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 been wanting to make this but I noticed it does not mention eggs in ingredients. Does this cake have eggs?
Hi Tammy! That’s correct, no eggs. I hope you love the recipe!
my frosting was all sugar. the bread was not bad but the frosting ruined everything ,is that how it has to be ?
Hi Avel. Did you use powered sugar and did you mix the frosting long enough? You can use less sugar if you prefer but using less will affect the consistency and texture of the frosting.
This is the best Chocolate cake i have ever found!!! I have been making it for my Grandkids for the last 3 years!!! My husband even likes it and he does not like chocolate.
Awww, thank you so much! I’m so happy that your family loves this chocolate cake!
Hi Natasha, I love all of your recipes and am grateful for all you share with us. I am wondering if you have a version of this cake in a 9 x 13 pan and if so, what the modifications might be for it. Thanks so much in advance!!
Hi Colleen! Thanks for sharing that with me. I haven’t tested this in different size pans. But I have a viewer who stated she made this recipe and used a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Hi, I am making this yummy looking cake this week and I was wondering if I could use canola oil instead of the olive oil? Just trying to avoid going out in the cold.
Hi Leigh! Yes, any neutral tasting baking oil like vegetable, canola, etc.. will work. I hope you love the recipe.
Hi Natasha! I thought i commented, but here it is. This chocolate cake is amazing!! So moist and delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe and all other recipes! 🧁
Hey Natasha! Thank you for this wonderful recipe 😊 I was actually looking for a chocolate cake recipe that doesn’t include dairy or eggs and won’t turn out dense and sticky. I made this chocolate cake today and it turned out so well! I love following your recipes, they inspire me to try out something new! Thanks again! 😊
That’s wonderful! So happy you found and loved this recipe.
The cake is delicious, however, when I turned cakes out of the pans, they cracked almost in two. Not sure why this happened. I followed all the directions.
Hi Ann! Were they still too warm/hot when flipped over? Also, did it stick to the pan? If so, the sticking would cause it to break apart.
Natasha you’ve done it again!! This cake was so good and infinitely better than any bakery. Unfortunately in UAE we don’t get cream cheese blocks like yours so we have to settle for different, usually in jars, cream cheese, which can make the frosting a little runny. Nevertheless, a packet of dream whip did the trick and the overall cake was amazing. Everyone said it tasted like bakery quality. And im only 13, so this was super easy.
Thanks so much!
Thank you! I’m happy for you, you’re doing an amazing job!
I’m excited to try this. Can I ask why no eggs? I see this is very similar to your easy chocolate cupcakes recipe except that one has an egg. How does this change the texture compared to the cupcakes? Love all your recipes and I’m planning to make this one today.
Hi Rachel, this works well for people who have egg allergies or are on egg restricted diets. I hope you love it.
So my cake pans are packed away and off-site from my house, I got the genius idea to try to bake this cake in 1 cheesecake pan- it definitely exploded and dropped down to the pan I, thankfully, placed below. Even the pieces that I definitely ate from the drip pan were AMAZING. This cake is so moist and fluffy and flavorful, this is gonna be the new standard of chocolate cake in my house. I subbed a cup of espresso for the water and it’s just excellent! Thank you so much! This will be a forever recipe for me.
Oh no! I’m glad it tasted good!
Hi, I followed this recipe twice and on both times, the flavor of the cake was not there for me. I used coffee made from the Keurig. Could that have been the problem? I then made the frosting and after so much powdered sugar, it tasted soapy. I did not have success with this recipe. I will take any tips you have. Would like to try to make this again.
Hi Deborah! I’m so sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it. Regarding the frosting- if you use too much vanilla or imitation vanilla it can taste like chemicals or soapy. I recommend using a good quality pure vanilla. I like to use my Vanilla Extract Recipe.
Any type of brewed coffee can work fine, but it it’s flavored or cheaper quality and doesn’t taste good, that flavor will come through in the cake too. Use a dark roast or bold coffee pod without flavoring. Be sure to use a good quality 100% natural cocoa powder. I often use Hershey’s cocoa.
Hi, Natacha. A quick question. As this case contains coffee is it ok for children? Thank yoy
Hi Cristina, As for the coffee, don’t worry, you can’t taste the coffee in the final product, but it really amplifies the flavor of chocolate and my kids love this too. Feel free to substitute with decaf coffee if you prefer.
I love this recipe and I have made this amazing cake few times with complete success. What would be the recommended baking time if I used a cupcakes tray? Thanks!
Hi Nada, yes, check out my chocolate cupcakes recipe for the baking instructions.
Hello, I only have whole wheat flour. Can I use it instead of regular flour?
Hi Fivi, I haven’t tried that substitution, but here’s what one of my readers wrote: “Delicious recipe! Super easy. Used Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat flour and it tasted great. And glad it didn’t have eggs so my kids could eat the batter.” I hope this helps.
Hi Natasha,
Do you have suggestions on how I can make your chocolate cake recipe into a two-tiered cake, and, if possible 3 layers each? Would the recipe easily double or triple in size combined in one large bowl? Thank you for your time! My 8 yr old daughter is looking forward to having a chocolate cake for her birthday and requested one of your recipes. 🙂
Hi Tiffany! This recipe doubles well if you have a bowl that is large enough to incorporate all of your ingredients together. Just be careful not to over mix or under mix. You want your ingredients to mix well, but mixing too much can cause the cake to be dense and gummy. You’ll have to experiment with the amount of batter you will need. It depends on what size pans you would like to use for the cake tiers.
If you make this recipe 1.5x you will get 3 pans that are 9”.
Hi Natasha,
I made your vanilla cupcake recipe and the chocolate cupcake recipe! They were so great that I went ahead and made this eggless chocolate cake! It’s amazing as well. Thank you
Hello Jen! Thank you for sharing, glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipes that you have tried!
Hello Natasha, what kind of coffee do you use? Can I use Starbuck’s in the bottle
We used brewed coffee but I suggest following the package instructions which will usually give you a fairly strong coffee.
Hello Natasha! Can you suggest backing time for two 6inches pans? Thank you!
Hi Ella, This will work in a 6-inch pan, but you will need to decrease the amount of batter needed. I’ve only made it in a 9″ pan to advise on measurements. I recommend using This helpful guide.
Hi Natashca.. hope you are well. Can the coffee be substituted for buttermilk instead?
Hi N, I have always used warm coffee for this recipe. I haven’t tried buttermilk in this recipe to advise on the outcome.
OMG! This cake is so moist and delicious! I was reluctant to make it because there are no eggs. And the addition of 2 cups of coffee? You can barely taste it, but it gives the cake that something extra. I topped it with Ermine frosting. Perfect match for me. I’m deleting my other chocolate cake recipes and keeping only this one! Thank you Natasha! ♥️
You’re so welcome, Carol! I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe.