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
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Can I use instant coffee for this?
Hi yes, just make it according to package instructions.
Hi natasha this cake so delicious I try to make a month ago my friends really like it, thank you so much natasha, your a great baker ever.. 😘😘😘😘
You’re welcome, Maria! Thank you for sharing that wonderful feedback.
Cake are in the oven but batter was so good🤤
I was in the middle of making the icing when my pretty new mixer broke (overworked it I guess) So I continued to mix by hand and it is by far the best chocolate buttercream frosting I’ve ever tasted . Worth a broken mixer. 😂
Oh no, sorry to hear about the broken mixer! But so good to know that you enjoyed this recipe, Yasmine!
Hello, I want to know how many grams of flour, sugar and cream cheese.
Hello Katya. Our new recipes can be converted to grams, just click on Jump to recipe and click Metric. I hope that helps!
What! I never thought I could cook a cake this good and that my craving for chocolate could be satisfied. Thank’s to you for this amazing recipe. (I think I’m addicted to your blog: 2 recipes for today and another one tomorrow!) Keep up the good work xoxo
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed our recipes, Carina!
Made this cake for my sister yesterday and it was absolutely AMAZING!!!
Used a different vanilla frosting instead, but absolutely phenomenal!!! Thank you so much Natasha!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Can I add chocolate chips to this cake?
I imagine that will work too!
Nancy, Tell your husband he just got a whole lot of new friends for his big day!! Happy Birthday to him…what time is the party?? 🙂
Can you use canola oil if you don’t have light olive oil? I only use EVOO.
Hi Janine, yes, You can use vegetable or canola oil too.
H. I wonder about the size of your baking pans. Were they the 9 inch ones? Also, what brand are they? There are so many options out there, it’s hard to choose. Thanks! 🙂
Hi Yulia, yes, they are 9″. You can find our favorite baking tools in our blog shop HERE or our Amazon Shop HERE.
👍
Thank you!
Hi Natasha I am a huge fan of your YouTube channel and a watch a video everyday! Your chocolate cake is so amazing and my family loved it I am going to make it again
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderfully easy chocolate recipe to make and follow and so delicious. My husband’s 60th birthday cake is a success! Thank you Natasha!
Happy Birthday to your husband, Nancy! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Thanks for the birthday wishes. Tomorrow’s the big day but we wanted to dig into some cake a few days before to extend the celebrations. Btw, I love following your channel!
Hi Natasha I think your chocolate cake is amazing. I made the cake and it was delicious
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha i really love your yt channel i always watch that. And i wanna try your chocolate ckae recipe but i don’t have yet oven. Can i use Turbo boiler or microwave for the cake?
Hi Joanna, I have only tried this in an oven; I can’t advise you on making this in a microwave if you happen to experiment though, I would love to know how you like that.
Okayy i will try for my birthday. But thank you 😊
Happy Birthday, Joanna!
Tried this out yesterday for someone’s birthday and the results were stunning. Previously, whenever there were no eggs in the recipe, my baked goods would just not hold up, that was not the case with this. Enjoyed Natasha and her goofy smile while watching the video, and enjoyed baking it more. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Ayesha!
Hi Natasha, I want to make two different cakes, one chocolate base and top a sponge. Which two recipes would go together to have a consistency in both sponges?
Hi Steve, have you tried our sponge cake? You can make one layer by the recipe and follow this recipe here for the chocolate version.
Hello!!! I was just curious could I make this cake in two 8” cake pans? Would that be ok? Also it looks so so yummy (^•^)
Hi Anne, It might work with two 8-inch pans but I haven’t tested it so I won’t be able to give you precise baking instructions.
Hi Natasha,
Check checking to ask if this cake has no eggs? Is that correct? It looks delicious!
Hi Mary, the recipe is correct and there are no eggs.
This recipe is truly amazing! I made it for my daughter’s birthday and it was a huge hit. My family has now urged me never to lose this recipe. I subbed the light olive oil with corn oil and it worked well. Seriously if you’re looking for a great and easy chocolate cake recipe. Try this one!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Natasha
Your recipes are amazing…what can we substitute the oil with?
Thank you! You can use vegetable or canola oil too
Hi natasha, i want to make this cake today. But can you replace the extra virgen olive oil by sunflower oil?
Greetings from the netherlands
Hi Finn, sunflower oil can impart a different flavor I would probably go with avocado instead if you have it.
I used almond flour and my cake flopped. It was still boiling after 1hr. 👎🏿.
CAN ALMOND FLOUR BE USED.????
Hi Ann, I haven’t tried that substitution, so I can’t say how that would taste or affect the cake’s rise. We do recommend trying the recipe as written before making any substitutions.
My oven will fit only 1 ( 9” pan ) at a time. What can I do?
Hi Tanuja, I haven’t tested that in one pan; I imagine you will need a tall walled pan like a springform pan, but without testing that, I cannot advise on bake times (it would overwhelm a single standard cake pan). I would make half of the cake batter, bake that, and then make the second half.
If I bake half batter first, after 35 min rest batter will rise as same as first one?
Is the cake a bit heavy or spongy?
I always bake this right away so I’m not sure what effect it would have on the cake if it sits out for awhile before baking. I would say it’s both soft and spongy but it does have some weight to it.
Hi Natasha! Just wanna ask if ok to use instant coffee? And if yes, what should be the measurement?
Hi Doris that should work; I would follow package instructions.
This was the best chocolate cake ever!! My family I shared with, were wanting me to make another as soon as possible!!
Thanks Natasha for this wonderful recipe!!
DebyG
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Debra!
Natasha, your recipes are amazing! Everything I have made from your blog is a keeper, even with my picky kiddos! I love this chocolate cake recipe too! It tastes amazing! My only issue is, my cake fell. I live in Colorado and usually have to change up my baking recipes a little because of the altitude. Should I add more flour next time? Will this help with the cake falling? Thank you!
That sounds wonderful, Stacey! I haven’t experimented on this recipe at a high altitude to advise but here’s an article on High Altitude Baking that can help.
This cake is really, really, really good. Cake was moist and not overly sweet. I did reduce the amount of confectioners sugar in the frosting….4 cups was plenty. Will definately make again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi can I make cupcakes with this recipe because it is eggless
Hi Anu, that will work! I also have another recipe for that. Here’s my Chocolate Cupcake recipe.
Thanku so much
Hello Natasha , I am going to bake this chocolate cake for the first time. So can I bake 1/2 the recipe? If then which pan should I use and what time should I follow?
Hi Shoma, if you click on the serving size in the recipe card, you can slide it up or down to scale the recipe ingredient lists. I hope that helps!
Yea got it. But what size of mold should I use? How can I measure it?
Hi Shoma, I used two 9″ cake pans in this recipe.
Hi Natasha. This recipe looks sl good. Can I bake this cake in a 9 inch square pan later cut it in half for the layering?
Hi Cheryl, I haven’t tested that so I’m not sure how it would bake up. It may be difficult to cut as it is a fairly soft, moist, and crumbly crumb which is why I bake 2 layers separately.
Hi Natasha. Just bake this cake today and wohoo it’s so so so good. I did not layer the cake and baked half of the recipe using a 7 inch square pan. It’s really moist and fluffy. My family ate a piece and they can’t stop eating. It’s just so good!
One question, my cake has a big crack in the middle and the middle did not flatten after it cools to room temperature which makes it quite difficult to frost. Any suggestions or tips to avoid the crack and flatten the cake?
Hi Cheryl, be sure to let it cool completely before transferring, that is the most likely culprit of a crack.
Hi Natasha. Looks like a yummy recipe, but is it possible to substitute warm chocolate milk for the coffee?
Hi Jason, I haven’t tested that so I’m not sure.
Hi love I am going to try and made your chocolate cake and it tells me to cups of Coffee can you please tell me how strong the coffee should be
Hi Carol, we used brewed coffee, but I suggest following the package instructions, which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
Hi Natasha,
Indeed yummy cake thank you. Just wanted to ask for help bec I have tried this around 5 times and followed the recipe but the cake kept on braking in the middle. What to do?
Hi Cheddy, be sure to let it cool completely before transferring. That is the most likely culprit of a crack.
Hi Natasha, this cake looks outstanding! I want to make it but my oven won’t fit 2, 9 inch cake pans. Can I make the batter and bake one, then the other or will something happen to the batter on my 2nd cake because it was sitting so long
Hi Debbie, I haven’t tested that in one pan; I imagine you will need a tall walled pan like a springform pan, but without testing that, I cannot advise on bake times (it would overwhelm a single standard cake pan). I would make half of the cake batter, bake that, and then make the second half.
I want to bake it in 2 pans as in the recipe but can I bake the first one then the other when the first one comes out? Will something happen to the batter because it was sitting so long to be baked?
Hi Debbie, I do worry the batter will lose its volume as it sits. Suppose you happen to test it out, though; please let us know how you like that.
Hi natasha can I use another type of oil like coconut or vegetable oil?
Hi Erika, I honestly haven’t tried coconut oil, so I could only guess that one. But you may try vegetable or canola oil.
1/2 of this recipe and eliminating the coffee is the one my Mom and her Mom used for years and I still do. 1/2 of this recipe makes a good 8”x8” cake just for two or three people.
We always called it Wacky Cake and it is moist and delicious!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi, I just tried the cake.it roze well and i waiting for it yo cool down before I add the frosting. But I felt that the cake has a weird after taste? Could it be the baking soda? I didn’t add more than what was in the recipe.. Also, it was very interesting to see how it works without eggs. Never made a cake with no eggs. So I am pleasantly surprised. thank you so much
Hi Ghazal, the baking soda should not have any kind of after taste since it is activated by the vinegar. I’m not sure why else that would be as I’ve never noticed any kind of after taste in this cake. Did you possibly omit the vinegar or consider if any of the ingredients were changed or substituted?
If I use water instead of coffee, how much should I decrease the sugar?
Hi, I would not decrease the sugar. Coffee isn’t sweet so there wouldn’t need to be a sugar substitution. Coffee just amplifies the flavor of chocolate and gives it richer flavor. I still highly recommend using coffee instead of water, even if it is decaf.
Hi Natasha! This looks so good and I want to make it for a birthday, but I don’t need the whole 9 inch cake. Can I half it to a 6 inch cake instead? Thanks!
Hi Audrey, I have not tested this in a 6-inch pan but it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha, thanks for sharing the Chocolate Cake recipe. Can I use a bundt pan and put a ganache chocolate glaze on this cake? Thanks for your time.
Also, I made your spinach dip and was great, next time I want add some crab…delicious 😋. Thanks again.
Hi Debra, I have not tested this in a bundt cake to advise. If you experiment with that, please let me know how you like it.
I made this yesterday for my birthday cake and it’s delicious!! Only things to watch is the cooking time. Mine could of been a couple minutes less. Also watch putting the kitchen mits in the edge of the cake. It fell a little on the edge. Let it cool about 15 minutes longer as my first layer fell just a little. Other wise it’s soooooo good!
Very nice, thanks for your comments and suggestions. We appreciate you sharing with us, Wendy!
Natasha can you talk a little about baking and higher elevations.
Hey Natasha. I must thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s putting food on my table (even literally)! Wanted to ask why you don’t use hot coffee for the recipe. I’m often in a hurry and can’t wait for it to cool down so I just dump it in hot and I haven’t noticed anything “bad”. Please can you help out?
Thank you for sharing that – I’m glad it works out for you to use hot coffee. I have always used warm since I figured out this cake batter.
If you love chocolate, THIS IS THE CAKE! Delicious! Only made half the frosting and it was still plenty to cover the entire cake and have filling in the middle. Thank you for another great recipe Natasha.
I’m happy you enjoyed that, Christine! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review!
Is it OK to use room temprature coffee?
Hi, yes that should work fine, so long as it is not hot coffee.
Hi Natasha.
I want to make this delicious cake on New Year’s Eve. Can you clarify the coffee part pls? Should I use 2 cups of brewed coffee?
Hello Mel, we used brewed coffee but I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
hi Natasha! i was wondering if without the addition of buttermilk or milk the cake would taste dark and bitter?
Hi Annah, per the instructions the cake does not taste dark and bitter.
Hi Natasha,
I love this recipe and how moisture in this chocolate cake is! I was wondering if you have a similar recipe for veggie cake sheets but without cocoa&coffee? Thanks!
Thank you so much for your great feedback. Regarding your question, I don’t have a recipe for that yet but thanks for your suggestion!
Can this be made in a 9×13?
Hi Karen, that should work in a 9×13 but without testing it in something like a 9×13 cake pan, I could only guess at the baking time.
Hi Natasha, I love your recipes! Im in the UK and i always struggle with ‘baking soda’. Here we have have ‘bi carbonate of soda’ or ‘baking powder’…. I don’t suppose you know which one I should be using?
Hi Jenny, Baking soda tends to be the American name, while in the UK and Australia, it is called bicarbonate of soda. We have baking powder here in America also, and that is different than baking soda. I hope this is helpful!
Hello Natasha. It is very difficult to find light olive oil in my city. Is it okay to use pomace olive oil instead?
Hello Mary, I have tried that yet to advise but you may also use vegetable or canola oil.
Hello Natasha! Love, love, love this cake and frosting. I would however like to make in advance and freeze. So my question is: Can I freeze the icing?
Thanks!
Hi Anne, I haven’t tried freezing the full assembled cake (it does keep in the fridge for up to 5 days), but I think that would work fine to freeze, but I would cover the sliced portion with plastic wrap, so it doesn’t dry out or get freezer burn. For the frosting, 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 them before your event if you plan on freezing part of it.
Hi Natasha,
First of all thank you so much for getting back to me.
Second, this is the best chocolate cake ever. It was so delicious and phenomenal. I just made it for my friend’s birthday. We couldn’t stop eating!!
It is so easy to make. Really thank you!!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi Natasha,
all your recipes I used are amazing, can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Rinal, I haven’t tested this with cake flour, but cake flour may be too light for this recipe. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
Hi Natasha
I have only one 9inch pan.. can I bake one layer at a time..
How much time and degree would one layer need in the oven.
If you could let me know
Thanks.
Hi Rashida, I always bake them together but I would keep them at the same temperature when baking. My only concern is that hopefully, the second layer doesn’t deflate by being out on the counter for that length of time.
Thanks Natasha for replying
Appreciate it
Hi Natasha,
Love your site. There is always great recipes. I am going to make the chocolate cake for my son’s 10th birthday. I am wondering if I can use whipping cream instead of the chocolate frosting.
Hi Naheed, it would work to use a vanilla frosting, but I suggest a little heavier frosting like a buttercream frosting since the cake layers are pretty heavy and may squash a light whipped cream in the center.
Can this recipe be used in a pudding basin shape please
Hi Jan, I haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Mazola corn oil is ok?
Hi Violet, I haven’t tested that, but one of our readers reported using corn oil successfully.
Ho Natasha,
Thank you for your delicious receipe. The chocolate cupcakes receipe was turned out amazing and super yummy for my daughter’s birthday.
I want to try the chocolate cake recipe this time.
Can i prepare it 2 days ahead or not?
Thank you
Donia
You are so welcome, Donia. Glad you loved the cupcakes! 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.
Wonderful recipe! I loved the cake. Can I make cupcakes with the same recipe?
Yes you can but I have another recipe for that. Here’s my Chocolate Cupcake recipe
I AM ALWAYS TRYING TO DO 3 THINGS AT ONCE SO I USED YOUR RECIPE AND MICROWAVED IT.STARTED OFF WITH 3 MINS ON FULL AND THEN 2 MINS AT A TIME CHECKING THAT IT HADN´T DRIED OUT
I have never tried microwaving a cake before. I hope that works out for you.
Hi can I make cupcakes out of this recipe
Hi Anu, you sure can, but I have another recipe for that. Here’s my Chocolate Cupcake recipe.
Can you use veg oil instead if olive oil in this cho cake recipe?
Hi Gail, vegetable oil should be good too. The one I use is 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 it has a strong flavor.
I tried this and everything came out soooooo yummy! The only thing that happened to me was that my edges came out crispy. (Definitely didn’t want that—but was still delish) 👀 what did I do wrong?! Haha
Would you just suggest cutting the baking time a bit?
Hi Addie! I haven’t had that happen, BUT that may be the culprit. It could be that the oven is running too hot? I would recommend making sure it is calibrating and following all the steps to make sure nothing was substituted.
Can I use a 9×13 pan? If so, what temperature and how long do I cook it?
Hi Judy, that should work in a 9×13 but without testing it in something like a 9×13 cake pan, I could only guess at the baking time.
What can I use instead of coffee?
I am allergic to coffee! Thx
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.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use vegetable oil instead of olive for the chocolate cake recipe. Thanks
Hi Sandra, yes that would work too.
Hi do you do a recipe book I could buy please thanks
Hi Catherine, not at the moment but I am already working on it. Thanks for asking!
How much batter do you put in each pan? In grams?
Hi Lavinia, I wish I had measured it this way. We try to make sure it’s about the same amount in each pan. What you can do is weigh the total batter and then make sure you put 50% of that weight into each pan.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I was wondering if I could use instant coffee instead of brewed coffee?
Hi Jamie, 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,
In the recipe it says 5 cups of powdered sugar for the frosting. I have measuring cups and 5 cups seems like a lot. Do you use different cups? For reference how many grams is 5 cups of powdered sugar? In the video it looks like a lot less than 5 cups.
Hi Gisele, 5 cups per the recipe is correct. We used 5 cups of powdered sugar. It may seem like a lot, but it is a lot of frosting and keep in mind that 1 cup of powdered sugar is actually 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. I tested this by adding the powdered sugar to taste (and you can do the same), but I landed at 5 cups as the perfect balance of sweetness.
Thank you for responding. How much does 5 cups of powdered sugar weigh? I want to check my measuring cup to make sure they are accurate and that we are using the same. If it’s easier for you how much does 1 cup of regular granulated sugar weight?
Hi Gisele, we have the metric conversion option, which will translate that to grams on our printable recipe card. That should be about 600 g of powdered sugar. I hope you find this helpful.
Just made this cake for my daughter’s 2nd birthday, and her first piece of cake! It was delicious, easy to make, and the frosting was fun to make too. Thank you!
Love it! You are most welcome, Diana. Happy 2nd Birthday to your daughter and wishing her more birthdays to come!
How many grams of sugar was it? My measuring cups look too big so I wanted to check. Also says 5 cups of powdered sugar but in the video was less.
OMG I made this cake today and let me tell you it did NOT disappoint! It was super simple, came together easily, and was delicious. This will certainly go into rotation at my house. Thanks, Natasha, for such a wonderful recipe!
Yay, love it! Thank you for sharing that with me, Susan.
Is it ok to use a pure cane sugar that is less refined than the regular white kind asked for in this recipe?
Hello Beatriz, that’s a good question however, I have not tried that yet to advise if it’s going to work. You might need to experiment to find out. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
Can I use vegetable oil؟
Hi Kooka, vegetable oil should be good too. The one I use is 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 it has a strong flavor.
Can I do without olive oil with vegetable oil?
Yes, vegetable or canola oil.
Hi Natasha,
Is there a certain way that the coffee should be made?Should it be strong on caffeine or no?
Hi Val, we used brewed coffee but I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
Can you use Self rising flour in place of the all purpose flour?
Many thanks
Hi Emmeline, 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.
I am very excited to try this recipe for my dad’s birthday. I was wondering if you can include any type of fruit as part of the layers. If yes, what’s the best way to do it? Thank you in advance.
Hello Yuliya, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise but I saw others who have already done that and it worked great!
Hi there! If I don’t have light olive oil can I sub EVOO? I see in the recipe that I shouldn’t but that’s all I have on hand.
Hi Debbie, I haven’t tried that yet but other substitutes can also be vegetable or canola oil.
Hi Natasha i made you choclate cake for thanksgivng it was so moist loved it very much.my grand kids don’t eat eggs so they were very hay
Hello Velma, so nice to know that you and your family loved this cake. Thanks for sharing your good feedback with us.
Hi Natasha, can I use only one pan 9inch??
Hi Lucrecia, I haven’t tested that in one pan; I imagine you will need a tall walled pan like a springform pan, but without testing that, I cannot advise on bake times (it would overwhelm a single standard cake pan).
Hello, can I half the recipe for two 6inch pans?
Hi Dimpal, I have not tested this in a 6-inch pan but it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Thank you for your response. I will try this recipe since I want to make it so bad, it looks amazing and I wanted to taste it. Today I made your pumpkin pie recipe and it was a big hit, we loved it ao much. Thank you for the recipe.
You are most welcome. I hope this cake becomes your new favorite!
Hello Natasha,
I wanted to try this chocolate cake recipe for my anniversary comingup, can I half the recipe for two 6″ cake pans? Will it work exactly like yours?
Thank you
Hi Dimpal, I have not tested this in a 6-inch pan but it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hello Natasha, I made the cake in 6inch pans I just have to add little more coffee to make it same consistency as you showed in video. And the cake came out very soft and yummy 😋
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Natasha, would I be able to use vegetable oil in place of the light olive oil?
Yes, that will work!
Love it! Easy to make and tastes divine!
Thank you for your good comments and feedback!
Hi Natasha,
Made your chocolate cake today and it was delicious! Got rave reviews. This is my family’s new favorite cake. Thank you.
Hi Natasha,
This cake has no eggs? Is that because of the olive oil
Hi Adrienne, that’s right, no eggs! We didn’t really need to use eggs for this recipe as we used a different ingredient for the rise. The ingredients worked so well as we’ve tried it so many times too.
Hi Natasha,
I am going to make your chocolate cake for company. I have never made a cake without eggs!! Is that because of using olive oil? I usually add a teaspoon of espresso powder in anything chocolate. Do you think that would be too overpowering with the coffee? Thank you,
Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, the idea of using coffee is the same as using espresso powder. You could make a strong coffee with espresso instead. There are no eggs in this recipe – that is correct. It doesn’t require eggs. I hope you love the chocolate cake.
Hands Down the best Chocolate Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting Ever!!!! My frosting came out too thick, probably would cut on the sugar a bit next time or maybe it was something else, please do suggest. Even then I would give it 5 stars coz it was scrumptious.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Can we make this cake with whip cream chocolate frosting?
Hi Chandana, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Is the coffee sweetened? Also, I am looking for some coffee to buy what brand/ type of coffee do you use?
Hi Pheila, it is not sweetened. We used our espresso machine.
I’ve never made coffee in my entire life, so I don’t know what too do with the coffee? Should I add milk or hot water instead?
We used brewed coffee but I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
Hi Natasha, Can I use instant coffee? If yes.. please tell me the quantity?
Hi Shruti, 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.
Dear Natasha, it sounds to be a great cake. I just wonder if I can bake in one single bake pan and then to cut into two once baked, since I have and small oven. Thanks and congrats for sharing your great baking skills!.
Hi Ernest, 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, Natasha, in the recipe, no egg in the chocolate cake, but in your “Chocolate Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream” recipe, you add eggs.
Except eggs, cooking methods are the same.
So, what differences between the two chocolate cakes in taste?
The frosting is different and the flavor too but in terms of the chocolate cake itself it just tastes almost the same.
thanks！
Hii! Can I substitute cocoa powder with melted unsweetened chocolate bar?
Hi Jazz, I have not tested that substitution to advise. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like that!
This chocolate cake is perfect. It’s easy and delicious! And it’s vegan – so it’s accessible to so many people.
For my particular oven, I did the toothpick test at 29 minutes and that was perfect for me. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. This is a keeper!
Hi Kris, thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with this recipe. I’m glad that you were able to get a perfect Chocolate Cake!
Hello, would this frosting sustain under fondant?
Hi Nancy, I don’t typically work with fondant, but I think that would work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I tried the cake and frosting. The cake was really good. the frosting is a bit of cheese taste which I didn’t like. Next time I’ll try without the cheese. Thanks for the tasty Recipes.
Hi Natasha
I’m making this cake for my daughter’s birthday. I don’t want to use coffee though. What can I substitute it with?
Hello Annita, 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.
I’m making the chocolate cake with the butter cream cheese frosting. Do you have to keep this cake in the frig?
Hi Linda, yes I would refrigerate after frosting the cake.
Hello,
Frosting ingredients call for 5 cups of powdered sugar. Really, 5 cups? Or is that 5 tablespoons as pictured in your video?
Hi George, 5 cups per the recipe is correct. We used 5 cups of powdered sugar. It may seem like a lot, but it is a lot of frosting and keep in mind that 1 cup of powdered sugar is actually 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. I tested this by adding the powdered sugar to taste (and you can do the same), but I landed at 5 cups as the perfect balance of sweetness. I worry it will affect texture if using less, but I would love to know how you like this recipe if you experiment.
Thank you Natasha,
After rereading my post I sounded a bit curt but I assure you it was only that I was astounded by this measurement. As a 72 year old man that has never cooked a thing until a few years ago I am a neophyte when it comes to the kitchen. I was not aware that powdered sugar measured differently than granulated sugar. If I get the nerve to try this i will let you know.
Many thanks,
George
Natasha – thank you for sharing this recipe with us! This is my go-to cake for all occasions. A few tips – I use instant espresso powder and warm water in place of the brewed coffee – YUM! Also, you can make the cake a day ahead and wrap layers in the press and seal wrap(sticky side out) and then put into ziplock bag and into the frig. I make the frosting on the day of the party. I love to pipe this frosting, too. It makes the cake a bit more festive. I’ve made this cake at least 10 times and it always gets rave reviews!
Hi Laura, thank you for sharing those tips with us! I’m so glad you’re enjoying our recipes!
This cake is delicious. My neighbor, a very nice elderly lady, calls it a Wacky cake, a Depression-era cake when eggs and butter were scarce. Her recipe is almost the same, but she uses cider vinegar instead.
I’d love to know about the frosting she uses. The depression-era desserts were fascinating!
Can we make this in a bundt pan? What will be the timings and temprature?
Please also give bundt pan and other variations in your recipes its helpful.
Hi! I have not tested this in a bundt cake to advise. If you experiment with that, please let me know how you like it.
This cake looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a chocolate cake recipe without eggs or dairy before.
This is an amazing recipe. I hope this becomes a favorite for you!