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
OMISTARS! This is A.MAZ.ING. Yes – I’m yelling – yes – it’s that good. Followed the directions exactly except only had Hershey’s special dark cocoa, so I used that. It is moist to infinity and beyond. The frosting is perfect. So good. Thank you for a winner.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
does skipping vinegar affect the cake. tia
Hi Joy, the vinegar is necessary as it activates the baking soda and helps with rising.
Hi there, for the 2 cups of coffee, any measurement for the coffee powder?
Hi Jenny, I haven’t tested this with instant coffee but here is what one of our readers wrote “Update for my cake. I made it again last Saturday for my son’s birthday and it turned out great! It was reach chocolate flavor (nobody noticed coffee). I used corn oil and for 2 cups coffee I used 3 tea spoons decaf instant coffee (light/medium roast).” I hope that helps.
Awesome recipe!! thank you so much for sharing! making it for the second time, but wondering if I can use less powdered sugar? personally I don’t like too sweet, the cake itself is amazing! not sure if I use less powdered sugar, the frosting texture is gonna change?
Hi Ava, 5 cups is correct. It may seem like a lot, but it is a lot of frosting and keep in mind that 1 cup of powdered sugar is actually 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. I tested this adding the powdered sugar to taste (and you can do the same), but I landed at 5 cups as the perfect balance of sweetness.
I was wondering about no eggs too. My husband just turned vegan so I’ll try to make this for him.
There are absolutely no eggs in this recipe! I hope you love it!
Delicious! I made a chocolate simple syrup and spooned over cake layers – it probably didn’t need it, but I just wanted to add it. The best chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever made- thank you!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Rebecca!
Yummy!! I was looking for Oberweis chocolate cake recipe. This is exactly like that. Thanks Natasha.
You’re welcome, Raji! Thank you for that great review!
I have a question: can we skip the salt if we want our frosting to be really sweet? In my opinion, the sweeter, the better!
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Will do
I don’t think that you should skip the salt in the frosting.. sweet dishes need a small amount of of salt to make the flavor pop.
In the same way that savory dishes sometimes need a pinch of sugar to balance the flavor.
Hi! Can I use milk instead of coffee?
Hi Ashley, coffee will provide the very best flavor because it amplifies the flavor of chocolate and does not taste like coffee. The next best thing would be water. I don’t know if it is an option for you, but decaf coffee would also work fine.
Hi Natasha
I love so much most of your recipes, but I am struggling to work out how much your cup is in grams.
Hi, if you click on “Metric” in the recipe card, it will convert the dry ingredients to grams for you.
Hi natasha. How many spoons of coffee and which brand do you use?
Hi Karen, it doesn’t matter what brand or the type of roast you use, we have notes in the recipe and in the comments on the kind of coffee. You can use, brewed, instant, or shots of coffee. It also depends on the brand and type of instant coffee. I would suggest following the instructions on the package of coffee which is usually a fairly strong cup of coffee. I hope that helps!
Top of the line! One awesome chocolate cake & frosting. Very moist. This is a keeper! Thank you Natasha! Patrice
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Patrice!
Hi Natasha! Can I use canola oil in place of the olive oil. Thanks
Hi Tracy, yes, canola oil would be the next best thing.
The coffee uve put is regular black coffee in water?
Hi Rabia, we have notes in the recipe and in the comments on the kind of coffee. You can use, brewed, instant, or shots of coffee. I hope that helps!
I have tried many of your recipes and the results are always very good. This cake is the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten. Moist and decadently chocolate, and the frosting is simply amazing! Easy to make too. Thank you!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review
Natasha, I watched this video and read the recipe. Are there really no eggs in this recipe?
That’s right, Maryann! There really are no eggs in this recipe.
I was also surprised to see no eggs in this recipe!
Can’t wait to try it out.
The mixture of baking soda and vinegar makes the cake rise. Make sure you get the cake in the oven quickly after you mix the wet and dry ingredients.
I made this cake gluten-free, and the only thing that I change was the flour, and it turned out great. Once the frosting was all on I put chocolate chips on the sides and made some decorations out of chocolate almond bark to go on the top. This cake is a chocolate lovers dream. It was so amazing and moist, even after being in the fridge for a day! Thank you, Natasha! My family and I love your recipes!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Baked it last night. Turned out amazing. I replaced virgin oil by vegetable oil. Next time, I will use icing sugar for a smoother frosting texture. Finally, I used 3 cups of sugar for the frosting as it was getting too sweet to my taste. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Rodaba! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Natasha,
I want make a kid-friendly version of this cake, can I substitute the warm coffee with something else?
Many thanks!
Kr,
Adrian
Hi Adrian, The recipe would still work using warm water
Hi,
Can use a normal yogurt instead of greek yogurt in the coconut lime muffin recipe ?
Hi, I haven’t tested that to advise but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Ciao , vorrei tanto fare la tua torta.. ma ho difficoltà nella traduzione degli ingredienti, visto che qui in Italia ci sono i grammi.. per favore potresti aiutarmi? Ho appena fatto la tua ricetta del pollo ai funghi.. buonissimooooo
Hi Eliana, If you click “Jump to recipe” at the top of the post it will take you to our printable recipe where you have the option to view the ingredients in US Customary or Metric measurements. I hope that helps.
No eggs???or substitute???
That’s right, this cake has no eggs!
Hey Natasha!,
This recipe look delicious! I don’t have coffee at home but I have espresso powder..would this be a fine substitute? Maybe just do half? What do you think?
I appreciate your input and time:)
Hi Jessica, yes that would work great, just add it to the water until you have a strong tasting coffee.