A decadent and moist Chocolate Cake recipe with the easiest whipped chocolate frosting. This always gets rave reviews and makes for a stunning chocolate birthday cake.
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Did you know cocoa helps your brain release endorphins or your body’s natural “feel good” chemical? This explains why our moods improve when we are eating chocolate 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.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Cake Recipe
My son’s first words when he saw the cake were “Wow that look’s just like the cake from Matilda!” We watched the Matilda movie recently, but I’m betting this one’s even better because it’s intensely chocolatey and satisfies the fiercest craving for chocolate without being cloyingly sweet.
We combined our most popular Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting with these tried and true Moist Chocolate Cupcakes to create the best chocolate cake. You might be surprised to see coffee in the cake batter, and don’t worry, you can’t taste the coffee in the final product, but it amplifies the flavor of chocolate. Feel free to substitute with decaf coffee if you prefer.
This recipe also happens to be an eggless chocolate cake (bonus if you are egg-free).
Watch the Chocolate Cake Video Tutorial
I hope this Moist Chocolate Cake recipe becomes a new favorite for you. Homemade chocolate cake is way better than Costco’s (there, I said it).
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The Best Cocoa for Chocolate Cake
We used 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.
Can I substitute with Dutch Process 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
This cake doesn’t get any easier. It’s no more complex than a boxed cake so long as you know how to measure ingredients correctly.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients
- Whisk together the dry ingredients
- Combine wet with dry ingredients
- 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.
Pro Tip:
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.
How to Store Chocolate Cake
- Short-Term Storage – if you are going to eat the chocolate cake within 24 hours, its ok to keep it at room temperature. Store it in a cook dry place away from heat and direct sunlight.
- Cover Properly – If you don’t have a cake carrier, use an overturned bowl or large pot to cover the cake and keep it from drying out or absorbing food odors. If the cake is sliced, press a piece of plastic wrap directly over the cut portions to prevent drying out.
- Refrigerating – after 24 hours, you will want to refrigerate the cake. Place plastic wrap directly over cut portions, transfer to an airtight container, 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. Thaw wrapped at room temperature. To freeze a frosted cake, freeze for 1 hour to harden the frosting then wrap with plastic wrap and foil.
- To Serve – Thaw a frozen frosted cake overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. You may need to use a spatula on the frosting again to make it visually appealing.
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.
More Chocolate Desserts (for Chocolate Lovers!)
- Chocolate Ganache
- Chocolate-Frosted Eclairs
- Hot Chocolate Recipe
- Chocolate Lasagna
- Chocolate Souffle
- Black Forest Cake
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate Cake Recipe
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
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 Layers:
- 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, 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 a 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
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I plan to make this cake today. Can I substitute light olive oil for vegetable?
Hi Liza, olive oil is not ideal for baking because it imparts its own flavor. Canola oil would be the next best thing.
Hi Nastasha Kravchuk,
I really love it all your cooking
especially baking. That’s why I’m follow on you on facebook.
Hope you make more video’s for cooking..Sorry I’m not really fluently in English..Thanks alot for sharing a wonderful recipes..
More power & God bless .
I’m so glad you’re enjoying our recipes and videos, Rowena! Blessings to you.
Natasha, if I will be making double size cake, for instance in the big sheet pan, what is the baking time should I follow?
I am making it for Christmas potluck at work and prefer to serve one big cake instead of 2 regular size.
Hi Maryna, Without testing it in the same size you are using, I could only guess. I would suggest baking until a toothpick comes out clean. If using a very large rimmed sheet pan, it wouldn’t be as tall and would require less baking time. I wish I could give you more detailed instructions on that, but without testing, I am not sure.
Hi,
Can you freeze this cake (without frosting)? I think I’m going to have to make it several days ahead of time before the party. Thanks!
Hi Kelly, I haven’t tried freezing the layers but that should work fine. Once they are at room temperature, I would suggest wrapping them in plastic wrap (maybe place a sheet of parchment between layers also so they don’t stick to the plastic wrap or each other), then freeze. Thaw wrapped so they don’t dry out.
Could I use melted butter instead of oil? I hate oil in cakes.
Hi Elizabeth, I haven’t tested this with butter to say for sure.
Hi Natasha,
If I added chocolate chips to the cake batter, would that change anything? Meaning cook time / other ingredients?
Great question, Dale! I haven’t tested that but I imagine if needed cook time Wouldnt change too much. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Hi Natasha can I leave out the vinegar and can I use self-raising flour along with the other ingredients.
Hi Anngelena, the vinegar is necessary as it activates the baking soda and helps with rising. I haven’t tested that with self-rising flour to advise.
Can I do this in a big pan it will it overflow? I don’t have cake pans thanks!
Hi Kate, that depends on the size and height of the pan. Without knowing the exact dimensions it is hard to say
Hi Natasha
Just wondering why you didn’t put any eggs in this recipe. Am making this right now for a family dinner. Cheers from Australia
Hi Anna, this one just happens to not have eggs in it. The recipe is correct. It just doesn’t need them. I hope you love this eggless chocolate cake!
I made your chocolate cake and I have to say it was one of the best i have ever had. Thank you so much for sharing and I will be making this again and again.
That’s just awesome, Pamela! I’m so glad you tried and loved this recipe!
Amazing cake, thank you! Just made it for my husbands birthday and he absolutely loved it – and he knows his chocolate cakes!
We want to keep some for tomorrow, after all, we were only 4 to eat it, do we best store it in the fridge or in room temperature?
Hi Lilian, I would keep leftovers in the fridge and then let it come to room temperature to serve. To keep it from drying out, lay plastic wrap directly onto the portion that was sliced into so the cake layers don’t lose moisture, then cover the full cake with a cake cover or inverted large pot in the fridge so it doesn’t take on any fridge odors. Happy Birthday to your husband!
Hello Natasha! Thank you so much for your recipes. I tried couple of them. I enjoy baking a lot. I like to try new recipes. I was wondering if this cake can be turned into cupcakes. I hope you understand. Also, I was wondering if you can make this as a cake mix to make it as a gift. If I were to make it a cake mix how long could it stay till it goes bad? It’s very interesting … how does hot or cold coffee affect the batter?
Hi Lana, great question! That should work, we left some tips in the comments regarding cupcakes and pan baking, search “cupcakes”. I hope that helps
Hey,Natasha.
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. My husband and kids enjoyed it,I added walnuts on top it was good.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for that great review!
Hi Natasha, what size pans 9 X what ? They have 1.5 or 2h?
Thanks
Hi Tulsy, my pans are 1.5″ high on the sides.
made this for my mom’s birthday. Perfect level of sweetness. My mom loves peanut butter & chocolate together so i also made a peanut butter cream frosting and added it to the middle. Everyone loved it! Thank you for the recipe. It really was a no fail cake.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Denise! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hey,Natasha. Thanks for sharing this recipe. We really enjoyed this cake,I actually added on top wallnuts,plus they say if eating lots of walnuts your milk supply will come faster. We just had our baby boy. Hope that’s true.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Olga!
Can I make this into a 9×13? How would this alter baking time?
Hi Lori, I think a 9×13 would bake up well but without testing that size, I wouldn’t be able to give you a specific baking time. If you test it out, please let me know how it goes!
Can you give this recipe to kids because of the caffeine ?
Hi Athanasia, We don’t have issues serving it because it’s a nominal amount of caffeine per serving but you can definitely use decaf if you are concerned.
Lovely anything to replace creame cheese ?
Hi Sharmila, I haven’t tested anything else but you could use a different frosting – like a chocolate buttercream frosting.
i was Made this for my family get together and it was a hit!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Can this be made into cupcakes?Since there are only2 of us a whole cake is too much temptation
Hi Cathy, great question! That should work, we left some tips in the comments regarding cupcakes and pan baking, search “cupcakes”. I hope that helps
Hi,
Can we use butter instead of oil
Hi Samju, I have always made this particular cake with oil (vegetable oil would also work), but my only hesitation with butter sometimes cakes are more firm right out of the fridge while using oil prevents that problem. If you experiment, let me know how it goes.