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.
Hi Nagi,
I am planning to make this cake for my sons 3rd birthday, but I don’t love icing sugar based icing. Do you think using the chocolate ganache from your other chocolate cake would work? Or would it be too much? And do I ice between layers?
Please let me know when you have a chance!
Yes you could use the ganache but it will be quite rich! (but then again that’s a good thing, right??!!) N x
I love the chocolate cake. Your recipe seems very good. I always have no creams myself. When I was making different chocolate cakes, I came to the conclusion that it was good to combine two recipes for different cakes. Here I described it (it is in Polish) https://totemat.pl/jak-zrobic-ciasto-czekoladowe-murzynek- Szybki-i-smaczny-przepis/ that is combining zebra recipe and chocolate cake into one. Your cake looks so much nicer.
Hey Nagi! I’d like to ask if this recipe would work for springform pans? 🙂
Yes it should as long as they are tightly sealed ones as it’s a very liquid batter! N x
Whenever I want to make something and am looking for a good recipe I always come to recipetineats first and 10/10 I always end up using her recipes and they are always on point. This site is such a staple in my home. I have so many of her recipes in my weekly rotations it’s nuts. Moving on to this cake, if you read her blog before she shares the recipe please know that everything she wrote is TRUE about this cake. This is by far the BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever made. It was such a huge hit in my house, everyone loved it. I cannot attest for whether it lasts for 5 days because it was gone in 1! I too left it in the oven for a little more time than I should have and was scared that it would be dry and hard, and it absolutely was not. I’ve wanted to make a bakery like cake (in terms of richness and how moist the cake is) but I always would end up with a very very airy type of cake that really had no bite to it, just way to light not at all rich enough. This recipe solves all of those problems and more. The only thing I changed was I used room temp. Milk and eggs.
Hi Nagi, firstly thank you for all of the amazing recipes! I’ve got a question, I’m wanting to make a choc orange cake for a birthday, is there anyway I can adapt this recipe to do so? 🙂
Hi Hannah! You could add some orange zest to the batter and sub half the boiling water with OJ then frost with an orange zested frosting. Let me know how it goes! N x
Completely forgot to get back to you! It turned out amazing, everyone loved it! Thank you again!
AMAZING! this cake is fluffy and great fr making layers, also if your short on time try filling a mug half way cover with a paper towel and microwave for about a minute!
I’m happy you liked it! N x
Hi Nagi, would this cake be firm enough to cover with fondant? (Including a fondant topper)
Thanks
Yes Ossie this one can handle fondant! N x
Hi Nagi, I want to make this for a cake order and i was wondering if your Ermine frosting would work with this two layer 9 inch round chocolate cake(other than having to scale it up x 1.5 times) I absolutely love your ermine frosting!
Yes Char it would be great! Scale it up to 1.5 if you want a generous amount! N x
Thanks Nagi your cakes are always amazing.
Does anyone know the baking time if I were to do this in 3 9” pans?
Can you substitute so it’s egg free?
Thanks Nagi this recipe turned out amazing! I made it with my friend lots of fun to make and such and amazing result!
The best chocolate cake I have ever baked or eaten. Wonderful recipe
Hi Nagi,
Can I use this recipe to make cupcakes? Or will they be flatter and too heavy? Love the cake, but they are doing a fundraiser at my kids school so cupcakes are better for selling. 😉 Thanks
I have the same question for Nagi
I recommend using this one for cupcakes! N x https://promotown.info/best-easy-chocolate-cupcakes/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hi
Can I make this a white chocolate cake?
Tried this recipe yesterday. So simple to follow. The prep itself was really quick and the cake is simply delicious. Just melts in your mouth. Thanks for this Nagi! Going to be my go to chocolate cake going forward.
Such a straightforward recipe to follow and it turns out so well. I made the cake and icing the day before, stored them separately in the fridge, then brought to room temp and assembled/iced on the day. Turned out perfect.
It’s a classic!! N x
Awesome recipe
Very simple
Hi Nagi
This cake has become my go-to cake as everybody loves it.! Can I make it dairy free? (without the icing, of course)
What’d I do wrong!! I can bake. A bit rubbery, lacking chocolate flavour & a tad oily. With all the fab reviews Its obviously me. Never mind, failure makes you stronger. lol. Love all your recipes Nagi.
Hi Nagi
Could I swap the vegetable oil and use coconut oil instead?
Yes, I have used both coconut and avocado oil on different occasions and the results were great. Just melt the coconut oil first.