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.
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I don’t know what recipe you all were reading from. I followed this to the exact word and all I got was burnt brown sludge…
I made this cake for the family and oh my goodness, it was so good! So easy to make and super delicious, it was a hit in my household. Will definitely only be using this recipe for every chocolate cake I will ever make
Can anyone advise pls advise me on how to adjust this recipe to suit a 10inch square pan? It’s 10″x3″
Thanks so much!
Nice blog, please visit my blog also its about fruit cake recipe:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17981/one-bowl-chocolate-cake-iii/
I forgot to add the boiling water at the end and it’s already in the oven! This is for a friend’s birthday. Do you think the end product will be okay?
Vary good
Mine got stuck in the Bundt!
Question, I see the metric amount of flour is 265 g, but a cup of flour is 120 g, so 1 3/4 cups will be 210 g, I feel like it’s a big difference between 210 and 265 ?
Hi Nagi, Is there any way I can make this gluten free?
I halved the sugar and it turned out perfect! So yum!
Loved this recipe! Made twice.. once as per instructions and 2nd with some adjustments to make GF & DF. Used GF plain flour 1:1 ratio, added 1/2 tsp xanthum gum, changed regular milk to 1/2 cup of coconut milk + 1/2 cup water. No one could tell that it had been changed. Made a ganache using coconut milk to top! Simply a delicious recipe.. thank you! 💕
Absolutely perfect as are all your recipes😊
This is a very muddy cake. My 15 year old son has made it several times and loves it with the chocolate buttercream frosting. It’s very moist, very dense, and lasts over a week because only he eats it.
I been buying expensive cake for my kids bdays and all of it just half eaten, then i followed this cake recipe 1st event that my daughter bday cake was all gone,kids and adults loves it. So now i been making this chocolate cake every birthdays😁.so easy and simple
Amazing chocolate cake recipe. Very light and delicious. I used the chocolate butter cream recipe although did not increase it by an extra half quantity and it was more than enough.
This is now my favourite recipe & my favourite cake to eat 😋 thank you for the recipe 🥰
I liked your article !
I’ve made this recipe about 50 times at least. Weddings, anniversaries, birthday, special occasions. Just made it yesterday again for a farewell party and just now ANOTHER one with my 4 year old (who is busily cleaning the bowl with her face) because her step grandfather was devastated when he realised the huge one I made the day before went to the party and no leftovers were kept behind.
This is the cake that you cannot buggar up, is very cost affordable for big batches and even my 4 year old can knock up.
I almost exclusively put it in a 21cm x 33cm sheet pan and tend to use Dutch cocoa powder, but if it’s for younger kids, the Cadbury cocoa is perfect.
Love this recipe l! It’s as good as your vanilla cake one (another massive winner) but a lot less hassle to make!
Delicious cake recipe! Delicious sponge, it’s flavorful and moist. I am not a buttercream frosting fan but I made it and added 1 tsp of instant coffee (1tsp coffee, 1 tsp warm water) and it made the frosting absolutely delicious. 10/10
Delicious cake and instructions were well written. My only disappointment is that it does not freeze well. It’s a lot of cake and would have been nice to freeze.