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 there! Just curious, what does the vinegar do for the cakes?
The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to activate it.
The frosting recipe that you recommend for this cake can it also be made vanilla?
Hi Judith. I have other frosting recipes on the block. Please reference myCream cheese frosting .
I don’t have any oil can I use melted butter?
Same amount as oil?
Hi Sandra! That could work, but oils really does yield the best result (moist texture).
Hi Natasha!
This recipe was amazing! I’m 10 year old and have baked it twice already. Thank you!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
Plan to try this recipe. I need to make a 9×13 flat cake. Will this recipe work?
Hi Geri! I’m sure it could, but I haven’t tested different pan sizes to advise. The baking temperature should be the same but you will need to adjust the baking time and possibly even increase/decrease the recipe to fit your pan.
Hi Natasha
Love this recipe but only have one 9inch pan
I have 8 inch pans but not sure what is better thing to do
bake two in 8 inch pan at the same time
or
two times
in 9 inch pan wait until one i sfinished and than bake another one
Hi Helen! There would be a bit too much batter for 2- 8” pans. It would be best to bake the batter at the same time and not wait for the 9” pan to cool before you can bake the next.
You can use the 8” pans, you’ll just need to watch out to not overfill them. You can use the leftover batter to make a couple or cupcakes or use a smaller pan/dish for the remainder.
Also- watch it in the oven, it may get done baking a bit faster than 9”
I love this recipe. The cake is delicious and moist. If you follow the recipe exactly (coffee temp, vinegar etc) it perfect! I also love Natasha’s tres leches sheet cake recipe! It’s amazing!
I’m so happy you love these recipes, Maggie!
Hi Natasha! What would be the difference between this recipe and the one in your cookbook i am looking to make a chocolate birthday cake this weekend and wondering which one i should use. Thank you!
Hi, great question! My personal favorite is the chocolate cake in my cookbook – that is my daughters favorite so I will also be making chocolate cake for this weekend. I hope you love it!
I made this cake last night to bring to work today. My boss said it reminded her of the cake from Matilda! So funny!
I made my own salted caramel cream cheese frosting, with toasted walnuts and gold leaf. Massive hit! I would love to know how much this cake costs to make. I am making another one for a coworkers moms birthday and they paid me $60.
I used this recipe a while ago for a gluten free dairy free coconut free lady, and it turned out excellent that time too. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe! And easy to customize and make my own too 💛
How did you make it gluten free? I’m searching for that question. Did you use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour?
I just used Robin hood gluten free flour, and for icing I used tenderflake instead of butter. Worked out well. I love that its egg free.
Omgosh, Natasha! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this recipe! It turns out fantastically every time! As a matter of fact, I have yet to find a recipe of yours that I didn’t like! Thank you so much! 🙂
Aaw, thank you for your wonderful words and feedback. It means a lot to me!
No eggs, Natasha? Love your recipes and your book! I love chocolate cake as well – will try your recipe!
Hi Geri, there are no eggs in this one, but the one in our Cookbook does have eggs.
Can you recommend what the name of Olive oil used in this recipe, so are so many light brands.
HI Nancy, I used the Kirkland brand from Costco, but any extra light olive oil will work well. I would not recommend extra virgin since that imparts undesirable flavor to chocolate cake.
Made this cake today for hubby’s birthday. Delicious and beautiful! I did have to use extra virgin olive oil because that’s what I had. I don’t know what the difference would be, but I plan to get the plain and be prepared for the next one.
Hi Irene, thanks for sharing! I’m happy to know that it was a success!
I just baked this cake and it tastes like vinegar! I followed the recipe to the T. I have no idea what could’ve happened.
Hi, I haven’t had that happen before so I could only venture to guess. Did you make any substitutions? What kind of vinegar did you use? Regular white vinegar is only 5% – did you use a stronger one? You should not be able to sense the vinegar here.
I’m not sure if it’s because of no eggs but my cakes completely fell apart after I sliced them. I couldn’t even pick them up to stack them up, or frost them properly (they were completely cooled down). I put the finished butchered product into a deep container and made a dump cake type thing instead. Tastes delicious but not sure why I’m the only one who had this issue 🤷
Hi Marina! Eggs do provide structure in cakes but this recipe has had great results without the addition of eggs. This recipe makes 2- 9” pans. Did you try to cut those in half? I worry they would be too thin and that’s why they fell apart.
Also- be sure to allow the cake to cook long enough before handling or it will be too fragile.
Me too! It all just fell apart. Tasted delish tho, now I just have to figure out what to do with it. Cake pops maybe?
Hi Emily, I’m sorry to hear that. Make sure to let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then let it cool completely to room temperature uncovered. This will help the crumb set properly to prevent breaking.
This cake is awesome, very moist, and easy to make. Loved it Thanks Nashia love your recipes. The rice balls were also delicious this week. wow.
Would it be same recipe for cupcakes? How many would it make? This question is for the eggless Chocolate Cake. Thanks!
Hello Natasha, I was wondering what is the difference between this and your old recipe.
I absolutely love your older one.
Thank you
Hi Polly! The recipe hasn’t changed, we just updated the post for a more organized and cleaner look.
This is the best chocolate cake recipe I have ever tried. I have made it a few times and it is better than any store bought or even fine bakery. Delicious!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Definitely a moist and delicious cake. I baked mine in a bundt pan (just increased baking time) then used my own frosting drizzle when cooled. Turned out great…another keeper recipe
This chocolate cake recipe is the absolute best. I stumbled upon this recipe when I was in search of an eggless cake for a family member with an egg allergy. It is a flawless, never-fail recipe 😋