Favorite Chocolate Cake
Every home cook needs a go-to chocolate cake recipe: simple, reliable, deeply chocolatey, and easy enough to make for birthdays, holidays, picnics, or Sunday dinner. This is mine-a favorite chocolate cake I've made for years, with a tender crumb, rich cocoa flavor, and a creamy homemade chocolate frosting.
It's made with pantry staples, comes together easily, and can be baked as a classic two-layer cake or a simple 9 x 13-inch cake.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email, and we'll send it to your inbox. Plus, you'll get delicious new recipes from us every Friday!
Recipe Overview
- Flavor: Rich, classic chocolate cake with homemade cocoa frosting.
- Texture: Moist and tender with a soft, delicious crumb.
- Method: Simple mixing bowl or stand mixer recipe.
- Best for: Birthdays, holidays, picnics, family dinners, and celebrations.
- Pan options: Bake as a two-layer cake or in a 9 x 13-inch pan.
What I Love About This Chocolate Cake
This is the kind of chocolate cake recipe I think every kitchen should have: dependable, unfussy, and always welcome. The cocoa is bloomed with boiling water, which deepens the chocolate flavor, while the thin batter bakes into a soft, moist cake.
I also love how adaptable it is. For Christmas, I like to finish it with crushed peppermint. For birthdays, chocolate shavings always feel special. And for picnics, following my grandmother's tradition, I love adding a layer of toasted chopped walnuts over the frosting.
[ez-toc]
Key Ingredients
The exact ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below, but here are a few notes about the simple pantry ingredients that make this cake so easy and delicious.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Gives the cake and frosting their classic chocolate flavor. Adding boiling water to the batter helps bloom the cocoa for a richer taste.
- Boiling water: The batter will be thin after adding it, but that's exactly right and helps create a moist, tender cake.
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure while keeping the cake soft and familiar.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake and balances the cocoa.
- Oil: Keeps the cake moist and tender. Use a neutral-flavored oil for the best results.
- Milk: Adds moisture and richness to the cake and helps create a creamy frosting.
- Eggs: Help give the cake structure and a soft crumb.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Work together to help the cake rise beautifully.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the chocolate flavor in both the cake and frosting.
- Butter: Used in the frosting for a smooth, creamy finish.
- Confectioners' sugar: Sweetens and thickens the chocolate frosting.
- Espresso powder, optional: A small amount deepens the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
How to Make This Chocolate Cake
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans for a layered cake, or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan for a single-layer cake, by greasing and lightly flouring the pan or using baking spray.
Make the Cake
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder, if using.
- Add the wet ingredients: Mix in the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. If using a stand mixer, the paddle attachment works well.
- Add boiling water: Carefully mix in the boiling water until combined. The batter will be very thin.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let layer cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. If baking in a 9 x 13-inch pan, the cake can cool completely in the pan.
Make the Chocolate Frosting
- Cream the butter and cocoa: Beat together the butter and cocoa powder until smooth and well combined.
- Add sugar and milk: Add sifted confectioners' sugar in 1-cup increments, alternating with splashes of milk. Mix well after each addition for a light, creamy frosting.
- Finish with vanilla: Beat in the vanilla, then adjust the consistency as needed.
- Adjust if needed: If the frosting is too thick, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time. If it's too soft, add confectioners' sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until spreadable.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Cake
- Don't worry about the thin batter. Once the boiling water is added, the batter will look much thinner than many cake batters. That's normal.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting. This keeps the frosting smooth and helps it spread beautifully.
- Sift the confectioners' sugar if needed. This helps prevent lumps in the frosting.
- Use the pan that fits the occasion. A layer cake feels celebratory, while a 9 x 13-inch cake is perfect for casual gatherings, potlucks, and family dinners.
Serving Ideas
This chocolate cake is delicious as written, but it's also easy to dress for the season or occasion. Add chocolate shavings for birthdays, crushed peppermint for Christmas, toasted walnuts for picnics, or a simple dusting of confectioners' sugar for a lighter finish.
It's also wonderful served with fresh berries, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a cup of coffee or tea.
How to Store Chocolate Cake
Store the frosted cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for longer storage. If refrigerated, let the cake sit at room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
Unfrosted cake layers can also be wrapped well and frozen. Thaw completely before frosting and serving.
Favorite Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk or buttmilk, or nondairy milk like almond or coconut milk
- ½ cup cooking oil like vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup boiling water
For the Chocolate Frosting
- 1 ½ cups butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup milk or half and half or heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Prepare two 9-inch baking pans for a layered cake, or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan for a single-layer cake by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring the pan.
For the chocolate cake:
- In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder if using. Whisk to combine.
- Add the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix until well combined. If using a stand mixer, I prefer the paddle attachment. Carefully add the boiling water to the cake batter and mix until combined. The batter will be very thin.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan(s). Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing to cool completely. If making the cake in a 9 x 13 inch pan, I let the cake cool in the pan.
- (Note: At times I bake this in a 13" x 9" pan, for special occasions I make a 2-layer cake using (2) 9" round cake pans. For a 3-layer cake, use (3) 8-inch round cake pans. To prepare pan, grease and flour, shaking off the excess. Set aside.
For the chocolate frosting:
- Cream the butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.
- Add sifted powdered sugar in 1-cup increments, along with splashes of the milk, to the butter mixture. Mix on high speed for 30 seconds after each addition of sugar and milk to ensure complete mixing. This helps achieve a light and creamy frosting. Repeat until the milk and sugar have been added, and then mix in the vanilla.
- If the frosting appears dry, add additional splashes of milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting appears too wet and does not hold its form, add additional confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
Notes
- Baking Pan: This can be baked in a 13" x 9" pan, a 2-layer cake using (2) 9" round cake pans or for a 3-layer cake, use (3) 8-inch round cake pans.
- Cooling: For a 9 x 13-inch cake, let the cake cool completely in the pan before frosting. For layer cakes, cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frosting Consistency: If the frosting is too thick, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until spreadable. If it's too soft, add confectioners' sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Making the Frosting Ahead: Refrigerate the frosting in an airtight container for up to 5 days. When ready to frost the cake, bring it to room temperature and then whisk before frosting. You can also freeze it in an airtight freezer container, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes to Try
If you love simple chocolate desserts, you might also like this Fudgy Picnic Chocolate Cake, which is perfect for potlucks and summer gatherings, or this Easy Chocolate Cake with Ganache for a smaller single-layer cake.
For special occasions, try Queen Elizabeth's Belgian Chocolate Cake, a rich royal-inspired dessert, this festive Chocolate Bundt Cake for Christmas, or this Heart-Shaped Chocolate Cake for anniversaries, special days, or Valentine's Day.
For a quick chocolate fix, readers love this 2-minute Chocolate Chip Banana Mug Cake.
This is the chocolate cake I make at least once a year. For birthdays, picnics when I'm serving a group, and those weekends that just need a little something extra!
Eileen, thank you for such a lovely comment! I’m so glad this salad has become a favorite. I agree — it’s such a beautiful, colorful dish for a table, and perfect with anything from the grill.
Stephanie, thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it for an NCOIC’s farewell lunch (his favorite dessert was anything chocolate) and it went so fast...they could taste the freshness of homemade from scratch, they ate every piece and left half of a boxed mix devil’s food bundtcake Untouched, I will never buy/use boxed devil’s food cake mix again,
Yay!! It makes me SO happy to hear that! Of course, you and I know that almost everything is better from scratch! We love that chocolate cake recipe too.
hi you mention flour but what kind? self raising or plain
I always use unbleached all-purpose flour. Thanks for the question! I'll clarify that in the recipe.