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.
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Did you know cocoa helps your brain release endorphins or your body’s natural “feel good” chemical? This explains why our moods improve when we are eating chocolate 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 recipe is for you.
Why You’ll Love This 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 without being cloyingly sweet.
We combined our most popular Chocolate Cream Cheese 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 amplifies the flavor of chocolate. Feel free to substitute with decaf coffee if you prefer.
This recipe also happens to be an eggless chocolate cake (bonus if you are egg-free).
Watch the Chocolate Cake Video Tutorial
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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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. You can read more about that in our Red Velvet Cake post.
How to Make Chocolate Cake
This cake doesn’t get any easier. It’s no more complex than a boxed cake so 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 9-inch cake pans and bake
How to Get Even Cake Layers
When making a layered chocolate cake, here are our best tips for even cake layers:
- Divide the batter equally – Even heights will make for a prettier cake and 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.
- Test your leavening – make sure your leavening is not expired so it has enough rising power for the cake layers to rise evenly.
- Preheat the oven – ensure your oven is fully preheated before baking the cake layers.
- Bake Immediately – as soon as you add baking soda to a recipe, it starts reacting immediately so bake right away.
Tips for Smooth Chocolate Frosting
The whipped chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting is indulgent, 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.
If you prefer a frosting that doesn’t have cream cheese in it, another favorite is our Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or even Vanilla Buttercream for a delicious contrast. Both are terrific on Chocolate Cake.
Pro Tip:
It is critical to fully cool the cake layers to room temperature before applying frosting. If the cake layers are still warm, it will cause the frosting to melt and slide off the cake.
How to Store Chocolate Cake
- Short-Term Storage – if you are going to eat the chocolate cake within 24 hours, its ok to keep it at room temperature. Store it in a cook dry place away from heat and direct sunlight.
- Cover Properly – If you don’t have a cake carrier, use an overturned bowl or large pot to cover the cake and keep it from drying out or absorbing food odors. If the cake is sliced, press a piece of plastic wrap directly over the cut portions to prevent drying out.
- Refrigerating – after 24 hours, you will want to refrigerate the cake. Place plastic wrap directly over cut portions, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to a week.
- Freezing – to freeze unfrosted cake layers, wrap individual layers in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw wrapped at room temperature. To freeze a frosted cake, freeze for 1 hour to harden the frosting then wrap with plastic wrap and foil.
- To Serve – Thaw a frozen frosted cake overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. You may need to use a spatula on the frosting again to make it visually appealing.
I can’t help but smile when I have a generous slice of frosted Chocolate Cake on my plate. I hope this recipe brings joy and food memories wherever this recipe travels. Let me know if you’ve served it in any creative ways? We’ve done everything from sprinkles to princess themes on top which my daughter has loved.
More Chocolate Desserts (for Chocolate Lovers!)
- Chocolate Ganache
- Chocolate-Frosted Eclairs
- Hot Chocolate Recipe
- Chocolate Lasagna
- Chocolate Souffle
- Black Forest Cake
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate Cake Recipe
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), or use decaf
- 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 spread or piped onto the cooled cake layers.
How to Frost a Cake
- Set a cake layer onto a serving platter. Apply 1/3 of the frosting over the first layer then cover with the second layer, placing it top-side-down for an even top. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Enjoy or store it for later*
Notes
- Short-Term Storage – store covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
- Cover Properly – Use an overturned bowl or pot to cover the cake and keep it from drying out. If the cake is sliced, press a piece of plastic wrap directly over the cut portions to prevent drying out.
- Refrigerating -Cover as directed above and refrigerate for up to a week.
- Freezing – to freeze unfrosted cake layers, wrap individual layers in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze up to 3 months then taw wrapped at room temperature. To freeze a frosted cake, freeze for 1 hour to harden the frosting then wrap with plastic wrap and foil and freeze up to 3 months.
- To Serve – Thaw a covered frozen frosted cake overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. You may need to fix up the frosting with a spatula.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
For the chocolate cake, I wondered why no eggs?
Hi Terry, that’s right, no eggs in this recipe it relies on other ingredients for volume. I hope you love it.
Fantastic cake! Made it for my husbands birthday and he loved it so did all our friends.
That’s so awesome Lyn! Happy birthday to your husband!
Every time I make this cake, I use extra virgin olive oil, because there is no light in the pantry. Natasha, any idea what difference this makes?
thanks – your #1 chocolate cake lover
Hi George, extra virgin olive oil imparts a different flavor which is why I don’t typically use it for baking. I’m glad that is working for you though!
Hi Natasha. I used the 3 tsps instant coffee but I realized that I needed more liquid. The batter is dry because it lacks liquid which I would have gotten from the coffee. Please help… any suggestions?
Hi Abigail, it is hard to say without trying that myself. You can try adding more coffee?
Abigail, should have added 2 cups warm water with your 3 tsp instant coffee..
I made the chocolate cake and followed the recipe exactly including watching the video but my layers split while cooking and were very dry. Any suggestions?
Hi Vicki, I haven’t had that happen before but I am happy to help troubleshoot. Did you possibly overbake or put it on convection mode which would need an adjustment in baking temperature since convection bakes faster. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha. I do not have a coffee machine to get the 2 cups of coffee. Any suggestions on how to add the coffee in? Can I use instant coffee? Thank you.
Hi Abigail. 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.
Maybe get some from neighbor or at your closest convenience store, restaurant ?
Hi Natasha,
I’ve made this recipe for years, the original coming from my mother-in-law 45 yrs. ago. It is an old “frugal” recipe and always turns out well, and it is great to half the recipe for two people. To answer some of your readers’ questions: yes, you can use canola oil (my preference) or corn or vegetable (soybean) oil. Works every time. I did try using half oil and half melted butter but the top of the cake “sunk” a bit. Tasted great but I don’t know if the cause was the butter or some other reason. I’ve also used cider vinegar and lemon juice and again, good results. This cake works with water, but coffee is better. My original recipe only called for water but my preference is to use half water and half coffee. If you don’t have brewed coffee just make some with instant coffee. It works. I do add an extra teaspoon of vanilla. I think this cake tastes even better the next day! It is very moist and chocolaty. Sometimes I don’t frost it but sift powdered sugar over. It is great with a scoop of cherry vanilla ice cream with a bit of hot fudge over!
That’s so great Alicia thank you for that wonderful feedback & for sharing those tips. I know our readers will find that helpful.
Can I use butter instead of the olive oil ?! Or half butter & half vegetable oil ?!!!
Hi Samia, I imagine that should work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
hi nataha, I just made this cake yesterday and I was disappointed, it was denser than I expected. I used the correct ingredients so I am not sure what went wrong. Also I made your genoise sponge cake last month and it was flawless.
Hi Vineta, I’m more than happy to troubleshoot as it should not be dense. Did you make any changes to the recipe and measure your dry ingredients correctly?
I just realized I am out of white vinegar. Is there something I can replace it with?
Hi Miki, the vinegar is necessary as it activates the baking soda and helps with rising. I haven’t tested that with self-rising flour or apple cider vinegar to advise on a substitution.
Hi Natasha! my 13 yr old son tried and baked this cake for his bday. The two cake were flat and looks like a pancake. He used 9 inch springform pan instead of a cake pan would that make a difference? It is his first making this cake. He followed the instructions. We wonder what mistake he made. He is not disappointed for it is a learning experience for him. Cake and frosting tasted good though.
Oh I’m sorry to hear that. I am always happy to help troubleshoot. I suggest he watch the video to see where things may have gone wrong. Did he possibly forget to add baking soda or maybe accidentally swapped the baking soda for baking powder (baking soda is 4 times stronger so the substitution would not be straight across). Also, make sure to add the vinegar which activates the baking soda. I hope that helps!
Love this chocolate cake!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
I followed this recipe to the letter because it looked so good and I was making it for my daughter’s birthday . The layers starting splitting as they were cooling in the pan and then when I turned them out to cool further they split even more! Very disappointing! Any suggestions?
Hi Vicki, 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.
My daughter made this cake for our family today . It turned out awesome. The taste was the best ! We enjoy all of your recipes . Thanks again !!!!
That’s awesome Nancy. I’m happy to know that you loved this recipe. Thank you for your nice review!
Hi Natasha I’d love to know the name brand of all your baking pans, hopefully we will start remodeling our kitchen soon and I’d love to start buying bakeware little by little that all matches verses the Mountain of mismatched pans I’ve picked up here and their, thank you in advance and keep up the good work and can’t wait to keep trying out your food recipe. ❤️ A fan
Hi Aurelia! Thank you for your kind words I really appreciate it. Here’s a link to my Amazon shop
I am so excited to try this recipe! I am making it for my son’s 3rd birthday party because chocolate cake is his fave. Do you think it would work if I wanted to add a third layer to the top, using support dowels? Thank you!!
Hi Lauren! I believe that should work! If you experiment with the dowels I would love to know how you like that.
Hey Lauren, I made three layers with 8″ pans. From one angle it looked like it was leaning a little, but you had to really look close. Round side down for the first layer, flat side down for the second layer and flat side down for the third layer. The third/top layer needed a little more icing, but it still worked.
Awesome Thank you!! I was thinking about doing the two 9 inch like the recipe said and then maybe adding a 6 inch to the top? Do you think that would that work too? I am such a newbie lol
Hi Lauren, I bet that will be beautiful! I have not tested layering this one so if you experiment I would love to know how you like it!
I played like Natasha again and made this delicious chocolate cake! Because of the ingredients, I had to try it and was not disappointed! Reminds me of the beautiful chocolate cakes offered at high-end restaurants! Love your recipes/videos; another favorite is your spaghetti and meat balls! Thanks, Natasha!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
OMG! This is my new favorite chocolate cake recipe! I didn’t realize until after I baked it that it didn’t call for eggs or dairy! Turned out extremely moist!
Hi Jessica, thank you for that great review! I’m so glad you found a favorite!
can I use almond flour to replace the Flour?
Hi Vivianne, without testing that, I can’t make that recommendation. I’m not sure how it will affect the outcome.
can this be made into a cake pop?
Hi Joy, I have not tested this as a cake pop to advise. I’d love to know how it works out if you experiment though!
Loved the chocolate cake. I had never baked a cake without eggs and some sort of dairy involved. Baked it for my daughter’s birthday and it was a hit. I found it more dense than I expected. Is that right? I also did not have regular olive oil and you said “not Virgin” so I used …..you got it….BUTTER! But good enough to have again! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Cindy! Thank you for sharing that with us. I’m more than happy to troubleshoot as it should not be dense. Did you make any changes to the recipe and measure your dry ingredients correctly? Happy Birthday to your Daughter!
Thank you for the kind wish for my daughter! I love birthdays!
I was very careful about the measurements of dry ingredients. The only change I made was that I had to make was that I didn’t have regular Olive Oil. So in its place I thought: Veggie oil? or Butter? I did butter, cause, well, everything is better with butter right? LOL Might this have been a bad move? I looked up the equivalency between the needed olive oil and butter and went with that. Next time I’ll use the olive oil, but all I had on hand was extra virgin. Thanks for replying and for what you do. I tell everyone about you and your recipes! Love to watch and learn! Cindy
That may be the culprit, Cindy. I have always made this particular cake with oil (vegetable oil would also work), but my only hesitation with butter sometimes cakes are more firm right out of the fridge while using oil prevents that problem. If you experiment, let me know how it goes.
I’m guessing you are right. After baking it for celebration the next day I did put it in the refrigerator and when we cut into it, even though it had been sitting out for a long time, it was still cold in the center. It really looked nice and as I said, it was very good. But it will be better next time. Thanks for your help!
You’re welcome, Cindy!
Hey there Natasha! How long should i bake if i’m using a bundt cake pan?
Hi Anya, I have not tested this in a bundt cake to advise. If you experiment with that, please let me know how you like it.
What an amazing chocolate cake! I became your fan Natasha. I’m going to try more of your precipice
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Natia! Thank you for that awesome review!
Not much of a baker but had a stressful day and I turn to baking. I love chocolate so made this!! Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Leanne!