A decadent, moist Chocolate Cake recipe with the easiest chocolate frosting and a soft, tender crumb. This cake always gets rave reviews and makes a stunning, tall chocolate birthday cake.
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Chocolate Cake Video
I hope this Moist Chocolate Cake recipe becomes a new favorite for you. This cake is intensely chocolatey with an ultra-moist crumb and rich whipped chocolate frosting.
Chocolate Cake Recipe
My son’s first words when he saw the cake were, “Wow that looks just like the cake from Matilda!” (We watched the Matilda movie recently). My chocolate cake is intensely chocolatey and satisfies the fiercest chocolate craving without being cloyingly sweet. It really is the best chocolate cake recipe.
I paired my favorite Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting with the soft crumb from my Moist Chocolate Cupcakes to create the ultimate chocolate layer cake. The warm coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee. P.S. This recipe also happens to be an eggless chocolate cake (bonus if you are egg-free).
Why This Chocolate Cake Is So Moist
- Don’t overbake — pull the cake out of the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Oil instead of butter keeps the crumb soft and moist even after refrigerating the cake.
- Coffee deepens the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee.
- Vinegar activates baking soda for a light, airy texture.
- The batter is thin on purpose to create a softer, fluffier crumb.
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt make up the base of the cake.
- Cocoa Powder – The best cocoa for chocolate cake is 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.
- Coffee – Use very warm coffee to create a complex chocolate flavor. If you add some espresso or espresso powder, it will have even more flavor. You can substitute with decaf coffee if caffeine is an issue.
- Wet Ingredients – Vinegar activates the baking soda, vanilla extract for flavor and aroma and I use light olive oil to make the cake super moist, but you can sub with vegetable oil.
Can I use Dutch Processed 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
Making a chocolate cake from scratch doesn’t get any easier. It’s no more complex than a boxed cake, so long as you measure ingredients correctly.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients
- Whisk together the dry ingredients
- Combine the wet mixture with the dry ingredients and stir. Do not overmix. The batter will seem thin — that’s normal and creates a super moist crumb.
- 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.
Natasha’s Tip for Frosting a Cake
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.
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.
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.
Chocolate 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), or use decaf
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup light olive oil, (not extra virgin), or Canola oil
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:
- 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 (a kitchen scale helps for even portioning), 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 Chocolate 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
More Chocolate Desserts (for Chocolate Lovers!)
- Chocolate Ganache
- Chocolate-Frosted Eclairs
- Hot Chocolate Recipe
- Chocolate Lasagna
- Chocolate Souffle
- Black Forest Cake
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
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!
Hello Natasha.Can l successfully bake this cake in a 9 by 13 glass casserole dish?
Kind regards,
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth! that should work but without testing it in something like a 9×13 cake pan, I could only guess at the baking time.
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.”