There’s a reason I call this the best chocolate cake recipe: It’s so good, restaurants have asked me to make it! This moist, fluffy, one-bowl chocolate layer cake is going to be your go-to recipe once you try it. Finish this cake with from-scratch chocolate buttercream and homemade chocolate ganache.
After testing many chocolate cake recipes, this one is hands down the best I’ve ever tasted. This is the kind of chocolate cake everyone should have in their recipe collection. An easy, one-bowl cake with the perfect crumb that’s covered with homemade chocolate buttercream frosting. This moist cake is made completely from scratch and has incredible chocolate flavor.
If you’re familiar with my recipes, then you’ve probably seen several variations on chocolate cake, whether that’s hot chocolate cake, my chocolate Oreo cake, chocolate mousse cake, or otherwise. This is my original chocolate cake recipe, and it is still my favorite to this day! The main difference between this recipe and my others is that this one is the MOST tender and moist, it uses oil instead of butter, and it is baked at a lower temperature (which means it also takes a little longer to bake).
I literally cannot stop eating this cake whenever I make it.
I made this chocolate layer cake for my niece’s birthday last year. One of the moms asked my sister-in-law where she’d gotten the cake. After asking me about it, it turns out this mom has two restaurants in Atlanta, and was curious if I’d be interested in making cakes for her restaurant. Whaaaaaat?!?
Pretty neat, but I actually said no. However, this chocolate cake is THAT good! And who doesn’t want to be the one with a cake that’s so good you could bake for a restaurant? You know you do. 😉
So, What Makes This the BEST Homemade Chocolate Cake?
- It’s easy to make. First and foremost: There’s only one bowl!
- Baked at a lower temperature. While my easy chocolate cake recipe bakes at 350ºF, I bake this chocolate cake at 300ºF. This slower bake results in a more moist cake throughout, and a flatter top (less domes!).
- Oil-based. I make this chocolate cake recipe with oil for a more tender crumb. Other recipes, like my chocolate piñata cake, use butter instead of oil simply because some readers prefer the taste of butter! Butter-based cakes are also generally sturdier, so that cake holds up much better to being carved and filled like a piñata. 🙂 As far as great moisture in chocolate cakes goes, though, oil is the way to go.
- Triple the chocolate. This cake has a rich chocolate flavor and fluffy crumb, covered with chocolate buttercream frosting, and decorated with a chocolate ganache drip. It’s a chocolate overload!
- Simple ingredients. The best chocolate cake doesn’t need fancy or even “secret” ingredients, just a few key ones in the right ratios that make it ultra-moist, full of flavor, and still ideal for stacking.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients needed to make the chocolate cake and frosting. The exact measurements for the ingredients can be found in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour – I say this for every cake recipe, but it’s very important to measure the flour correctly. Use a kitchen scale or the spoon-and-level method to avoid overmeasuring, which can lead to a dry cake.
- Natural unsweetened cocoa powder – I often make this cake with dark chocolate cocoa. It gives the cake an even richer chocolate flavor. That said, regular cocoa works too and is also wonderful, just make sure it’s natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed) so it’ll react with the baking soda in the recipe. You can use the same cocoa powder that you use in the cake to flavor the chocolate frosting.
- Baking soda and salt – Make sure that you’re using baking soda, not baking powder, and check the expiration date. If your leavening is old or expired, your chocolate cake won’t rise properly.
- Eggs – If you can, bring these to room temperature.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk is key to a very tender chocolate cake. If you don’t have buttermilk in the fridge, make a substitute by combining 1 scant cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice). Let the mixture rest and curdle for 5 minutes. Stir, and then use it as directed.
- Vegetable oil – This cake is made with oil instead of butter. It makes SUCH a moist cake!
- Hot water – Hot water helps bloom the cocoa powder for a more intense chocolate flavor in the cake. If you use room temperature water, your cake will still turn out fine. Just not quite as rich.
- Powdered sugar – You’ll need it for a smooth, silky chocolate buttercream frosting.
- Chocolate chips – Use high-quality chocolate chips or chop up a chocolate baking bar to make the chocolate ganache. It can be dark or semi-sweet chocolate.
- Heavy cream – You’ll combine the chocolate with heated heavy cream. When it melts, you’ll have ganache! Please don’t use milk or another low-fat alternative to heavy cream, or your ganache won’t have the same rich, creamy texture.
How to Make Chocolate Cake From Scratch
One thing to note is that this cake has a very thin batter. And no, the baking temperature is NOT a typo! This best-ever moist chocolate cake uses a low-and-slow technique that bakes the cake at 300ºF for a bit longer than your typical chocolate cake recipes. This allows the chocolate cake to bake through slowly and evenly, avoiding high domes and overbaked edges. So, here’s how you make it:
Make the Cake
Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom, and grease the sides. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (148°C).
Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.
Add eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.
Add vanilla to boiling water, and then add it to the batter. Mix well.
Divide the batter evenly between your cake pans. Bake at 300ºF for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Once baked, remove the chocolate cakes from the oven and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes. Then, remove them to cooling racks to cool completely. I usually make the chocolate frosting while the cakes cool. Here’s how:
- Beat the butter and sugar. Beat the butter in a stand mixer until smooth, then slowly add 4 cups (460g) of powdered sugar. Mix until creamy.
- Alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients. Next, mix in the vanilla and half of the water and milk. Add another 5 cups (575g) of powdered sugar, then the cocoa powder, mixing well after each addition. Lastly, add remaining water or milk until the frosting is the right consistency.
Frost the Cake
Once cakes are cool, remove cake domes from top with a large serrated knife. See my tips on how to level a cake and how to stack a cake.
Place the first cake layer on a cake plate. Spread ~1 cup of frosting on top. Add the second cake layer, then another cup of frosting on top in an even layer.
Frost the outside of the entire cake to finish things up. Feel free to use my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake if you need tips!
Decorate the Cake
Technically, you could just stop right here. By this point, you’ll have an amazing layer cake with chocolate buttercream frosting! But if you want to go a bit fancy, this chocolate ganache is an easy way to do it. To make chocolate ganache:
Heat the heavy whipping cream until it begins to simmer, then pour it over the chocolate chips.
Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
That’s it. Just two steps! Then you add the ganache to your cake. I like to use a squeeze bottle for drizzling around the edges. See my tips on making a chocolate drip cake.
Drizzle the chocolate ganache around the edge of the cake, then pour the remainder of the ganache on top of the cake and spread evenly.
Allow the ganache to firm up a bit. Pipe the remaining chocolate frosting around the top edge of the cake and pipe a border around the bottom. I used Ateco tip 844.
Add Sprinkles and Serve!
Add a few sprinkles to the cake, if desired, then serve. Sprinkles are totally optional, of course, but why not?
Different Pan Sizes
Made as-is, this chocolate cake recipe uses three 8-inch round pans for a three-layer cake. If you’d like to bake this cake in another pan size, it’s doable! The recipe and oven temperature stay the same (300ºF), but the baking times will vary depending on which pan size you’re using. Here are some quick conversions for you:
- Two 9-inch pans – Bake for 40-45 minutes
- 9×13-inch pan – 40-45 minutes
Can I Make This Cake Recipe Into Chocolate Cupcakes?
Definitely! Fill the cupcake liners about halfway and bake for 18-23 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. You’d get about 24 or so cupcakes if you use the full recipe. You can also check out my homemade moist chocolate cupcakes. It’s the same recipe, but cut in half to make about 12 cupcakes.
How to Store a Frosted Cake
This cake can be stored for 3-4 days on the counter. It should be well covered under a cake dome if possible.
You can also store it in the fridge to extend its shelf life to 4-5 days, but the frosting will harden. When I store a frosted cake in the fridge, I usually place the cake in the fridge uncovered until the frosting hardens (about 2 hours). Then I cover it with Saran Wrap.
When you are ready to have some cake, simply cut a slice and warm it in the microwave (if desired) for about 15-30 seconds. The frosting will soften right up, and you’ll have warm chocolate cake to enjoy.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
This recipe is so simple and easy to make. In addition to being delicious, it has actually become the base for many other flavor combinations I’ve made into cakes, and it’s always a hit!
The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
- 2 cups (414g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) hot water
Chocolate Buttercream
- 2 ½ cups (560g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 9 cups (1035g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (114g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4-5 tablespoons (60-75ml) water (or milk)
- 1 pinch salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 6 oz (1 cup | 169g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Make the Cakes
- Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom, and grease the sides.
- Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C).
- Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.
- Add eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Add vanilla to hot water and add to mixture. Mix well.
- Divide batter evenly between cakes pans and bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
- Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- Make frosting while cakes cool. Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
- Slowly add 4 cups (460g) of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add vanilla and half of the water or milk and mix until smooth.
- Add another 5 cups (575g) of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add cocoa and mix until smooth.
- Add remaining water or milk until the frosting is the right consistency.
Assemble the Cake
- Once cakes are cool, remove cake domes from top with a large serrated knife. See my tips on how to level a cake and how to stack a cake.
- Place first layer of cake on cake plate. Spread about 1 cup of frosting on top in an even layer.
- Add second layer of cake and add another cup of frosting on top in an even layer.
- Add final layer of cake on top and frost the outside of the cake. Feel free to use my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake.
Make the Chocolate Ganache
- To make the chocolate ganache, add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl (see my tips on making chocolate ganache).
- Heat the heavy whipping cream just until it begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
Finish Cake
- Drizzle the chocolate ganache around the edge of the cake, then pour the remainder of the ganache on top of the cake and spread evenly. I like to use a squeeze bottle for drizzling around the edges. See my tips on making a chocolate drip cake.
- Allow the ganache to firm up a bit, then pipe the remainder of the frosting around the top edge of the cake and pipe a border around the bottom. I used Ateco tip 844.
- Add a few sprinkles to the cake, if desired, then serve. Cake is best when well covered for 3-4 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
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Can the cake be frozen then frosted later? Thank you
Definitely! Just wrap it well when you freeze it and thaw it in the fridge before using.
First time making this cake recipe though I have years of experience baking and decorating cakes. My cake came out more thin in texture than a cake texture, definately not usable for decorating or eating. The recipe does not include Baking Powder which I’m guessing may have caused this ????
This recipe is one of my most popular (and one I make all the time), so it’s not the baking soda. In fact, if you were to accidentally use baking powder, it wouldn’t rise properly (my sister in law did that by accident once). 🙂 I’m not sure what the issue was and I’m sorry you had trouble with it! Without more information, it’s hard to help troubleshoot. Are you sure your baking soda was still good?
Best chocolate cake. Have made many times but can I do in 2 9inch pans rather than 3 eights .
I’m glad to hear that! Yes, you can use two 9 inch pans instead. They’ll just bake a little longer.
I was looking to make this cake for my mother for her birthday over the weekend but I wanted to do a vanilla frosting instead of the chocolate. Would everything be the same besides the cocoa?
Yes, pretty much. You could replace the cocoa with more powdered sugar, if needed.
Can you bake this as a 9 x 13 cake? If so, about how long would you bake it?
Yes, you can. I’d bake it for about 45-50 minutes.
Love your recipes. The homemade strawberry cake is my husband’s favorite. My question on the best chocolate cake recipe is : how can I replace the oil with butter? I looked at your chocolate piñata cake but still wanted to utilize buttermilk instead of milk. Thanks
I’m so glad you enjoy them! This particular chocolate cake doesn’t work best with butter. You could try using buttermilk in the piñata cake. It would likely be fine. You could also try my devil’s food cake, which is another really yummy one. You should be able to swap the sour cream for buttermilk. And you didn’t want to use Dutch processed cocoa powder, you can use natural unsweetened.
Looking for a moist chocolate Bundt cake recipe. To make a babydoll cake Could this be made in a large Bundt pan? If so would I need to double it
Unfortunately I don’t have a recipe for that yet. It’s on my list! I believe I tried this as a Bundt cake before, hoping it would be a winner, but if I remember correctly I didn’t think it was the best.
This cake was delicious, but I must have made a wrong turn… My cake was super soft and not sturdy enough to frost well…. Any chance you have a tip on where I went wrong??
It’s hard to say from a distance if you did anything wrong or not. This is a very tender cake, so it doesn’t necessarily sound wrong. That said, i don’t have any trouble frosting it, so it’s possible. If you make it again and still feel it’s super soft, there are a couple things you can try. One could be that your buttercream is a little thick, making frosting it harder. You could thin that out with additional cream so it’s easier to spread. Another thing to try is refrigerating the cake layers before frosting so that it’s firmer while you frost it. I hope that helps!
Thank you so much for the tips! I’m actually going to try it again today! Keeping fingers crossed! Even though i messed up last time, my kids absolutly devoured it! Cooling the cakes is a great idea! Thanks again!
Hi, Lindsay! I’ve made this cake before and it turned out amazing! I just wanted to ask, is there a reason you don’t use baking powder in addition to the baking soda? I’ve seen several other recipes that call for both, but yours only calls for baking soda. Thanks so much!
Using both changes the texture of the cake. I do have a chocolate cake recipe that uses both, but it’s a little less tender and has a slightly tighter crumb.
This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe!
Quick question; have you made this recipe in a half-sheet pan before? If so, did you keep the temperature/recipe the same? Any tips are appreciated!
I’m glad you enjoy it! I haven’t made it in that size before, but I’m sure it’d be fine. I would probably keep the temp the same, but you’d want to reduce the baking time, unless you’re increasing the amount of cake batter.
I appreciate the tips!
Can you substitute coffee for the hot water?
Yes, you can.
Can I bake this recipe in a 9×13 pan?
Definitely! Bake for 40-50 minutes, same temperature.
I’ve made your cupcake recipe and it was divine! I’m excited to make this cake but can I bake the whole batch in one pan? Also, if I substitute the flour for GF flour, will it come out alright?
I’m glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! I wouldn’t recommend baking all the batter in one pan. You could use two. But one pan will be too much and it’ll bake quicker on the outside than on the inside, leaving it unevenly baked and overly dense. I haven’t tried GF flour, but I would expect it to be fine.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for this!!! This recipe was sent straight from heaven, I swear, and I wish I could give it an infinite number of stars. It is legitimately the most delicious and moist chocolate cake anyone will ever have!! Quick question though – could this be made as vanilla by nixing the cocoa and maybe increasing the vanilla extract?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I have a vanilla version. It leaves out the cocoa, adds more vanilla and swaps baking soda for baking powder. You can find it as vanilla cupcakes here. I also used it as the layers of this cake.
Hi Lindsay. I absolutely love this recipe, the perfect chocolate cake. I would appreciate some advice on baking a 10in cake. Do I double the recipe?, and bake times. Thank you for any help.
I usually double it for a 10 inch cake. I can’t remember the exact bake time. I’d check it at the 30 minute mark and then add additional time.
Is this correct? It’s 300 degrees or it’s 350 I feel that’s low for a cake?
It is correct. It bakes at a lower temperature than normal.