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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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.
Hi Nagi,
I’ve got a 7in x3in (17.5cm x 7.5cm) pan. I plan to divide the batter into 2 pans. How long will I need to bake it for?
This cake was delish! It reminded me of the simple but amazing chocolate cakes I used to eat when I was a kid. Loved this! There was quite a lot of butter cream and I think I could have done with just quantity of the buttercream but I enjoyed eating it out of the bowl nonetheless. Cake was soft and fluffy. Yum! Will make again!!!
Hi Nagi! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Can i use lactose free milk as substitute?
Thank you.
I always use lactose free milk for this recipe and it always turns out great, it is pretty much exactly the same as normal milk except I would add slightly less sugar because this kind of milk is a bit sweeter
Just love your recipes – so well written, easy to follow & everything turns out delicious! Your website is my ‘go to’ place every time I cook. Thank you. All the very best to you & gorgeous Dozer!
Olá Nagi.
Will this recipe work in an 8” pan and boo parchment paper ?
Thanks !
I meant “no parchment paper ? “
Hi Lanaa
I used 8inch pans and it was perfect.
Ok. Thanks Margaret !
Yes Lanaa, but you need the baking paper to stop it from sticking. N x
Thank you Nagi, this recipe is amazing! I made it for my mums birthday and she absolutely loved it! Everyone who ate it said the same thing…once they started they couldn’t stop.
I’ve made this and it’s excellent! Thank you. Wondering would this work for cupcakes & how long would you recommended cooking for?
Awesome cake – so easy and super moist and tasty. Thank you Nagi for yet another awesome recipe. This ones going into my recipe book!
Can we use olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
Hi E, I prefer a neutral flavoured oil, olive oil will change the flavour of the cake – N x
Such a simple, robust recipe with delicious results! I iced my cake with cream cheese frosting, which is less sweet but needs refrigeration (recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction). It worked really well, because this cake is light and fluffy straight from the fridge.
Hello Nagi, can I use cake and pastry flour to make your chocolate cake? your recipe use all purpose flour, instead of all purpose flour can I use cake and pastry flour? please advise.
Thanks,
sai.
Hi Nagi! I am 11 yrs old and I started baking in the beginning of quarantine. It is now my new hobby. Your chocolate cake recipe is amazing! My whole family approved and said it was better than the recipe I usually use. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
I MAKE THIS CHOCOLATE CAKE(HERSHEYS) ALL THE TIME, BUT INSTEAD OF USING 1 CUP OF BOILING WATER I USE 1 CUP OF STRONG COFFEE. FABULOUS!!!
I tried the recipe and it was amazing, even my mom was impressed by the cake, THANK YOU
I made this cake with the ganache and mirror glaze to cheer up the people in my social distancing pod and it brought smiles all around! I added some edible flowers as decoration. I have been requested to make it again!
Hi Nagi, just wanted to let you know I made this fabulous cake complete with the ganache and the mirror glaze for my grand daughter’s 27th birthday. I was a bit worried about the mirror glaze as I haven’t made anything like that before. However the cake turned out sensational and I only wish I had taken a photo of it to send to you before everyone demolished it! Thank you for your wonderful site, you explain things well so they make sense in the procedure/method. I love your recipes and I’ve made so many of them. Next up the vegetable tagine! Thanks Lynn
Hi Nagi. Best chocolate cake ever! Everyone wanted the recipe. Not sure how you could get it to last for five days though… too delicious. Thank you!
Hello! I want to make this for a friend. I have 3 6inch tins will I have to make this recipe 3 times for each time and how long would I bake?
My cakes sank quite a bit in the middle. I am at a high altitude. Is there anything I can do or do you know why this happens?
From another baker living at high altitude, this is a good resource:
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
Delicious cake!!! I made this with the choc ganache and choc mirror glaze and my gosh it’s so divine. Moist and rich cake.