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
Hi, I would like to know if it’s OK to pour all the batter in one pan so I get a higher cake, later to be cut in 3 later? I just do not have 2 same size cake pans
Hi Rodica, 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.
Hi Natasha, I have 1 8′ baking pan so can I still use the same measurements? I need to bake tomorrow for son’s 4th birthday so hope to see your reply sooner.
Thanks
Vandana
Hi Vandana, 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.
W-o-w me encantó la receta por qué no lleva huevos! Podrías poner subtitulado en español gracias, amo tus recetas!!
Hi, I won’t be able to translate them into Spanish, but you can use a program to translate the recipe. Thank you for visiting. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Is cooking olive oil ok to use?
I haven’t tried that yet but you can use vegetable or canola oil instead.
How can I alter this recipe for gluten intolerance?
Made this cake for a birthday and it was one of the best!
Hi Phoebe, I haven’t tried a substitute for gluten. Here’s what one of our readers wrote “I made this cake gluten-free, and the only thing that I change was the flour, and it turned out great. Once the frosting was all on I put chocolate chips on the sides and made some decorations out of chocolate almond bark to go on the top. This cake is a chocolate lovers dream. It was so amazing and moist, even after being in the fridge for a day! Thank you, Natasha! My family and I love your recipes!”
Hi Natasha just made the choco cake I hoping it freezes well for a week?
Hi Marie, 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.
Can I cut the cream cheese in half for the frosting?
Hi Margarita, I always make the recipe as written, but I think that could still work.
Hi Natasha,
Want to make this recipe into cupcakes. How long would you recommend baking them for or just follow baking directions for the cake.
Thanks
Hi Deb, that will work! I also have another recipe for that. Here’s my Chocolate Cupcake recipe.
Hi Natasha, I printed this recipe to accommodate for 21 slices, would you suggest 10″ pans or 12″? Thanks!
Hi Shayla, a 12″ pan would probably be better but you would definitely have to scale the recipe up. I haven’t tested it that way so I cant say what the bake time modifications would have to be.
Hi Natasha, i loved all your recipe. I will try to make this chocolate cake. I’m sure my daughter will like it. Thank you for sharing all your recipes.
You’re welcome, Remy! I hope you both enjoy this recipe!
Hello Natasha, I always like your recipe and your website if my favorite!
I want to make this cake for my husband’s birthday and I am wondering if I can reduce the amount of sugar. Do you have any idea?
Hi Chika, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but feel free to check out the other comments below the recipe if others have alreadt tried doing that.
Hi Natasha… I am following your recipe but since I dont have olive oil at home so I substitute to coconut oil and the result is the cake quite hard 😄. Is that the reason? Thank you!
Hi Marisha, oh no. Was there anything else that you changed in the recipe? I haven’t tried using coconut oil yet but you may use vegetable or canola oil instead.
Hi Natasha ,
Tried the chocolate cake turned out amazing ….did not have olive oil substituted with the cooking oil .. one question the frosting has that sugar which we can feel while eating how to minimize that should I rest the frosting for sometime ??
Hi Sumaya, did you make sure to you powdered sugar? YOu shouldn’t feel powdered sugar; it incorporates well, but maybe try sifting it in to make sure you didn’t get chunks of sugar?
This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made and I’ve made a lot! Love your recipes Natasha and love your videos too!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Evi!
What kind of coffee do you use dark, medium or light?
Hi Mychel, any of those should work. Dark roast just has less caffeine, but they should all work fine.
Made the cake for the first time. Removed it from the oven; waited 15 min.then removed to a wire rack for complete cooling. Both layers cracked into four pieces. Do they need to cool in the pans to avoid this?
Hi Pam, it’s hard to say without being there, but it is best to let it cool completely in the pan.
Hi Natasha
Firstly, I love your recipes. I had tried your strawberry and blueberry lemon cakes and they were superb.
I had two queries:
1. Can we use apple cidar vinegar instead of white vinegar in this recipe
2. I am looking for a chocolate cake recipe with icing as fondant. Do you think this recipe can be used for fondant as I was told the cake shall be a bit firmer to withhold fondant weight. I am a naive baker and your inputs will be valuable to me
Thanks a ton
Looking forward to hear from you
HI, I think fondant could work well with a crumb coat of frosting underneath it. I haven’t tested with cider vinegar but one of my readers reported great results using 1 Tbsp of cider vinegar.
I just made this cake for the first time and it broke all up. Can I get a reason/remedy on this please
Hi Shelia, 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.
Making this now, but my cakes came out domed quite a bit. Cakes split when I put them on the cooking rack, due to the dome. What could I have done differently to prevent the dome? I let cool for 15-20 in the pan before taking them out and removing the paper. Still delicious!!
Hi Kimberly, I haven’t had any issue with that, and these bake up fairly flat without needing any trimming. Did you have that experience with this recipe? Was anything possible substituted?
Wilson cake pans are the best for cakes to come out flat. I also use a pan strips to make moist cakes like this to be sure they do, also it will need to bake a few minutes more if you use pan strips.
Nordicware pans are a dream to bake with. Well worth the money since they last forever. Wilton is my 2nd choice. I avoid nonstick pans. Happy baking!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
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!