This is a really easy yet exceptional Chocolate Cake that truly tastes of chocolate. The crumb is beautifully tender and moist, and it keeps for up to 5 days. It requires no beater, just a wooden spoon.
Frost generously with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for a terrific birthday cake or chocolate ganache for a luxurious rich option. For a richer, fudgier chocolate cake, try this Chocolate Fudge Cake. The ultimate glaze to impress, however, is without a doubt Chocolate Mirror Glaze…..
This is the Chocolate Cake
If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that sometimes I get real stubborn about doing certain things the “right way”. And there’s also a time and a place for shortcut recipes and quick dinners.
Then there’s recipes like this Chocolate Cake which tick all the boxes – it’s easier than the way I’ve been making everyday cake for most of my life, and the results are better.
You’ll love how it really does taste of chocolate even though it’s only been made with cocoa powder (the secret is to add boiling water – it makes the chocolate flavour “bloom”).
You’ll love how tender the crumb is, and how it stays moist for 4 to 5 days.
You’ll love how the cake can stand on its own so you could just dust it with icing sugar then serve slices with dollops of cream on the side. Though of course, smothering it with frosting never hurts….
This is the famous Hershey’s Chocolate Cake recipe which I tried on the recommendation of Michelle from the Brown Eyed Baker (one of the first places I go in hunt for baked goods). I tried it without massively high expectations, because I thought “how much better can this be than the usual, being such a simple recipe?”
I love being proved wrong when it comes to food. So wrong in fact, that even though I tinkered with the recipe multiple times, I landed right back where I started using the recipe exactly as written.
I truly think this might be the only recipe on my entire website that I’m publishing from another source without changing the ingredients at all. It’s unheard of! But to me, it’s perfect as it is. I don’t see myself using any other recipe for an everyday Chocolate Cake, ever again.
Incredibly quick and easy
It’s astonishingly quick to make the batter, with all the ingredients mixed up in one bowl using a whisk.
There’s no need to cream butter like the usual recipes because this one is made with oil which is the reason why this cake is beautifully moist. No more dry chocolate cake! 🙌🏻 (Also means this is more forgiving than most, having once accidentally left it in the oven for 15 minutes longer than necessary and it still wasn’t dry).
I’m publishing this recipe as part of the Easter Recipes posted yesterday! So here it is, dolled up for Easter. The same cake in the photos above, the same frosting, topped with speckled Easter eggs, baby chicks (both from Woolworths in Australia), and a chocolate basket. I’ve provided directions in the notes of the recipe for how I made that chocolate basket (hint – it involves a balloon…).
My everyday Chocolate Cake
Easter aside, I call this my everyday Chocolate Cake because it’s just that – my new favourite to make for any occasion. There will be times that call for a mud-cake like Fudge Cake made with both cocoa powder and melted chocolate. There will be times that call for intensely dark chocolate cakes. There will be times that you need / want the nutty brownie-like Flourless Chocolate Cake. And there will be times you’re after one that’s light-as-air, a delicate chiffon cake.
This one is for all the other times when you just want a great, classic Chocolate Cake. Which in my world, is 80% of the time! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups plain / all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder , unsweetened (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda (bi-carb soda)
- 2 cups white sugar (Note 1)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs (~55-65g / 2 oz each)
- 1 cup milk (low or full fat)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 1/2 batches Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (slide scaler on recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C°/350°F (160°C fan). Read Note 4 regarding shelf positions.
- Grease 2 x 22cm/9" cake pans with butter, then line the base. (Note 3 re: springform pans and other pan sizes).
Batter:
- Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add Sugar and salt. Whisk briefly to combine.
- Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk well to combine until lump free – about 30 seconds.
- Add boiling water and whisk to incorporate. The batter is VERY thin (see video).
- Pour batter into cake pans.
Baking:
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. See Note 4 regarding cook time if pans are on different shelves.
- Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks upside down (Note 5).
- Cool completely before frosting. I frosted the cake with my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (scale recipe up by 50%).
Recipe Notes:
- bundt pan – 50 minutes
- single 22cm/9″ pan – 40 to 45 minutes
- 2 x 20cm / 8″ pans – 38 minutes
- 3 x 20cm / 8″ pans – 25 minutes
- 33 x 22 x 5 cm / 13 x 9 x 2″ rectangle pan – 35 – 40 minutes
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Dozer vs tiny toy chick.
Chick won.
Hey nagi .. loved this cake .. it was simple yet so choclaticous.. just wanted to know if i need to replace the egg as one of my frnd fly r allergic to egg. How can i make the same cake without egg? What substitute do i use?
Hi Komal, sorry I haven’t tried with any egg substitutes just yet – would love to know if you try! N x
No prob:: would love to read one from u eggless cake.. as following ur receipes are just perfect & applauding by every single person here..
Hi! I made your vanilla cupcakes and it was absolutely delicious!
Can I make this cake with 3 6inch pans? will it be too small?
Brilliant site
Made this today in a Bundt pan for my husband’s birthday and he loved it. Easy and delicious.
Hi,
Can I use one 9-inch springform pan and divide it with a cake leveler? Would it affect the cooking time if the batter will be thicker in just one pan? Thanks!
Hi Grecell, you can use one pan – I have mentioned this in the recipe notes for the cook time as well. N x
I haven’t tried this cake yet, but I did made the vanilla cake which was amazing. I wanted to try this chocolate cake next, but before I can start I have one question. Can I exclude the vanilla extract or do I need an alternative for that?
Thanks for a great recipe!
FYI it also works well as a gluten free cake, which I made for a coeliac relative. I substituted by the flour (by weight) with 50% almond meal, and 50% GF flour blend. It was still very moist and delicious, and you couldn’t even tell it was GF
That’s great to know Erica, thanks so much!! N x
What are your thoughts on a cream cheese frosting for this one? I’m making a birthday cake and want a white frosting to go with the theme.
Hi Natasha, cream cheese and chocolate… This could be pure genius, although I would recommend a chocolate cream cheese frosting with a chocolate cake but I have seen chocolate cakes with white cream cheese frosting done before. Love to know if you give it a go! (You could also use a vanilla buttercream) – N x
I love the texture of the cake and tastes amazing, I only have one problem. The bicarbonate, can I exclude it? It gives be stomach aches accompanied by a runny tummy.
Experienced the same.
Nagi, love your website, 5 stars all the way for the successful recipes. Have tried 3 already.
Is it possible to cut down on the b/soda for this recipe?
Hi Nagi. Thanks so much for this recipe, it’s lovely! Just one question: I’m aiming to do this cake for my husband birthday, and we are aiming for about 35 guests. I’ve bought a 12” square tin, and planned to do the recipe twice to make two layers. Do you think one recipe will be enough to create a good layer for a square 12” cake tin?
I used boiling coffee instead of water. You dont really taste the coffee but it brings out another “layer” of flavor.
Sounds amazing Anne!!! N x
Hi Nagi. Thank you sooo much for this (and the chocolate buttercream) recipe. I made it for my Son’s 15th Birthday today and it was an absolute hit. Not too sweet and delicious. This will be my go to from now on.
Nagi, thank you for this magnificent recipe. Made it for my husband’s 73rd birthday and it’s fair to say that he’s in chocolate heaven! Moist and delicious, I can see it will be a firm favourite. Yum:)
Wahoo, that’s great Marianna! I hope he had a great day!! N x
Delicious and easy 😋
Delicious cake, I used around 350g of sugar(sometimes i will add more and sometimes I will add less it really depends) this is my go to came recipe and it’s great, sometimes I will add a teaspoon of two of espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavour but overall great recipe👍
Perfect India, I’m so glad you love it!! N x
Hi Nagi, is it possible to cut down on the sugar for this recipe?
Hi Diana, I made this cake with only 220g sugar, and it was still sweet enough and still moist. My mum doesn’t like sweet things so she regularly halves the sugar in recipes. I usually reduce the sugar in recipes by a third, and I have never had any issues. In my trial and error experience, if the sugar in a cake by weight is same as the flour it will still be sweet enough.
Nagi, is 440g of sugar correct or this a typo? I used 440g and the cake was far, far too sweet.
Yes that’s correct Julia, 2 cups which are 220g each. I’ve never had anyone say this is too sweet (but this is a chocolate cake of course… 😂) – N x
Made this yesterday. The best ever. Swapped out the cup of boiling water for a cup of hot coffee, as I believe it enhances the flavour of the chocolate. So moist and flavourful. Made with the chocolate buttercream icing. Delicious!
Hi Nagi, is it possible to make cupcakes with this recipe? If so, how long do they need to be baked for?
Hi Bella, I have a chocolate cupcake recipe here: https://fast-enhancement.today/best-easy-chocolate-cupcakes/%3C/a%3E – N x
Hello
Can I use this recipe for chocolate cupcakes?
Thank you