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 over measuring, which can lead to a dry cake.
- Natural unsweetened cocoa powder – Regular unsweetened cocoa is used in these cupcakes. You can use Dutch cocoa, but since it’s not acidic, it won’t react with baking soda, and the layers won’t rise quite as high. Stick with natural cocoa powder for best results.
- Baking soda – 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.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk makes this chocolate cake even more tender. If you don’t have buttermilk, just use regular milk. You can use whole or 2% and the cake is still just as wonderful. For some, it’s a little too tender with buttermilk.
- Vegetable oil – This cake is made with oil instead of butter. It makes SUCH a moist cake! And you don’t miss the butter.
- 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. If you’d like, you can also use hot coffee.
- Powdered sugar – I’m often asked about the amount of powdered sugar. There’s a decent amount, because I use a good bit of frosting. That said, you can reduce it. But then I’d reduce all the frosting ingredients by the same ratio and just make less 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 will be too thin.
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, if needed. 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
- Room temperature – This cake can be kept at room temperature for a few hours, but should otherwise be refrigerated. Without the chocolate ganache, it could be at room temperature for up to 48 hours.
- Refrigerator – Beyond the room temperature instructions above, you can also store it in the fridge, but the frosting will firm up. So, you’ll want to remove the cake from the fridge before serving, so that it can come to room temperature again. The cake should be covered in the fridge, ideally in a cake carrier. It’s best if eaten within 4-5 days.
- Freezer – These cake layers freeze really well for up to 3 months. I like to wrap them in a layer of plastic wrap, freeze them, then add a layer of foil. Thaw them in the fridge before putting the cake together. I don’t typically freeze fully layered cakes, but that would probably be fine. You can also freeze individual slices. Flash freeze them, them wrap them in plastic wrap. Thaw in the fridge before eating.
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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I absolutely love this cake recipe. I have made it several times. It’s no lie when it says best chocolate cake because it is the absolute best. I love the texture and everything. I was wondering if I could convert it to a vanilla cake? and if so what would I replace the cocoa with because I’d love to get a vanilla cake to have this same texture and soft moistness
The vanilla cake layers in this cake are my equivalent. 🙂
Hi Lindsey I was wondering if this recipe could I use 2 6×4 round pans
It depends on how tall you want it to be. It’d be very tall if you use the full recipe. You could also cut it in half.
Hi Lindsay. I have made this cake several times, it’s my family’s favorite. It’s super moist so it’s hard to frost. Do you have any suggestions on how to frost the cake without it crumbling?
Are you using my frosting recipe? It’s possible that you need to add a little more cream to it so it spreads more easily. A crumb coat might also be helpful. You could also try refrigerating the cakes before frosting them, so they firm up a bit. I hope that helps!
So glad it’s a hit!
Absolutely loved this will definitely make this again what a beautiful tasting moist cake best ive ever had
It truly is the best triple chocolate cake recipe I have tried. I love Italian and Swiss buttercreams, less sweet, but the chocolate frosting is perfect for the over the top rich cake experience. I would use Swiss buttercreams if I wanted to tone the cake down a bit but if the recipe says triple chocolate you kind of know what to expect…
Hi Lindsey,
I just watched the video and you add shortening to the frosting recipe…how much do you use?
Thank,
Mark
Yes, I used to use shortening, but don’t anymore. You don’t have to use it. I replace it with equal amounts of butter. If you do want to use shortening, you can replace it 1:1. I did half butter and half shortening.
Hi Lindsey,
This looks like a great recipe…for the frosting is 2-1/2 cups of butter and 9 cups of powdered sugar the correct amounts for 1 cake? I guess you just lay it on in thick layers?
Yes, I do thick layers because of how I frost my cake and decorate it. Totally feel free to reduce that if you won’t be decorating it similar to how it’s shown in the photos.
I followed the directions Step by step.. Is it suppose to be super watery? The only thing is I used a 9×13 glass pan and adjusted accordingly.
Hope it turns out good
It is a very thin batter, yes. It can definitely be made in a 9×13 pan, but I don’t suggest a glass pan. Those tend to cook the edges more quickly than the inside, so it can baked unevenly. A regular cake pan is best.
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Just a little concerned about the amount of sugar – 414g seems a lot. Is that correct and should I use caster sugar or granulated ?
It is correct. I use granulated sugar.
Do you really bake this cake at 300 degrees?
Yes, 300 degrees is correct.
Thanks so much. Usually, I bake my cakes at 325. But I’ll try 300.
Have you made this with two 9 inch pans and if so what was the baking time. I love this recipe and have made it my to go chocolate cake. I do replace the hot water with hot coffee though and it just brings out the chocolate flavor. It is definitely the best and I always get such compliments on it.
I have, but it’s been a while. I can’t remember exactly, but it’s actually not that different. A few minutes more, I think.
Absolutely the best recipe! I did change one thing though….I replace the water for fresh brewed coffee. The coffee enhances the chocolate taste tenfold! Everyone LOVES this cake when I make it!
I’m so glad it’s a hit!
Can I make the frosting a day or 2 ahead of time and keep in an airtight container in the fridge? And then let it get to room temperature before putting it on the cake?
Yes, definitely.
This recipe is amazing! Very easy, but very yummy and popular! Is there a vanilla version that turns out just a moist and yummy?!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! My vanilla version can be seen in this vanilla cupcake recipe. To turn it into a three layer 8-inch cake, divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 24-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
My husband made this for my return from a trip and it was the best chocolate cake I’ve had! If I hadn’t seen pictures of his prep and if it had been baked in round tins I would have sworn blind he had bought it. What a great recipe! (He’s making it again for me now as i type this review). Thank you for sharing THE BEST EVER chocolate cake recipe.
That’s awesome!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi there
I am just looking to make my daughter’s 21st birthday cake and was thinking of doing this one. It calls for 8” I was going to do 10” with more layers? Would this work. I was just going to work out the volume difference of the pans and apply this ratio and to the qty of ingredients? Would that work and how long would you bake it for?
You can use it for a 10 inch cake. I have done that, I believe. If using three 10 inch pans, I doubled the recipe. You could make more than 3 layers, or increase the recipe more. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember the exact time I used.