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
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YUMMY! turned out perfect. i baked in a square pan, will be putting m&m on the icing for my baby’s 1st birthday! thanks natasha for the wonderful recipe. 🙂
That sounds so cute! Happy first birthday to your baby!
What brand of 9-inch cake pans do you use? I noticed that they are “gold” colour.
Is non-stick preferrable to heavy duty aluminum?
Hi Roger, you can find them here in my Amazon Affiliate Shop.
Hi Natasha!
I believe there’s a mistake in the metric measurements of the dry ingredients.
It’s says 3 cups of flour for 375 g
And then it’s says 2 cups of sugar for 400 g. The flour should be more than the sugar in terms of grams. Thank you!
Hi Tariq, the flour will weigh less than sugar since it is lighter in weight as a whole. I hope that helps.
yes. came out perfect and i am no baker. definitely never done the white vinegar thing til now. the only chocolate cake ive made in the last 20 years is that sour cream sheetcake from my grammas recipe. im always suspect at sweet baked goods that call for oil instead of butter and ive never seen olive oil ,,,so i used coconut oil–same amount and it was the bomb. then i made the cream cheese frosting but added a dash of lemon and extra vanilla to keep it white on dark. excellent
oh whoops–it was the easy chocolate upcake recipe that i followed/modified actually. was on this page to check the cream cheese frosting. thanks again tho, cute videos
I’m happy to know that you loved the result! Thank you for sharing that with us.
Love all your recipes & Videos!!!!! Made my first Charcuterie Board with your video!! Was amazing. Now in search of the perfect Chocolate Cake for my sister-in-laws birthday in May!!! I think I hit the jackpot!!
I hope you love this cake! It is so good!
Absolutely delicious cake! I made the double layer and it split after sitting for about an hour. What did I do wrong? Did it not cool enough before frosting? I’ve never been much of a baker. It did taste amazing and it really was a test for my family so not earth shattering that it split. The cake did not drop & was moist and the frosting was amazing also!
Hi CoCo, I am not sure what happened but not letting the cake cool enough before frosting will affect the stability, so please try again. Let it cool completely or even transfer to the refrigerator for 1-2hrs after it has cooled down to room temperature. This will make the cake crumb more stable to work with. I hope this helps.
This is one perfect chocolate cake recipe I have ever followed n got the best results. 👌 just love it
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Sini!
I made this cake yesterday, it turned out amazing! I used a Bundt pan, baked at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, it was perfect! Thanks for another amazing recipe Natasha! Going to try your vanilla one next!
I’m so glad to hear this works well in a bundt pan! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I made this cake yesterday, it was delicious and so easy! I cooked it in a Bundt pan, 50 min at 350, perfect! Thanks for another excellent recipe Natasha!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Lori! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Cake turned out perfect and so delicious. I have little bit extra frosting though. How long can i keep the frosting in the fridge or freezer? Want to try the cake again on a later day.
Hi there, glad you loved it! It will stay good in the refrigerator for several days, but you will have to let it get closer to room temp for it to pipe easily.
Yes, it should be if you are not consuming it quickly. Cover and refrigerate. 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,
I am just wondering if I can make this frosting a day ahead before I frost my cake?
Hi Niki, I haven’t tried making just the frosting alone a day ahead, but the entire cake keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I made this incredible cake today for Super Bowl 2022. It was such a hit ! Moist, and so rich. I wouldn’t change a thing on this recipe.
Definitely keeper. Thx again for a superb and easy recipe.
Wow, love it! I’m happy to know that this cake recipe was a huge hit. Thank you for sharing!
I wanted to make a cake for my husband’s birthday and just glanced at the recipe. While making the recipe I was surprised to see no eggs and vinegar was an ingredient. I asked myself if I picked the wrong recipe. Boy was I wrong! This cake was phenomenal. It was so moist and the icing was out of this world. Rave reviews from the family. I would give it 10 **********. Thanks so much.
Hi Karyn, thanks for the perfect rating. Good to know that you followed the recipe and it turned out great!
Hello, i have a question, would the chocolate cake rise properly and enough if i use a 10inch heart shaped cake pan? What should i alter in the recipe in order not to get a very thin cake layer? Thank you for your amazing recipes!
Hi Rita, I think you can probably make it in a 10″ pan, but it will make a thinner cake layer.
I’d do one and half times the recipe to bake in larger pans. That’s what I’d do if baking it but just a guess.
You forgot to mention the two eggs this recipe needs. It is mentioned in the cupcake recipe , in order to make a cake, you need to double that one and the cupcake recipe calls for one room temperature egg.
So don’t forget to add TWO room temp eggs to the wet ingredients before combining.
Hi Anna, this is intentional an egg-free recipe.
I absolutely luv the chocolate cake here on your site. That I’ve made it a few times for birthday cakes or even same recipe in cupcake form.
Although sometimes my kids request a vanilla cake. I’ve made your vanilla cake but it wasn’t as much a fave. So I wonder if I can use choc cake recipe and substitute cocoa to make it vanilla? Also the choc cake recipe is fantastic as it doesn’t use a mixer so it’s so quick and easy for me! Hoping you can help with a suggestion….
Hi Jenny, I haven’t tried making an eggless vanilla cake. Here’s my recipe for Vanilla Cake, but it’s not eggless.
Just finished making this cake. My first from scratch!!!! It looks delicious. Waiting for it to cool to start the frosting. I’m sorry Natasha, but I’m going to have to blame you for my weight gain!!!! LOL Love everything!!!!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipe, Donna! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
I made this cake today. I have never made a cake from scratch before, THIS CAKE IS AMAZING!! I will never make a store bought cake mix again. 10 stars!!! Thank you Natasha. You’re recipes never disappoint!!!
Aaaw, that is fantastic feedback. Thank you for the review and perfect rating!
Thanks Natasha for another delicious recipe! Chocolate cake is my favourite and I am planning to make your recipe but I have two questions. What else can be used instead of the oil, butter, coconut oil ? And I am cutting back on sugar so I was wondering how much less could I use without having a negative impact on the recipe?
Thanks
Hi Rita, I have not tested this recipe with less sugar or with using an alternative to oil. Some bakers like to substitute apple sauce for the oil in cake recipes. If you decrease the amount of sugar, decrease in small amounts. You will have to experiment to really get the perfect outcome. Good luck! Let me know how it works out for you.
Can I substitute almond milk for the coffee? I don’t do coffee! And thank you for all the recipes you share! I have been trying and enjoying many of them!
I have not tried this but feel free to experiment! Let me know how it works out if you do try it.
Hi Natasha,
Lovely video. I have followed some of your recipes and they turned out beautifully. Except when I baked the chocolate cupcake recipe in a 8×3 loaf pan lol.
I am wondering if I can replace this frosting with chocolate ganache. I am making a birthday cake which is meant to be uniced but I want to do a ganache for the top. Will this work well?
Also, if I use this recipe and leave this cake uniced, will it dry out?
Thanks a lot Natasha.
Hi Olive, I would cover the cake if leaving it on the counter so it doesn’t get dry. This would work great with chocolate ganache.