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
I’ve made this cake a few times and my kids love it! I want to use this recipe to make a sheet cake, how many cakes would this make for a 9×13?
Hi Anisa! I’m so glad your kids are loving this recipe. I haven’t tested this in different sizes so I can’t say exactly how much batter you’ll need. It would be best to use a cake conversion chart online.
I want to make this recipe and use it for Cupcakes, how many Cupcakes will this recipe make, Please and Gracias
Hello there! You can try my recipe for Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes. Hope you love it!
I have made this cake 3 or 4 times now. Making it as I type, as a matter of fact! I have never had so many people ask for a recipe. Even neighbors heard about it, and have requested I leave a slice for them on my porch to grab. Cannot recommend enough!
Only tweak I make is it’s a lot of frosting. I’m halving it moving forward.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Callie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! Do you happen to know how many cupcakes this recipe makes?
Hi Terri! You can follow my Eggless chocolate cupcakes recipe here. It’s the same, just uses less to make 12.
What a beautiful recipe. Straight forward, easy and delicious. It was so hard stopping myself from taking a taste here and a taste there of the frosting. Cakes rose beautifully. I, like some of the others did a double take when I noticed no eggs are required. You never fail me Natasha. Thank you!! Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!
Just made it today! Hubs likes it! I was making it and thinking, wait, where’s the eggs? lol. It’s super moist! I’ll be bringing it to work, can’t wait to hear their compliments!
Are there no eggs in this recipe? And I missing something or is this normal?
Hi Nataliya! That’s correct, there are no eggs in this one.
Hi, Natasha! I don’t have two springform pans. Can I put all the batter in one and then slice it in half after baking to make the two layers?
Hi Ksenya! I used two 9” cake pans that were 2”
tall (not springform, but they will work too). This is too much batter for just one pan, however, if your pan is tall, it may fit. It’s important not to overfill the pan or the cake won’t bake well. You will also need to bake it longer.
Hi Natasha,
Would a 13×9″ cake pan work for this recipe?
Hi Deb! I think you can. I haven’t tested it in different size pans so I am not sure if you’ll need more batter so it’s not too thin.
OMG. This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. No exaggeration. Especially the frosting! I served it as dessert for guests, who raved about it, too. I’ll definitely be making it again!
Hi Natasha, I have been using this recipie to make my kid’s birthday cake for last 3 years and it has turned out to be awesome everything.
Can I switch coffee with warm water and coco powder with flour, and make a vanilla/ sponge cake with same recipie? I am looking for an eggless vanilla cake.
Thanks.
Hi there! I’m so glad you’re loving the recipe. To be honest, I haven’t tested that so I wouldn’t be able to advise and without some other modifications, I’m not sure that this recipe would work well for a vanilla version.
Sorry, if I am brewing the coffee then how many shots should I use?
Hi Vanessa! Are you making espresso? If so, it’s stronger tasting than brewed coffee so you would add water and make it to your preference.
Thank you so much! This is one of the best tasting cakes I’ve ever made!
Hi Vanessa! I’m so glad you love this cake. Thanks for the feedback.
Hey, I was just wondering if I could replace the light olive oil with anything because we only buy the extra virgin?
Hi Vanessa! Any neutral flavored baking oil
will work (canola, vegetable, etc).
I am confused. One person asked if they could leave the coffee out and you said yes. Another one asked if they could substitute the coffee for water and you said yes. This is a two cup difference of liquid? Which is correct.
Hi Jill. This recipe calls for 2 cup of warm coffee (brewed). If you don’t want to use coffee, you would just use the same amount of warm water (2cups).
Thank you for responding so quickly. I am one of the few people who really hates coffee. I will try it with the water.
Hi, just curious what substitutes you can use instead of the coffee?
Hi Alyssa, you can leave out the coffee, its purpose is to enhance the flavor of the chocolate.
Can I use (3) 8 inch cake pan? Would it change bake time?
Hi Megan. You likely won’t have enough batter for three 8” pans without increasing the. Yes, the baking time can change so keep an eye on them.
I can’t put coffee in it because it’s for a young kid. I know coffee enhance the taste of chocolate, but will water do anyway? thanks!
Yes, you can use water instead.
This cake is absolutely delicious. The frosting is heaven. Although it delicious, mine cake falls apart every time. It to moist. I measure everything as directed and I don’t over mix. Any tips to help me out.
Hi Diane! Are you letting the cakes cool down a bit prior to removing them from the pans? Are they sticking to the pans and breaking? You’ll want to let them finish cooling on a cooling rack and wait until they are fully cooled before assembling or they will be too fragile to work with. You can even refrigerate them for a bit once they cool so they are extra cold when you assemble your cake.
It falls apart when I cut into it, mostly the bottom layer. It was refrigerated for about 16 hours.
Hi Diane, did you apply the frosting before refrigerating? If refrigerating this cake, I would let it sit at room temperature for an hour or until the frosting has softened up. It will be easier to serve.
I’ve made this three times so far and this cake is AMAZING!!! 10/10. Everyone loves it!! This will be the only chocolate cake recipe I ever use! Thank you, Natasha!
You’re so very welcome, Ashley!
Literally the best chocolate cake ever. Moist and delicious. I made two different cakes. I used the chocolate cream cheese frosting as well as the vanilla buttercream. One was a layer cake I put whipped cream in the center. Everyone raved about it.
So happy to hear that, Lori! Thank you for the feedback.