It was rich chocolate flavor (nobody noticed coffee). I used corn oil and for 2 cups coffee I used 3 teaspoons decaf instant coffee (light/medium roast).” I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha! We just LOVE this decadent cake and it’s our go to chocolate cake recipe for all occasions! I’ve really been wanting to use this recipe for cupcakes. How would you recommend I adjust the baking time and/or oven temperature?
Hi Ellie, I have the chocolate cupcake recipe here.
HI,Natasha!
Which spatula would you recommend?
Hi Svitlana, we have most of our tools linked in our shop here and in our amazon shop here. We link only the tools we recommend. We have the spatula we used for this recipe in the Amazon shop.
Hi Natasha
Want to give this beautiful cake a try . I do not like a lot of frosting . Will it come out the same if I measure out 1/2 of each ingredient for the frosting ? So making half of the frosting recipe . Thanks
Hi Az, we enjoy that frosting but without testing that I can’t advise if it will balance the cake well or not. If you experiment I would love to know how you like that.
Made this today for a cookout. Got lots of compliments. Well worth the effort; tastes so much better than a box mix.
Wonderful to hear that Shawn. Thank you for sharing your great feedback with us!
Natasha, hi, can i use 3 cups of powdered sugar to make frosting or it won’t be enough?
Also, if i have one cake pan and i have to bake one layer at a time what should i do with remaining batter? Leave it on the counter while first one is baking or put in the fridge?
Or, if i have one cake pan and one springform, can i just bake it at the same time just in different types of pans (they are the same diameter)
Thank you!
Hi Vlada, the powdered sugar helps to form the thickness of the frosting and tones down the cream cheese flavor. You could always experiment and add 3 to see if it is to your liking and add more to taste. I haven’t tested that in a tall walled pan like a springform pan to advise on bake times. Also, I’m not sure if the second layer would rise well after staying on the counter while the first layer bakes and cools.
Hi Natasha, you are an amazing cook do you by any chance have cook books that you sell
Thank you so much, Leila. I am currently working on a cookbook, I’ll make sure to share it with you all then it’s ready.
I made this delicious chocolate cake in a 28x9cm bar tin and decorated it with the chocolate whipped topping as written in the recipe.
The cake was amazingly moist and yummo!
It received a tick of approval from all the girls at the picnic.
That is so awesome! Thanks for sharing and for giving this recipe excellent feedback.
I was just wondering if this can be baked in a 9×13 pan. If so, would you need to adjust the icing recipe?
Hi Karen, I haven’t tested this in a 9×13 but I suspect if you cut the recipe in half, it would make a very flat cake. One of my readers reported baking the full recipe in a 9×13 pan with good results. She wrote: “Baking it in a casserole-style dish calls for a low and slow cooking method. I cooked it at 300 for 50-55 minutes.”
I added 1/4 cup heavy cream, used 2 sticks of salted butter and cut the powdered sugar to 3 1/2 cups. Frosting was perfect and more than enough to generously frost a round 2 layer cake with a cup and a half left over. Will definitely make again.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hello! I was wondering if there was an alternative to the light olive oil? Can we use regular vegetable oil or canola oil? Also, is there another brand of cocoa powder that you would recommend as the hershey’s one is out of stock!
Hi Jhanvi, That should work too or canola oil. The one you would want to avoid for desserts is extra virgin olive oil since that does have a strong flavor.
Hi Natasha. This cake looks amazing. I’m going to try and make for my partner’s birthday. Just have one question: Does the oven need to be set on fan or static? You mentioned in the recipe for the 4 ingredient sponge cake(I think) that the oven needs to be on static, not fan. I would have experimented but don’t want to ruin it this time.
Hi Natalia, it should be conventional oven settings and not convection (which is a fan oven setting).
I was searching through the reviews to see if anyone has tried this with almond flour?! I’ve made some of your others with it after reading through the reviews – I wish there was a way to search in the reviews!
Hi Cathy! You sure can. Press “Command” + “f” on your keyboard. I hope that helps! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Cathy!
Hi Natasha, thank you so much for sharing your amazing spirit blended with great recipes!
I am wondering why my batter came thick? I replaced one cup of water with one cup of oat milk/ is that why? I had to add an additional 1/4C water to make the batter less heavy. Any thoughts?
Thank you
Hi Heba, that is more than likely the culprit. Without testing that I’m unable to advise.
How much is 2/3 please
Hi Susan, if you click on the metric button, you will get a metric set of measurements which will help clarify.
Hi Natasha you did a three ingredient cake with 10 eggs and I can’t remember the other things but I’m trying to get that recipe can you please text it to me I would appreciate it thank you
Hi Donna, are you referring to this Boccone Dolce cake?
The cream cheese and butter has to be room temperature?
yes that is correct
Is there anything we can substitute in for the coffee? I know coffee is great in chocolate cakes, but we are not coffee drinkers.
Hi Julie. Don’t worry, you can’t taste the coffee in the final product, but it really amplifies the flavor of chocolate. Feel free to substitute with decaf coffee if you prefer.
Made this today for my Birthday. It was a smash hit! Super rich but not over sweet. Made me feel like a kid again as it was so much like what my mom would’ve made. Fancy and overly cakes are very trendy, but bot very homey. Thanks Natasha!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Kristena!
No eggs..why not
Hi Lucille, that is correct. This is an eggless chocolate cake. You won’t miss the eggs.
Hi Natasha, planning to try this recipe for my brother’s birthday two days later. I had a doubt. For the 2 cups of warm coffee – how much coffee to be put in each cup? Don’t want an overload of coffee flavour
Hi Adeeba, are you referring to instant coffee? I haven’t tested this with instant coffee but here is what one of our readers wrote “Update for my cake. I made it again last Saturday for my son’s birthday and it turned out great! It was rich chocolate flavor (nobody noticed coffee). I used corn oil and for 2 cups coffee I used 3 teaspoons decaf instant coffee (light/medium roast).” I hope that helps.
hello Natasha, just wanted you to know that i tried this recipe a couple of times and it came out perfect on both occasions. My husband is not a chocolate guy but he loved it.
That’s so awesome! Isn’t it so good! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Hi Natasha, Here’s a suggestion: I’ve used cream cheese before as a base for chocolate frosting. But try SOUR CREAM instead. I use about 3/4 cup, a cube of butter, and 3-4 cups powdered sugar. The sour cream gives a nice tang to the frosting and balances off the sugar.
Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha,
I made this chocolate cake about a month ago and it was to die for. I was so excited! I tried to make it again for Mother’s day, but it was not the same. Have you adjusted the recipe? There are some ingredients or measurements that perhaps changed? For example, I remember 1C of warm coffee, some baking powder, I don’t recall cream cheese for the frosting. Perhaps I made a mistake, but I just wanted to ask. I regret not printing the recipe. Thank you. Love your recipes!!
Hi Priscilla, we have not adjusted this recipe. Was anything possibly altered on your end?
Hi Natasha,
Can we use Cacao Powder by Viva? I am reading that cocoa and cacao are a bit different. The Hershey’s picture you have does say cacao powder on the box But your recipe calls for cocoa powder. So I wanted to check it with you first. Thanks for awesome recipes! 🙏
Hi Flower, I’m not familiar with that product and not sure if it has any additives. You might google that to double-check. This article on cacao vs cocoa might help.
I’m new at baking but this recipe is very easy to make and it is so delicious. I’ll be making it again for sure and this will be my go to recipe for chocolate cake.
That’s awsome, Mira. I’m so glad you enjoyed the chocolate cake recipe!
Hi Natasha, can I make this as one layer cake? Or cut the ingredients in half? Thanks!
Hi, I haven’t tried that but it should work to cut the recipe in half.
Thank you for sharing your chocolate cake recipe. I am not a baker and this was the first time I’m baking a cake. I’ve had a hand mixer for over 25 years, never used it and once I used it for this recipe, it broke! It was a cheap brand. My husband ended up helping me whisk the recipe by hand! It wasn’t easy but the cake came out so good! It was all worth it! Thank you again! Love your you tube channel! More power!
So great to hear from you, Pam. Thank you for sharing your story with us, I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed the first time that you baked and I think you will be making some more! I hope you love every recipe that you try.
Can I make icing and refrigerate overnight?
I accidentally put baking powder in and then when I realized it I added the baking soda, yikes
Hope it doesn’t mess up the cake.
Hi Ruthie, This cake does store well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let it come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving so the frosting and cake can soften. Tt does keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I have tried several of your recipes and have loved each and every one and this cake is no exception! Thank you
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Just finished making it and WOW it is a crowd pleaser and so easy.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Inge!
Can i substitute the olive oil for canola oil when making the chocolate cake?
That should work too Saira
Hi, can I make this recipe without white vinegar?
Hi Laura, I haven’t tested it any other way so I can’t make that recommendation. The recipe needs vinegar to activate the baking soda.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use Organic Raw-unfiltered Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar?
Hi Anita, I have not personally tried that yet but someone else commented this “Best chocolate cake I’ve probably ever had! I didn’t have white vinegar and substituted it 1Tb of apple cider vinegar and butter instead of olive oil! Turned out great!”
I really want to make this cake, however in total it has 7 cups of sugar. There any way to decrease it or substitute?
Hello Daisy, I honestly haven’t tried that yet but others shared that they cut down the sugar a bit but didn’t mention the measurements.
Hello Natasha, Can I use spreadable cream cheese instead of Brick Cream Cheese.
Thanks
Hi Rima, I haven’t tested this with whipped cream cheese so I’m not sure how it would affect the texture or if more would be needed. I only tested plain cream cheese.
Hi Natasha, I have tried quite a few of your recipe and it’s always very yummy..Thank you for sharing such a keeper recipes. However, there are some quantity in the ingredients that I would like to double confirm with you. How many grams is your 1 cup of butter? As I always find my cake esp. the frosting to be very oily..
Aso, can I blend my own powdered sugar from caster sugar? As I could not find it around my area. Is it the same as Icing sugar?
Hi Thang, we have the metric conversion option on the printable recipe card towards the bottom of the post. Click the red “metric” word and it will translate to grams. In this case, servings sized unadjusted there is 227 g of butter in the frosting. I hope that helps. Also, I haven’t tested that with caster sugar but I bet that could work! If you experiment please let me know how you like this recipe.
Made your chocolate cake today and it turned out perfect it’s to die for. 🇦🇺
Yay so glas you tried and loved it!
Hi I made this today with my daughters and it was AWESOME! The recipe is flawless. I actually halved it and it turned out perfect. Thanks Natasha, love your work.
Hello Tazeen, so glad to hear that you had a bonding experience with your daughters. I’m so glad that you all enjoyed the cake!
How much coffee did you dissolve in 2 cups of warm water?
Hi Alex, we used brewed coffee. I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
my 4 and 2 year old and I just made this cake to say “I love you” to our main man(hubby/daddy). Best chocolate cake ever! It’s super easy and highly recommend. Thank you for the recipe!!!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m all smiles
Hello. I made this cake today for my father-in-law’s birthday. I did however made another frosting as I did not have cream cheese in the house. What a lovely cake! The coffee give such a lovely taste!
I love your blog, and love your videos on FB! Love all the way from South Africa!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I am planning to try this out today and I am very excited about it! I just had a question about your flour measuring. I usually use recipes that have gram measurements just because I have found those to be the most accurate. When you measure out your flour did you scoop into the measuring cup and level or did you spoon it into the measuring cup and them level? I’ve heard that this can make a huge impact on cakes. Thank you !
Hi Amber, we always spoon it in and level it off. We have this post on measuring that we wrote up. I hope it helps.
I have Olive oil can I use that instead of light olive oil?
Hi Jill, that should work too or canola oil. The one you would want to avoid for desserts is extra virgin olive oil since that does have a strong flavor.
I have a Keurig coffee machine. How many oz coffee should i select. The options i have is 6, 8,10 and 12oz
Hi Sarah, I would do two 8 oz (2 separate pods) to get the 16 oz you need.
Hi Natasha,
I’m wondering if you could use self rising flour instead of all purpose? It’s all I have right now. Thanks
Hi Laura, I haven’t tested that to advise and since self-rising flour has leavening in it, I’m not sure what other adjustments need to be made in the cake. Let me know if you experiment.
Hi Natasha!
I want to try this recipe for my 1 yr old kids. Any sweetener can you advise to use instead of powdered sugar? Just to be friendly safe about sugar with the kids. Thanks!
Hi Dona, I haven’t experimented with other sweeteners for this recipe so I can’t advise on that. If anyone else has recommendations, please let us know.
I have olive oil not light can I use this?
Hi Jill, olive oil can be replaced with canola oil, I haven’t tried it with vegetable but it should work. The one I use is a LIGHT olive oil so it doesn’t have any flavor. The one you would want to avoid for desserts is extra virgin olive oil since that does have a strong flavor.
That should work too or canola oil. The one you would want to avoid for desserts is extra virgin olive oil since that does have a strong flavor.
i think u made mistake on typing the recepie.it is 5 table spoon not 5 cup powder suger.ami right?
Hi Sama, 5 cups per the recipe is correct. You can add the powdered sugar to taste but 5 Tbsp would not be nearly enough.
This is an interesting recipe in that it has no eggs.
I hope you give it a try soon!
Hi Natasha! I tried to make the chocolate cake tonight for the first time! I followed your recipe to the letter and it was coming out great. It tasted great. However, as soon as I applied the frosting, to my horror the top cake broke in 4 and the frosting started pooring to the sides! The laughter that went on with my husband was unreal! So for some reason the cake broke. My cakes which i made sure were the same size rose up more than your video. I applied the top cake bottom up like you adviced so i wonder if that was the prob? My frosting also felt a bit loose and wouldn’t stay in place. Any ideas?!! Thank u!!
Hi Demetra, Sorry to hear that. I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Did you butter the sides of the pan and also use the ring of parchment on the bottom? I haven’t had that happen but it sounds like it could have been underbaked if it was splitting. Did it pass the toothpick test and seem cooked in the center? I hope that helps to troubleshoot. With this one, it’s pretty easy to cover up with frosting even if your cake completely broke in half since that frosting is very forgiving and holds the cake together once it’s on.
There is no way to thank about your delicious recipes. Thanks for bringing happiness to our homes with your beautiful smile.
You’re so nice! Thank you!
Hello Natashas, when baking the cake, can I use one pan to bake it then separate into two layers after it’s baked? What would be the differences for the taste or texture? Does it take different time for baking?
Hi Jianer, I haven’t tested that in a tall walled pan like a springform pan to advise on bake times (it would overwhelm a single standard cake pan).
Hi there! just wondering how far in advance can I make this cake? And will refrigerating it ruin the icing or texture?
Hi Pip, you can make the entire cake ahead of time. This cake does store well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let it come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving so the frosting and cake can soften. It does keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Hi Natasha,
Can I substitute lemon juice for the vinegar?
Hi Laura, I honestly haven’t tested that so I’m not sure how it would affect the flavor. One of my readers mentioned this in a comment but it wasn’t clear if she had tested this with her own family version of chocolate cake or our recipe that I had posted: “I’ve also used cider vinegar and lemon juice and again, good results.”
I just tested this with lemon juice came out perfect
Beautiful cake.
Had abit of splitting but all good
Thank you for sharing that with us, Nicole!
If I could, I’d give another ten stars to this cake recipe! I did it for Easter day (19th. April, Greek Orthodox Easter) everyone LOVED it, and it was by far, the easyest cake I ever baked.
Literally, not a breadcramb left. Vanished in two days.
Absolutelly deliciousQ
Thank you, a million times Natasha for this amazing recipe!!!
You are very welcome and thank you for always trusting this recipe! I am so happy to know that you loved it!
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for sharing ur recipe. I accidentally added baking powder instead of baking soda. What would be the effect of that?
Hi Mayrim, I hope it still works out fo you but, it may not have enough rising power. Baking soda is 4 times stronger than baking powder.
Hi, just wondering, is the vinegar used to add moistness to the cake? I’ve never heard of/knew vinegar is used in baking cakes
Hi Landry, the vinegar is necessary as it activates the baking soda and helps with rising.
This chocolate cake is absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making this again and again!
Awesome! Thanks for giving this recipe a high rating, Barb.
Hi natasha, thank you for ur recipe. Im from south africa, can i use full cream smooth cottage chesse instead of cream cheese in this recipe.
Hi Raelene, I haven’t tested to advise that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi
In frosting we have to add 5 cups of powdered sugar or 5 tbsp ?-
Hi Shumaila, 5 cups per the recipe is correct. You can add the powdered sugar to taste but 5 Tbsp would not be nearly enough.
Hi Natasha,
Can you make the icing without the cocoa powder to make it vanilla instead of chocolate? Anything I should add in its place?
Hi Mallory, I haven’t tested that but I bet that could work.
Hi Natasha!
I was wondering if the icing can be made a day in advanced? (For future reference) I just pulled my cake out of the oven and cannot wait to share this with my office!
Hi Dana, you can make the entire cake ahead of time. This cake does store well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let it come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving so the frosting and cake can soften. It does keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I made it tonight, so moist and light and delicious!!! I did with cup cake size (18 comes) and without frosting (with whipped cream) because no cream cheese in my refrigerator but I will definitely make frosting tomorrow!!! Thank you Natasha!!! love your recipes!!
Thank you for your great feedback, Rika. I’m so happy to know that you enjoyed this recipe!
Hello! I plan to make this for my husbands birthday and wanted to make a 3-tier cake. Can your recipe be stretched to adding a third 9in pan? Thanks!
Hi Cynthia, I haven’t tested that but I think it could possibly work but I can’t say for sure how long it would take to bake. Let me know if you experiment.
Hi Natasha! I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while, but I’d really prefer to make it as cupcakes! Any advice as to baking temp/time?
Hi Evelyn, I have the chocolate cupcake recipe here.
I only have salted butter at this time. Should I lower the amount of salt in the icing? Also, I have a bottle of “mild” olive oil and canola oil. Which would be best to use? Looking forward to making this wonderful chocolate cake for my anniversary today! Love your site and recipes! Thank you!
Hi Victoria, I haven’t tested this with salted butter to say for sure if it would affect the taste. I would omit the salt if using salted butter. Several readers have reported great results using canola oil.
Made this wonderful cake and it was amazing! I did post a couple of pictures for you on facebook.
Perfect! Thank you for sharing and I’ll make sure to check it out.
Hi Natasha!! I’m from Guadalajara, mexico..
No eggs in recipe? It’s ok?
Thank you
Huges
Hi Sofia, that is correct. This is an eggless chocolate cake. You won’t miss the eggs.
I tried the dark chocolate cupcakes and they turned out amazing. Why doesn’t this recipe call for eggs?
Thank you for sharing that Rhode. This recipe doesn’t call for eggs as we use other ingredients to help with the cake’s volume.