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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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
Omg! I tried to divide the recipe into half and baked using my small rice cooker in the house for 1hr since I dont have an oven and I was so happy! It turns out really good! This is my first time trying to bake an easy recipe as a beginner. It really motivates me to do more! Thank you so much Natasha! Baking is really helping me to cope up with my postpartum depression. Its so yummy! When my daughter grow up she will definitely love my cake!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Mabs. I’m all smiles
pls tell me why my cake is feel like dough and when i was leveling out my cake like a lot for cake came off
Hi Shari, did you make any substitutions? I would look over my recipe and instructions again to see if you missed anything. Also, be sure to watch my tutorial on how to measure your ingredients, HERE. If you used too much flour, that could be the issue. Also, be sure to not over-mix your batter.
Will definitely be making this cake! I am 67 yrs young and you still inspire me with your receipes!! God bless you!
I hope you love it, Debra! Blessings to you!
I love your receipes! I follow you all the time! Awesome keep up the wonderful work!!
Thank you for your excellent feedback, Debra. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try from us!
I made this for a family celebration and it is the BEST chocolate cake I have ever had. This is my new go to recipe for chocolate cake. Thank you so much, I will be trying more of your recipes.
Hi Leesa! That makes me happy to hear. Thank you for sharing.
I wonder if we added 2 eggs in the batter, if the problem many people are having with the cake cracking and breaking apart, if that would solve the problem. Eggs would obviously help hold the cake together but I don’t know if it would ruin this recipe. Any advice before we try it?
Hi Leda, if all of the ingredients were measured accurately it should not crack. Also, be sure to let it cool completely before transferring, that may take longer than 15 minutes. That is the most likely culprit of crack.
How do you find the tools Natasha uses when she says”I’ll link to the notes”. I can never find it.
Thank you
Hi Denra! Anywhere you see red lettering is a link attachment, just click on it. You can also find my amazon shop, HERE.
Wow! As a confirmed choclaholic this sounds fantastic! Might my only question is, how do you keep from looking like a blimp with all this sugar and fat…….. and 691 calories in each slice! It really made my mouth water but I think I gained 5 pounds just looking at it. 🥰
You are so humble Natasha! You give credit to your husband as well as yourself, you must be a woman of God !
God bless you!🙏🏻
Thank you for your kind words, Rose. We appreciate it.
You are so humble Natasha! You give credit to your husband as well as yourself, you murr at t be a woman of God
God bless you
Thank you, we appreciate your kind words.
Hello Natacha a doubt this chocolate cake does not go eggs? Kisses from Portugal
Hi Susana, this cake truly doesn’t require eggs! I hope you love it!
Made this cake with Cup4Cup Gluten Free flour as I said I was going to try and it came out perfect and no one could believe it was GF! Everyone wants the receipt
That’s just great! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Pat!
I Just love this cake!!! I make it all the time, Its the best we have ever had and so easy to do
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Kari!
Can I use extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil instead of light olive oil?
We use light olive oil because it has a more neutral taste but the vegetable oil would work well in its place.
Hi ,thank you so much for the most delicious eggless chocolate cake…I have a question can I add a melted butter for stacking cake
Hi Sadhvi! I’m happy you love this cake.
I am not sure I understand the question about the melted butter…?
I just want to let you know that you make me look like some sort of culinary genius lol My family has loved everything I have made from your website and I have made many of them. I tell them that my friend Natasha is helping with dinner and they are excited because they know it will be great. One last thing I throughly enjoy your videos! Informative, great instuctions and funny! Thanks for being you!!
Thank you for sharing, Liz! I’m glad my videos are helpful and so glad to hear my recipes are enjoyed. 🙂
Going to make this with Gluten Free flour and will let you know how it come out.
We would love to hear the feedback, Pat! Thank you.
Hi Natasha,
Great recipe!!wondering if I could use it make cupcakes and how many would this recipe make?
Thanks
Hi Veena, we do have the chocolate cupcake version of this recipe already developed. Enjoy!
Same question as Veena – the chocolate cupcake version has eggs though!
Hi Kristen! I have an eggless chocolate cupcake recipe HERE.
Your Chocolate Cake Recipe is the best that I have ever made! Delicious!
That’s great to hear, Vicky! I’m so glad you enjoy it. 🙂
I tried this recipe but it turned out to be chewy does any one give us a hint.
Thank you
Hi Lina, this cake is normally more soft and fluffy than dense & chewy. I always recommend making a recipe the first time with the ingredients that are listed without modifications. Be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
Just double checking that the chocolate cake recipe is accurate and that there are no EGGS in this recipe? Is this correct?
Yes, that is correct. No eggs are necessary for this recipe. 🙂