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, we’ve got a lockdown 10th birthday coming up. I’m going to decorate the cake with candy so was wondering if the sugar in the cake could be reduced? Thanks for being my go to, never fail (so far) recipe guru x
Hi Cherieve, not without affecting the texture sorry! N x
I am making this chocolate cake for my sons lockdown 18th Birthday tomorrow. I’m not normally a baker, but my son has this thing about delicious food! He only developed his palette in the last 18 months and your recipes Have been a life savour. You are my secret weapon when he asks for something delicious for dinner. Thanks for all the hard work you put into your posts.
Hi Nagi!
This is the only chocolate cake recipe I use. It’s the best yet, so great job!
May I ask a crazy question though.
Can cornflour be a substitute for cocoa powder in this particular recipe? Yes I know it would not then be a chocolate cake anymore but please share your thoughts if anyone has ever tried that.
I have reasons for my crazy he he he
No it can’t sorry Cheri! N x
Hi Nagi, thank you for sharing your recipe, today is my birthday and I decided to treat myself with a chocolate cake just followed your recipe and it turned out very successfully. Again many thanks for your clear instruction and great recipe. I also shared this yummy cake with my friends. Well deserved 5 stars 🙂
Happy Birthday Ian – I hope you had a great day!!! 🎁 N x
Just made it and it is still cooling on the racks but it hasn’t risen as much as I would have hoped, maybe I should have made a batch for each tin
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday and WOW!! It’s absolutely amazing! Even my son, who generally doesn’t like cake really loves this one. I used the chocolate buttercream recipe and decorated it with fresh strawberries.. divine! Will definitely make again.
Best chocolate cake I’ve ever made !! I was a bit worried about how runny the batter was but it turned out perfect. Such a delicious indulgence with the buttercream frosting. This is now my go to chocolate cake, thanks Nagi !!
hii Nagi… did you separately make another set of batter to the second layer of your cake or did you separated the batter into two??
In the recipe, the batter is divided between 2 tins
Hi can I make this with chocolate ganache instead
Sure could Jay! N x
Nagi this recipe is divine. My son suggested adding some blood orange zest and juice to the butter cream instead of milk and it was amazing! I just made it in one pan so it took a bit longer to cook but still super moist. Only made one quantity of the butter cream and we had some left. Thanks! This is definitely a keeper
Hi nagi .. just wanted to know if i need to make Ferrero rocher cake. Can i use this cake recipe & where do i use Ferrero rocher . In the butter cream? Inshort can u post a Ferrero rocher cake recipe pls..
Hi Nagi I’d love to make this but in 6 inch pans – do I just reduce the amount? Or cook in 3-4 pans?
Hello, I wanted to ask ,if l only have cake flour what should l do
Greetings, can l use cake flour if so how much
Hi Nagi
Mine always have large cracks on top of the cake. How can I prevent this and also can I just use SR flour instead?
Hi Nagi you awesome woman! This is the absolute best Chocolate Cake Recipe I’ve ever made!! I love how your ingredients & cooking times are always spot on, not to mention outstanding notes at the bottom of your recipe! 10/10 from me. I’ve only recently discovered your website from South Australia and you are my go to Chik for all recipes now! Love and thanks so much for sharing xxx
Hi Nagi,
I love your website, which has become a first-stop-shop for me when wanting to try new recipes or needing dinnertime inspiration – so big thanks!
Just tried this chocolate cake recipe and could use some help. The cake – while looking fine – turned out metallic-tasing (and sadly inedible), which I think is to do with the bi-carb element. I double checked all ingredients, and everything was as outlined, though I did use Dutch-processed cocoa, could that be the issue? ie there wasn’t enough of an acidic element to activate the bicarb? I want to give it another go, but any help in advance would be appreciated!
Cheers! Paige
Love this cake. I’ve made it twice this week (gotta love school holidays) and it comes out moist and chocolatey. I know this reveals my level of culinary sophistication, but it reminds me of the Betty Crocker cake mix cakes which I, and my family, loves. In the future, I think I’ll just go with this one. The recipe does make a lot of mix, and I don’t have multiple cake tins, so I halved it the second time round. Perfect.
Made this earlier this week for my dad’s birthday and it was delicious – with chocolate ganache icing. My husband reports the last slice was still delicious and moist today. This and the vanilla cake recipe will become go-to cakes for me.
I love this cake – I was thinking about making it tonight but only have soy milk, not normal milk, in the house. Would this work with Bon Soy instead?
Looks amazing, planning on making this for my daughter’s birthday! Would it work ok to use butter instead of oil?
Hi Angela, it will change the texture, the oil is what keeps this super moist! N x