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Chocolate Cake

By:Nagi
1,194 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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…..

A photo showing half a Chocolate Cake frosted with Chocolate Buttercream on a white cake stand with a large slice partially pulled out.

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….

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting on a white cake platter with a piece cut out, photographed from overhead.

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.

How to make Chocolate Cake

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).

Close up photo of a slice of Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Chocolate Frosting on a white dessert plate with a fork partially cutting into it.

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…).

A Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting decorated with small speckled Easter eggs and tiny fluffy yellow chicks.

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

A moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting on a white cake platter with a slice cut and partially pulled out and a stack of dessert plates next to it.

A slice of Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting on a white dessert plate with a fork, ready to be eaten.

Watch how to make it

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Chocolate Cake with buttercream frosting on a white cake stand, ready to be cut and served

Chocolate Cake

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
4.99 from 359 votes
Servings8 -10 slices
Tap or hover to scale
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Recipe VIDEO above. This is the everyday Chocolate Cake I make over and over again. The crumb is tender and moist, it truly tastes of chocolate (rarer than you might think!) and you only need one bowl and a whisk. It's the famous Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Cake , one of the few recipes I've used from another source with no changes to the ingredients at all (yes it's Perfect!)

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

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:

1. Sugar - I use caster / superfine out of habit for all baking recipes, but regular is ok too.
2. Regular cocoa powder works just fine here, but dutch processed will make it a slightly more intense chocolate flavour. I use regular for this cake.
3. SPRINGFORM PAN (important): Even the best ones are not 100% leakproof so with very thin batters like with this cake, you will get a small amount of leakage. The best way to combat this is to "plug" the space where the sides meets the base with butter, and place a tray on the bottom of the oven to catch drips (don't put cake pans on the tray, it affects heat circulation).
OTHER PANS (use same oven temp per recipe):
  • 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
Quick way to make cake pan liner for base: take a piece of baking paper and fold in half, then quarters, then keep folding so it's a small long triangle. Line up the pointy end with the middle of the cake pan, then snip the end off at the edge of the cake pan. Unfold and voila! A near perfect round cake pan liner that fits your pan perfectly!
4. BAKING / SHELVES - If your oven is large enough for both cake pans to be on one shelf, place the shelf in the middle of the oven. If it's not large enough, put one shelf 1/3 of the way down the oven, then the next shelf below it (check to ensure cake pan fits). If cakes are on separate shelves, take out the top one at 35 minutes per recipe, then move the bottom one up to the top shelf and bake for a further 5 minutes.
5. I turn the cakes out upside down so the flat base becomes the surface used for frosting. Flat surface just looks nicer when you cut into the cake! This cake comes out pretty level, but if you want to be extra neat, feel free to level the cakes using a serrated knife.
6. EASTER DECORATIONS as pictured in post and in the Easter Recipes post: baby chicks $2, speckled chocolate eggs and shredded paper all from Woolies. Chocolate basket made as follows: blow up balloon to the size you want the basket to be, place with tied end down in a rice bowl or something it fits in. Melt baking chocolate in microwave (about 1/2 cup chips/buttons), then transfer into small ziplock bag. Snip corner, then drizzle chocolate over exposed half of balloon. Let set in fridge, then carefully release air from balloon. Voila! Chocolate basket! Fill with shredded paper, eggs and chicks. (PS. Looking for a non-choc cake? Try this pastel blue Easter Cake, also charmingly topped with Easter eggs)!
7. STORAGE: Keeps in an airtight container for up to 5 days and is still lovely and moist. Refrigerate if frosted and it's very hot where you are. Freezing not ideal because it's such a moist cake that it makes the crumb a bit wet so while it still looks like cake, when you eat it the texture is almost like chocolate pudding cake. Still tasty, just not as cakey as it should be.
8. DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, different measures - This recipe will work with cup measures whether you are in Australia, US, Canada or anywhere else in the world (except Japan, please use weights provided).
Measuring cup sizes in the US and Canada are slightly different to the rest of the world, including Australia. While for most recipes, the difference is not enough to affect the outcome of the recipe, for baking recipes, it can mean the difference between success or an epic fail. I always test my cakes and cookies using both Australian (rest of world) and US cups to ensure it works for both. Usually it's fine, such as this Chocolate Cake (either recipe has enough flex and/or difference is relative across the ingredients). If not, I provide ingredient measures for different countries (such as these Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies).
9. Nutrition is per serving, cake only, assuming 12 servings.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 351cal (18%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Life of Dozer

Dozer vs tiny toy chick.

Chick won.

Cute Golden Retriever with head on white table with tiny toy fluffy yellow chick right in front of his nose.

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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1,194 Comments

  1. Cassandra says

    5 stars
    I am not a cake person but this is my first cake that I have ever truly enjoyed making and eating, I enjoyed it that much I greedily hid it away from my family when there was only two slices left omg 😦 I feel like I’m in the confessional of a church ⛪️ you don’t know it has coffee in it and I iced it with the chocolate butter icing sorry frosting it’s absolutely delicious 🥰🤗

    Reply

  2. Melissa Angeles says

    5 stars
    Best chocolate cake recipe. Every time I’ve made it for a gathering there’s never any left over.
    I’ve been using this recipe for cupcakes too and still a hit.
    For the icing I use a Swiss buttercream recipe which hits the spot!
    Thank you for sharing this recipe and many others and also adding videos!

    Reply

  3. Ena says

    5 stars
    Wow yummy! 🙂 made this today and am impressed.🫡
    It’s so forgiving too as I didn’t have a few things. Had no oil so I melted the same amount of butter instead.
    Had no normal milk so i used Almond milk instead. Had no white sugar so used brown sugar instead. All worked perfectly.
    Followed all the same measurements and even added the full cup of boiling water at the end and accepted that batter had to be runny.
    I’m glad I did as it’s so moist now and perfect!
    If you’re thinking about it do it ! ✔️✌️

    Reply

  4. Philip Parker says

    What a fabulous chocolate cake Nagi. Together with your chocolate buttercream, just fabulous. I can’t thank you enough for your recipes, notes and videos which together make cooking one of your dishes so easy and more importantly, fun and satisfying. X

    Reply

  6. Debra B says

    5 stars
    I made this cake for a birthday party and it was out of this world good (also used your yummy choc butter cream frosting!)
    I would like to make it again for a bigger crowd so want to make 2 10” layers. Any idea how much more batter I should make? 20%, 25%?? Thanks!!

    Reply

  7. Hannah Bennett says

    5 stars
    I made the “forever chocolate cake” for my son’s birthday party last weekend. I had so many people compliment me on it! This is a fantastic recipe and now my go to for cakes. Absolutely recommend!

    Reply

  8. Annie Mac says

    5 stars
    Super moist, super delicious and super easy!
    Would recommend for newby cooks – if you follow the instructions, hard to fail.

    Reply

  11. Rebecca says

    5 stars
    Thank you Nagi for a fantastic recipe. It is now my go-to chocolate cake recipe. I have made it in a bundt tin and served it with caramel sauce and whipped cream, or as per the recipe with whipped ganache between the payer and a ganache icing on top. Always amazing. My little girl requested a Tinker Bell cake for her birthday (gulp) but this cake was the perfect cake again. It held up well under fondant and again I filled it with whipped ganache. The whole cake went, kids and parents loved it. I made my own fondant plus fondant flowers and bought a Tinker Bell figurine for the top. Looked adorable. Wish I could add a photo! It looked adorable! Thanks again for an amazing, easy, reliable and delicious cake!

    Reply

  12. Rachael says

    5 stars
    First cake I’ve ever made and man did I make some mistakes
    Firstly I put paper Inside n so all the cake on outside stuck to it lol 😆 then it cooked for 70 mins till cooked and I was having a stroke thinking omg 😲 it’ll be overcooked.
    Can you just spray cake tins? That papery stuff is crazy 🤪
    The Ganache was too thin dunno what I did but damn it tasted so good I don’t care what it looked like. Best cake ever.
    How can I thicken ganash? Flour slurry do you think?

    Reply

    • Rebecca says

      I use a closed cake tin sometimes (like a bundt tin) which is grease well with butter and then dust with flour. That works. I’ve also used a good quality spring-form tin and again, butter and flour the base and sides, then make a paper base as recommended, but I make it larger. Then I cut in the edges so when I lay it it in the base, the sides go up a bit. That also stops the batter flowing out. Or you can make muffins and they won’t flow out! For the ganache, make sure you have a thick, high fat cream to start with. The more chocolate to cream ratio the thicker it will be and the and harder it sets. Unless you use low fat cream (and don’t!), the whole thing will whip to a thick consistency. Don’t add flour. Uncooked flour will will taste wrong and have a pasty, grainy texture. The recipe has great suggestions re ratio of chocolate to cream to get the consistency you want. It is in the notes section! Good luck! It is an awesome recipe!

      Reply

  14. Briya Griffith says

    Hiii! I absolutely love this recipe but I was wondering if you could make 3 6″ layers with this recipe?

    Reply

  15. Mehjabeen says

    Hi I dont know if I got your sizes of pans but I do got 2 square pyrex dishes / pans , the 1 is a big an other is small ( I don’t know how to measure so I’m not able to give u sizes but I can do is to let you know big one takes over 2 litres water less than 3 litre whereas small tray takes over 1 litre under 2 litres water so which tray do I need for this recipe

    Reply

  16. Leanne Krueger says

    5 stars
    My son wanted a Super Mario Mushroom Cake so we used this recipe, baked in an extra large roasting dish so we could shape the mushroom and it turned out and tasted superb 👌🏽 A hit with both the adults and kids, this is now my go to chocolate cake!

    Reply

  17. Hannah Shirley says

    5 stars
    I love the clear instructions, making the cake recipe easy to follow and fun! The cake is tender and delicious.

    Reply

  18. Mjam says

    5 stars
    I made this for grandson’s birthday cake. Had it in the oven for about 20 minutes and realised I had left out the eggs! It still seems OK, rose well and is baked through. Will it be OK or should I start again?

    Reply

  19. Angela Middleton says

    Preheating the lined cake pans with the oven, and then pouring the batter into the hot lined pans, completely eliminates any problems with batter leaking or running out of the pans.

    Reply