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
My sister has made this forever. It is my favorite, We lost her recipe when she passed away. I am so thrilled to have this again. Thank you,Cindy
I’m so glad you found this recipe on our blog, Cindy!
Can I use vegetable oil?
Hi Maggie, A vegetable or canola oil would work. If you experiment with any of those options, let me know how it goes. Sorry, I can’t be more helpful.
Just to make sure before I make this recipe, there’s no eggs? If so, that’ll make a great vegan chocolate cake. Can I make cupcakes with this batter?
Hi Felicia, that is correct this recipe does not call for eggs. I hope you love it! That should work, we left some tips in the comments regarding cupcakes and pan baking, search “cupcakes”. I hope that helps
This cake is so delicious and easy. It also keeps great in the fridge—my husband loves his cold, and I throw mine in the microwave for 15 seconds. Perfect!!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review
Hi natasha,
Love all your recipes. Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar .
Hi Svetlana, I honestly have not tried that in this recipe so I’m not sure how it would affect the flavor of the cake. Apple Cider vinegar usually has a lower acidity percentage so that may affect the rise.
Thank you so much. If it’s just for rising can I skip the white vinegar and add baking powder instead, or any other alternative you can suggest.
Hi Svetlana, since baking is so much of a science, I can’t make that recommendation without testing it first. Baking soda is 4 times stronger than baking powder so it would need some experimenting.
I used 2 tbsp of black instant coffee mixed in 2 cups of water. I decreased the amount of sugar to 1 1/2 cups and It comes out perfect. Not so sweet, moist and dense. My husband loves it. Thanks Natasha
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Hello. We love your recipes! But I hate coffee. Am I going to taste it in the finished product?
Hi Kim, it is not noticeable in the finished product, but coffee does amplify the flavor of chocolate.
Hi Natasha, thank you for this recipe. We found the icing really too sweet compared to your other cakes which we loved. Our favourite is the strawberry cake with the old fashion chocolate decoration. I would make this cake again but with cream based icing.
Hi Yaye, you can definitely substitute with different icing if you prefer a less sweet icing. We found this to be a great balance for the amount of cocoa in the frosting. We have even made this cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting and it worked well.
Hello Natasha! We decided to cook this amazing chocolate cake for tonight. It´s ready and the flavor is incredible. Today was my daughter who cooked with only my help. Simply fantastic as all your recipes. Happy New Year 2020 from Costa Rica.
That’s so great, Valentin!! Happy New Year!
Does it make a difference if i cut down on the powdered sugar for the frosting?
Hi Rochelle, It may seem like alot, 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.
Posted my review earlier I have no idea why it was never posted on the site. It was dry and the cake itself tasted like dirty vegetables. It was completely awful. I followed the recipe step by step, I don’t see how this review is not valid unless only 5 star reviews are applicable?
Hi Janet, I scanned through the spam box and didn’t see any comments from you. I’m seeing this as your first comment on my site. Maybe your original message didn’t go through – that can happen if you click off the page before it fully submits. I’m not sure. This is one of our most popular cakes. Without being there with you or more info, it is difficult to say what went wrong, but I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Did you make any changes in the recipe? Any ingredient substitutions or changes to the process? Maybe your oil was rancid – that can definitely throw the flavor.
The oil was good. I used black coffee, as in no milk or sugar added to coffee. I wonder if that did it? It was my Christmas cake, but the icing was really great.
I guess the only explanation is one (or some) of the ingredients was no good. There is no way this cake tastes bad.
Perhaps you should brush up on your baking techniques and proper measurements or perhaps the freshness of your ingredients? This cake was delicious and moist, the review stars are well deserved.
I used 1 tbsp instant coffee in 2 cups water and it worked well.
And it tasted too sweet for my family. Can I reduce the amount of sugar to 1 cup in the cake recipe?
Hi Yan, Thank you for sharing that with us. It may seem like alot, 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.
Hi Yan, I haven’t tested it with 1 cup of sugar so I’m not sure how that will affect the outcome of the cake. With a stronger coffee, the sweetness balanced the cake. Also, using a sweeter frosting can make it taste sweeter (not sure if that was the case for you). If I were to cut down the sugar, I would probably start with 1 1/2 cups so it isn’t such a drastic change that could affect the rise and texture of the cake. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
Hi Natasha!
Thank you for all your amazing recipes. You are a true baking chef! Kudos to you.
I would like to use this recipe to make a layered cake using different size pans like in the link below. How do you recommend managing baking them in the oven? Bake them in the same batch and Take off the oven the small pans first?
Fat Daddio’s PRD-1BOX Anodized Aluminum Round Cake Pan Celebration Set, Set of 3, Silver, 1-Box Mix
Hi, I honestly haven’t tried baking it that way so I wouldn’t be able to make a recommendation without some trial and error but here is a tutorial that I found online which may help you gage cooking times.
Thank you very much. I’ll give it a try and let you know the outcome
You’re welcome! We look forward to it!
Hello Natasha. Could I make the entire cake with frosting a day in advance? Will it be just as good the next day? I’m making this recipe this weekend for my sons birthday. He’s so excited about this chocolate cake… he watched the video with me and requested it for his birthday right away haha!
Hi Jacquelyn, I think it’s the most moist the day it’s made but it does keep really well. Be sure to cover and refrigerate. I would suggest letting it come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving for it to soften up again.
How do you make the warm coffee?hoe many spoons of coffee for 2 cups of water?
Hi Cherry, we used our espresso maker. 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.
Hello Natasha, I was looking at your recipe and noticed you didn’t add any eggs ?
That’s correct, Daniela! There are absolutely no eggs in this recipe! I hope you love it!
Hey, when you write 2 cups of coffee, do you mean 3 teaspoons of coffee in 2 cups of warm water?
Also, I read in one of your comments to not use convection mode. How do I bake in a microwave without using the convection mode then? Any other alternative?
Hi Gulati, 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.
I only have 8 inch round cake pans..does the cooking time need to be adjusted at all?planning on making it tomorrow!
Hi Faye, I think you could probably stretch it to accommodate two 8-inch pans but I haven’t tested either way so I won’t be able to give you precise baking instructions.
No egg or butter milk
Hi Vivian! That is correct! I hope you give this recipe a try soon!
Looks divine! Is there anything I can substitute the coffee with? Thanks!
Hi Taylor, 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.
This has to be the BEST chocolate cake ever. So many people have complimented me when I’ve made it. Thank you Natasha for your amazing recipes.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Maria!!
Hi Natasha! Will the recipe work if I replace light olive oil with avocado oil or melted coconut oil?
Hi Maryna, to be honest, I haven’t tested either one so I can’t say for sure. A vegetable or canola oil would work. If you experiment with any of those options, let me know how it goes. Sorry, I can’t be more helpful.