This is the best homemade chocolate cake recipe. In the history of best. And chocolate. And cake. This is an easy homemade cake to make and the homemade frosting and cake combo can’t be beat! This classic chocolate cake doesn’t need fancy stuff or difficult steps because it is soooo good just like your Grandma made it.
If you love old-fashioned homemade cake recipes don’t miss my Homemade Carrot Cake, the BEST ever Strawberry Cake, or Classic White Cake!
The best part is that this simple cake recipe doesn’t require boiling water, doesn’t use sour cream (although you could add it if you wanted to)…just simple ingredients like vanilla extract, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, eggs, and butter. You know, the ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now.
The baked cake is a fantastic texture and not overly sweet like cake sometimes is. And that frosting? You’ll be eating it with a spoon. Creamy, chocolatey, and smooth and perfect for creating a delicious and beautiful flavor cake. That frosting spreads beautifully! This is a favorite in our FREE Reader’s Favorites Cake Cookbook by a landslide!
This recipe makes a fantastic birthday cake. It is easy to make, loved by everyone, stores well, and looks festive and fun!
Chocolate Cake in a Jar Gift
This recipe makes a great gift idea! Put the dry ingredients into a mason jar and add a cute tag. Include the recipe and gift…a great, easy, and delicious gift idea!
Key Ingredients:
- Butter. You can certainly substitute applesauce or oil for the butter, in this recipe. In fact, here are some ideas for butter substitutes. However, softened butter creates the perfect texture and richness for this recipe. And be sure to use softened butter (don’t soften it in the microwave, remember!)
- Eggs. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. You can achieve that, if you forget to set them out in advance, by placing them into a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes.
- Flour. I HAVE made this cake with Gluten-Free 1 for 1 Baking Flour from Bob’s Red Mill and it is quite good. But, it will change the texture of the cake, a bit.
- Cocoa. Use a good quality cocoa, if you can. Because this cake uses such simple ingredients and cocoa is quite literally the star of the show, use a good quality cocoa for the best results. Dutch processed is always a preferred cocoa for great quality. But friends, quite literally use what you have!
- Milk. I make this cake with almond milk or cashew milk on a regular basis with success. For more flavor, try using buttermilk!
- Coffee. Although totally optional and not essential to a delicious recipe, try using a bit of coffee in place of the milk. Coffee does wonders for enhancing the chocolate flavor!
Method:
- Combine dry ingredients together and set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together.
- Add each egg in and beat well after each addition.
- Add the dry ingredients a little at a time.
- Add half of the milk, beat, and add the other half.
- Spread the batter into prepared cake pans.
- Bake for about 25 -35 minutes (depending on the size of your pans).
- Frost with my chocolate frosting.
Why is my chocolate cake dry?
There could be a couple of reasons. 1. You’ve added too much flour. Although I rarely sift my flour I DO spoon my flour into my measuring cup to help it be extra fluffy and make sure I don’t overfill. 2. You over-baked your cake. Bake your cake until it is JUST done in the oven. In fact, under done a bit is best. Then, as it sits on the counter and cools the last little bit of cooking will happen.
How do I make a cake more moist?
Add a couple of extra egg yolks (yep, just the yolks!. Those egg yolks pack the cake with extra moisture. Go ahead and try it on this recipe, if you like!
What does adding coffee to chocolate cake do?
Coffee LOVES helping chocolate taste more…chocolate-y. Mixing a bit of coffee into your chocolate cake batter ramps up the chocolate flavor.
Homemade Cake Tips:
- Make sure your eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla are at room temp. This really does give the best results. IF you don’t have the time…you can totally stick the eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water for a while. It will help.
- Spend extra time whipping your butter and sugar together. Makes for a light and fluffy cake!
- Instead of using flour for your cake pans…use cocoa. I KNOW, totally cool.
- Try to be precise with your measurements. Too much sugar gets cracky edges (is that a thing
) and too much flour will get a cracked top. - When you pour your batter in the pan, give the pan a couple drops on the counter to spread it out and help remove air pockets.
This homemade chocolate cake recipe may not make it in the world of professional cake guru’s (Although, if you read the comments, there is totally a girl selling cupcakes using this recipe!). But, it WILL make you a super-hero in the world of those you love. They will adore you. Bow at your feet adore! And, making cake for our families is what it is really about anyways, isn’t it!
This chocolate cake isn’t overly sweet, at all. It is a perfect match for the sweet, smooth chocolate frosting. This specific cake and frosting combo is what works. Maybe it’s the “from scratch” part that makes it? Moist chocolate cake and sweet frosting layers. Chocolate and smooth. They just go together. the end.
We have another name for this chocolate frosting (yes, we totally name our fave recipes!)… cracker dip.
Because we make up a batch and serve it with graham crackers for dipping ;). <— totally true!
Tips:
- Should I use sifted flour and then measure or measure and then sift?
It depends on how the recipe reads. If it reads 1 cup SIFTED flour than you sift and measure. If sifted isn’t even mentioned then you measure and sift. This recipe…skip the sifting if you want. We won’t tell. - Can I convert a vanilla cake into chocolate?
Now that is just plain rude to ask that question on a chocolate cake recipe! It makes us think that you aren’t going to use this recipe. Which, you should. But the answer is… yes. But it isn’t terribly simple. We have instructions and info HERE. - Do you have a slow cooker chocolate cake you would recommend?
Well sure. Our favorite is our Chocolate Stout Cake. Yum!!
Or a very simple and wildly successful one to try is: 1 box of chocolate cake mix prepared (not baked) and poured into a sprayed slow-cooker. Whip up a small box of no-cook chocolate pudding and pour it into the center of the chocolate cake mix before it sets. Top the whole thing with 4 oz of chocolate chips. Cook for 3-4 hours or until the edges are bubbly. Seriously guys…easy peasy and sooooo delicious! - How many cupcakes does this make?
Our reader Molly says she has made this several times and gets 24 cupcakes.
Classic Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 2 c. all-purpose flour We love Bob’s Red Mill for great quality!
- 3/4 cup cocoa
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup milk optional: try subbing 1/4 cup of milk with coffee to enhance the flavor.
Instructions
- grease bottom and sides of pan (I use 2 round 10inch pans or 1 9 by 13). preheat oven to 350 degrees. I would even suggest lining the bottom with parchment paper and then spraying.
- Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl beat butter for 30 seconds or so. slowly add sugar.
- Add eggs 1 at a time beating after each one. Beat in vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients beating after each addition.
- Add 1/2 of the milk, beat. Then add the other 1/2. Beat just until everything is combined nicely.
- Spread batter about into pans making them about 2/3 full. You may have remaining batter (I sometimes make a few cupcakes.)
- Bake for 30-35 minutes for round pans, 5 min longer or so for the 9 by 13 pan. Watch it though! a knife coming out clean from the center means it is done. NOTE: Many readers are finding they need to increase the baking time. This is probably due to the difference in ovens, pans, and elevation. Always go by the way the cake looks and if the cake is done in the center.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
THE Chocolate FROSTING RECIPE
Ingredients
- 2 sticks softened butter
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1.5 cup powdered sugar
- bit of milk if you find this stiff.
Instructions
- beat ingredients until smooth.
Video
NOTE: this frosting is my go-to all the time frosting recipe.
Thanks for coming back to comment, I appreciate it! Great tip about the egg yolks. And coffee with chocolate is ALWAYS a winner ;)
This is by far my best and favorite recipe! Thank you. I’ve made this cake countless times and it’s always a winner. I add 2 extra egg yolks-great tip! I also use coffee in the frosting.
Jackie Nelson
Happy Birthday to your mom!! You ARE a baker if you baked a yummy cake :). Go, baker, you!
Thank you Nellie! I am not a baker so all your hints were very valuable!!! I forgot to add the salt 😳. The batter tasted amazing and it’s in the oven. Thank you again the cake is for my mom’s birthday.
Bahaha!! I love that. Accidents happen around here all the time, too. And yes, it truly is the best. Although, I think the Lemon Blueberry gives this one a run for the money. I highly suggest trying that one.
Made it last week to test it out before my bf’s birthday and ate the entire thing in one sitting (no regrets). This truly is the best cake! For the actual event tonight I’m “accidentally” doubling the recipe so I have some extra for myself 😂😂
Thank you so much Nellie!!
How did this turn out? I’m wondering if 1. you used a smaller pan, 2. live in a different altitude, 3. something else :). I hope it turned out delicious anyways!
Just checked on it after 30 minutes and it’s still completely raw inside in both pans ☹️
We’ve made this one a few times, with the addition of a chocolate pudding mix packet after the vanilla and before the dry ingredients to make it even moister and richer. Good stuff!
Can you give me more specifics as to what was wrong. Was it too thick for the consistency you wanted?
Hi. The buttercream didn’t work-I had to add almost 1/4 cup of milk to get it to work.
I am making them in cupcake pans, and I have a suggestion for people who don’t like using cooking spray-you can save your butter wrappers and grease pans with them.
Yep…it surely will!! That sounds delicious and I can’t wait to hear about it!
Haven’t made it yet, but going to make it next week for my mom’s b-day. Question-could I only fill the center with frosting and pour ganache over the whole cake? My mom LOVES dark chocolate, so I figured I could do that…Will the cake hold up?
Do you happen to be in either high-altitude or hot and humid?
Ok, so both cakes fell :-( . about 25 minutes in on one and right at 30 on the other. I cooked for 35 minutes. Did everything as directed.
Thoughts???
There isn’t a huge difference when using 2% vs whole milk. Whole milk is just usually used in baking because of the higher amount of protein which makes for a tender and moist cakes. Sometimes it’s just a preference on what you bake with.
I use 2% and can’t imagine it tasting any better with whole milk. It’s my birthday cake and special occasion cake. Everyone loves it.
Yeppers. So good!
Very moist a light cake …
Amazing delicious crowd pleaser for sure 😋
Camila, I do!! I haven’t gotten it up on the site yet. I’m glad you liked this one though.
Hi Janel. I made this cake and although it was delicious, I’m wondering if you have an idea/recipe for a devil’s food cake. This one is a little dark for my taste.
Thank you for any help!
You can try it. I think it would be quite thick and dense. It would need a lower heat for a longer cooking time, I think. Let me know how it goes!
Hi there,
I am going to give this amazing recipe a try…could I make it into a one layer square cake though do you think? If so how would that effect the cooking time do you think? Thank you :-)
I believe these were 9 inch but I’ve used 10 inch, as well and decreased the time in the oven, a bit.
What size round cake pans did you use?
If it is only one day before then I would simply chill the cakes in the fridge (which actually is easier to decorate). If you do need to freeze the cake then you want to give them a couple days to thaw in the fridge before you decorate. I hope that helps!
Can the layers be made and frozen the day before decorating? Or should I just put in the fridge? I don’t think I’ll have time to make this all in one go before the event I need it for.
I would use AP flour if your diet allows for it. But if needed, a good gluten free flour substitute should do fine. Bob’s Red Mill has a fantastic gluten-free baking flour!
Hai Nellie.
What type of flour should i use? Gluten free flour or all purpose flour (Bob’s red Mill).
Wow!! Hi praise indeed! Thanks for coming back and commenting!
Everyone and I mean everyone looks this cake and the frosting when I make it. It puts the Portillo’s chocolate cake that everyone raves about to shame.
I used 2 9 inch round cake pans. This recipe has been used by so many people and they have had succss with cupcakes, 9 by 13, 8 inch rounds. Just adjust the time accordingly. Good luck!
What size pan did you use? Your recipe doesn’t specify the size of the pan. Thank you!
I like to use a whole milk or fairly high fat level milk. But use what you have.
What kind of milk do you suggest?
Sure! It may require a bit more sugar to offset the lack of sweetness that cacao has. It should make for a yummy substitution!
Would this recipe work using cacao powder instead of cocoa powder? Thanks!
These are shaved from a dark chocolate bar…my fave!
Is that shaved or pieces of chocolate that you have on top of the frosting? Thanks!
Uffda, that is going to be tough. You can use a sugar replacement, try subbing out some of the sugar with maple syrup. But sugar acts as part of the scienc-t stuff of the cake. For the frosting…totally try using maple syrup or honey and cut that sugar amount wayyyy down!
Bummer! You know, I have this happen to me once in a while and then I have friends that swear by it and that I am just an anomaly. Glad someone else had that experience ;).
So glad to hear it!! I’m betting that the sugar made that frosting a bit grainy in texture but still tasty. You’ll get it next time and it will absolutely amazing!
Hi Nellie i have tried your recipe and it was really good in taste and texture too.I made one mistake in icing i have not used powdered sugar i used regular sugar because of that it was not smoooth enough next time i will try again.
Thanks for the recipe!!!
Definitely need to use parchment paper in the bottom of the cake pans. I greased and dusted with cocoa and the cake stuck to the bottom. With enough frosting no one will know. Lol! The taste is great!
Is it possible to make this sugar free? Or maybe replace some of the sugar?
Because the layers would be much thinner you would want to reduce the baking time be about 15 minutes, to start. Check it and see if the edges are dry and the top looks set. If not, add another few minutes
How could I alter this to fit 3 8in round cake pans?
Ahhhh, thanks! How that got missed?? Got it added in. Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know.
Flour is in your list of ingredients but you never mentioned when to add it in. Four people just following along with your instructions, and not thinking clearly, they may forget the flowers like I just about did. Just thought I’d let you know.
Oooooh…good question! I’ve never tried. I would imagine you could but would want to watch the timing on it. If you try it, let me know how it works out!
Can you bake this on a bundt pan?
Absolutely!
Can you use unsalted butter instea?
Absolutely!
Can you use buttermilk instead of regular milk?
I am so glad to hear that!! That is totally why I love this job. And yay for you making a cake for your people!
Just made the cake and frosting. OMG, it is soooooo good. I’m not big on chocolate but my son and grandson love it. They fell in love with this cake. Thank you for the recipe.
Yes, just make sure to eliminate the baking powder but NOT the baking soda. Should work out just fine!
Can you use self rising flour instead of plain flour and baking soda?
Absolutely not! The fat in the whole milk adds to the taste and texture but is not required. And is what my grandma used :). Use whatever milk works for you!
Do you have to use whole milk in cake recipe?
Such a delicious recipe. I love chocolate cake.
Thank you!! This cake is the perfect mix of sweet and buttery and all the perfect cake descriptions :).
This looks so decadent! Chocolate cake is my favorite!
Hooray!! A Mickey Mouse cake is the best reason to make this cake :). Love it!!
This cake is amazing! I’m a mom of 2 kids (1 & 3) so typically I do box mixes. Well, when my 3 year old asked for a chocolate Mickey Mouse cake and we didn’t have any box mixes I turned to the internet and luckily I found this recipe. It is super easy and even before the icing, we did a tasting of the cupcakes and WOW! It filled an entire Mickey Mouse cake pan and made 10 cupcakes! Thank you 😃
Unsalted and then add a pinch of salt. Or salted without salt. Either way will work great!
do you use salted or unsalted butter
So glad!! And thank you for coming back and leaving a review. I appreciate that!
This cake is amazing! I made cupcakes and my husband says they are the best he’s ever had. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe ❤️
Thanks for the tip of the milk, I hope others try that tip if they have the same problem. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment!
This recipe has been made hundreds of times by many readers which alot of success. I think you’ll be great! And what a wonderful gift. So sweet!
The recipe seems to have a lot of milk, I am thinking it will be liquidy. I plan to make this as a gift for my parents, but I don’t have much experience since I’m young,so I am just making sure it won’t be liquidy.🙃
Of course!! And it would be absolutely delicious!
I’m a bit late to the party with this recipe but, is it possible to add a filling to this cake? Like a raspberry filling between the two layers?
Thank you so much for coming back and saying that. I appreciate you taking the time and it is kind of fun to know that it’s being made across the world :)> So fun!!
I’m sorry to hear that! The dryness is often from over-baking. But maybe this isn’t the recipe for you. But so glad you enjoyed baking it!! That’s a win ;).
Thought I’d comment and say this is the best recipe!!! Has been my go to cake recipe. Living in England as an American, I was frustrated with the lack of options of box cake mixes, and they weren’t that good. This cake is amazing and not that much more work making it from scratch. Been using this recipe a few years now and writing on here bc I was looking up the recipe to make it again tonight. Just thought I’d share and say thanks!!! Icing is also amazing and my go to any time chocolate frosting is needed.
Yes! Although you would need to do some support, I think. I haven’t done more than two on top of each other.
Do you think the recipe could be used as a tiered cake?
Hooray! Just cover that crack with gobs of frosting! So glad you like it. Have a happy cake eating day!
Fingers crossed! Although, usually you’ll find it fluffs up and is just perfect. But making a cake can have a few tense moments, there :).
My worry that my batter was too thin? Completely unfounded. The cake fluffed up beautifully and smells divine. I got one crack on top, but I’m not worried about aesthetics anyways. Thanks for the recipe!
My cake is in the oven right now and I’m very nervous. I saw another commenter say that their batter was very thick, too thick to pour into the pan, but my experience was the complete opposite. My batter turned out very thin. So much so, that I wondered if I needed to add some extra flour to thicken it up. Cross your fingers for me that things turn out well because I ran out of butter and won’t be able to try again until tomorrow!
Yes, you can increase the butter and cocoa. Also, I sometimes add a bit of instant coffee to help cut that.
Really? I’m not quite sure what to say to that. Except, thats a good thing if you like coconuts :)
Yes. And, if your butter melted a bit too much that could be the culprit and it will solidify as it comes back to temp.
THIS RECIPE IS DELICIOUS!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
My frosting turned out liquidy. How do I make thicker? Should I add a little powdered sugar?
I would reduce the amount of baking powder in it, if you choose to do the self-rising flour. Because the flour already has that built in.
Sooo glad to hear that!! Yep, the texture of this one is fabulous!
Hi! I was wondering if I can use self rising flour instead of all purpose? Thanks!
Just pulled the cake out of the oven, so I have not tasted it. I will say that I made a vanilla cake the other day for my mom’s bday, but was not happy with the texture. Even as I pulled it out of the oven I could tell it was not light and spongy. This chocolate cake though, I just felt it…..I can tell the texture will be awesome!!
Let it chill a bit and see if it comes together better. No worries, it will still taste good!
Okay, I need some help. Not the greatest baker here 🙈 so I followed the recipe for the cake and it’s turned out beautifully, but I was in a hurry doing the frosting and realized it was supposed to be softened after I added all of the other ingredients. I stuck it all in the microwave to help mix it all together and I kind of melted the butter so now my frosting is literally liquid. Is there any way to salvage it? I REALLY hope so since I’m now all out of butter. 😶
So glad to hear it! Thanks for coming back and commenting!
Followed the cupcake instructions and they turned out great. Ended up making 30 cupcakes with the batter. We’ll see how they pair with my yummy cream cheese frosting for my daughter’s Moana birthday party tomorrow ;) Delicious cake recipe.
You can get away with the salted, just don’t add any additional salt to it. It should still be yummy.
Any substitute for unsalted butter in the frosting? I have the salted one available.
Thank you😊. I will definitely use this recipe again. Thank you for sharing
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that! Happy Birthday to your granddaughter…I hope she has a wonderful year!
My granddaughter requested a chocolate cake with pink frosting for her 6th birthday. I found this one and decided to try it. I should have used parchment paper to line the cake pans. I lightly greased & floured the pans but the cake stuck. I was able to get them out in good shape. In a separate bowl I incorporated all the dry ingredients together with a wire whisk. I used my stand mixer for the other ingredients and slowly added the dry ingredients and mixed on medium for 2 minutes. The cake was YUMMY. My granddaughter was happy😊
According to Sylvia Weinstock, (if you do not know who she is, PLEASE look her up. She is a humble, witty, and talented legend.) Anywho, buttering the pans definitely yields the best results. Butter the bottom and sides and do not overfill. PLEASE take note, I saw about the use of partchment paper…IF you use the parchment paper, please do NOT butter the parchment paper as well. Not only is it a fire hazard, but it will most definitely been the cakes. All that aside though, this recipe is marvelous. It truly is. Make sure everything is at room temp when starting and it will be amazing. :)
You got this!!! Can’t wait to hear about your success. And hey, maybe a trifle will be what happens :)
Oh thank you! I’m new to this “homemade” stuff. I’m leaving the box cake behind! I never knew about “flouring” the pan but just used cooking spray! Going to try it again today! Thank you!!
If you mean a 9by13 cake pan…absolutely!
Can I make this as a sheet cake?
Thanks for commenting! I updated the recipe to recommend using parchment paper on the bottom and rather than dividing the batter, filling the pans 2/3 full. That should help others from having similar problems. Thank you!
For a 10-inch, about 2/3 full and remember it will take a bit longer to cook. I like to put parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and the grease and flour it as if it’s the pan. Be sure to flour the pan. Good luck!
So what about 1-10 inch. Would it be too much. I guess what I’m asking is how full do I fill the cake pan witg the batter? Also any tricks for getting the cake to just fall out of the pan without getting stuck to the bottom.
If they are fairly thin layers. I can get fairly good 9inch ones but it gets a bit thin at the 10 inch.
Is there enough batter to make 2-10 inch round cakes?
I’m so glad to hear that you loved it as much as we do. I completely agree, perfect combo!
This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made! It was not too sweet and not too much chocolate. It was perfect! Thank you! I will make this for years to come.
Thank you SO much for coming back here and leaving such a wonderful comment. It is so fun to hear that your teenager uses this for her cupcake recipe. I wish I lived close and could try them out. Fun stuff! Yes, great tips about the difference in time for cake. It is impossible to know exactly why one cake takes a bit longer than another. But the more you bake cakes the better you get at “eyeballing” when it’s done ;). Have a wonderful day!
This has been our go to chocolate cake recipe for a couple of years! It is reminiscent of the cake my Mennonite MIL made for our wedding. It’s quick, easy, and versatile. I’ve got a Bailey’s Irish Cream version in the oven right now! 😊
My teenager uses this recipe for a lot of the cupcakes and mini cakes she sells to local diners to make money for college and everybody loves it.
I’ve read the reviews about how the 9×13 takes longer but that’s to be expected. Variations in ovens, humidity, flour, pan materials all can effect the cake as can using old baking powder, baking soda, and overmixing.The best way to make sure you get the best results is to make sure your ingredients are fresh and your eggs, butter and milk are at room temperature and follow the instructions. Turn the cake half way through the baking time also helps. These are things I learned helping at my grandma’s bakery growing up. My family had bakery for 70 years in a tourist area and during the off season, when most ever other business was closed, we were still crazy busy with orders that had to be shipped.
Sorry for the thesis! Thanks for all of your fantastic recipes!
Yes, just chocolate shavings.
WHat is on top of the cake in the pictures (chocolate pieces? Reces?)
You can totally make a 9 by 13 but you’ll need to bake it about 45 minutes because of the size. No worries…still delicious!
What to do if I only have one baking pan? :((
8″would need a bit longer in the oven to cook through. And makes for a higher cake. For a small child’s birthday I would go with the 9inch so you can get more slices out of it and they aren’t so thick and tall. But that’s personal preference :).
I do cook them at the same time (sorry to be a bit late responding it is actually my daughters birthday today and oh the prep…as you can imagine :)). I like to switch racks about half way through the cook time just to make me feel better about evenness. Probably isn’t even necessary ;)
Hello…I am planning to make this as a layer cake for my son’s birthday…would you use 8″ or 9″ round baking pans?
Hello, this sounds so yummy! I’m planning to make this tomorrow for my husband’s birthday. Are you cooking both 9″ pans at the same time? If so, are they on the same rack? Thanks in advance!
Fantastic!!! I used a 9×13, so it took about 40-45 minutes for the center to get done. Totally worth the wait, though. As I write this, I am debating on whether or not to have a THIRD piece! 😂 P.S. my husband who doesn’t even like icing is gobbling this up!
An excellent recipe! !!!found after searching thousands of recipes. Thanks alot.
I would not sub out powdered sugar in the cake, it often doesn’t bake up the same way as granulated does. In frosting, however, it is a good sub out.
Could I Some of the granulated sugar in the cake recipe for powdered sugar? I’ve been baking only for a while, and I’d like to know if this is a good recipe to try out decorating techniques on too?
Yay!! So glad to hear this!
it was the best cake i ever tasted and k can’t wait to make it again.It was AMAZING!!!!!!!
So glad to hear that! Your family has sure been enjoying treats :). The best sort of December!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe I have made it twice in the same week it is so good. My whole family loves it. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and comment! So glad that you loved it as much as we do!
I made this chocolate cake and frosting maybe a year or two ago, and I have NOT made any other chocolate cake since! This is the best chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever made, and the frosting is addictive and turns out fabulous and creamy ( I add a little bit of extra milk to it). Thank you so much for sharing this and making my life a little sweeter!
Yes, I would use cup for cup. Let me know how it turns out.
Did you use cup for cup with the buttermilk? That’s what I want to try because I don’t use whole milk and I didn’t want to substitute anything else.
I’m sorry to hear that! What didn’t you care for?
The cake come out great. But the frosting didn’t taste good.
I’m so glad to hear that!! And Happy Birthday to your son. Tell your daughter she is a fantastic big sister to bake her little brothers cake, love it!
My 10 yr old daughter just baked this cake for my son’s 7th birthday. It was easy for her to read and turned out fantastic! I love that is isn’t overly sweet (especially since my son wanted chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate chips!!) Thanks for the great recipe, it will become a standard in our house.
Awwww, thanks for taking the time to write this! Usually only negative comments get written. It’s rare for people to take the time for the good stuff. It’s always appreciated (although, we totally get that when it’s good it’s time to move on with life…not knocking that). Happy birthday to your Mom and best of luck. Yes, that frosting is dangerous dangerous stuff!
I’m in the process of baking this cake for my mom’s birthday! So far, so good. The batter is delicious, the cake seems to be rising nicely in the oven, and the frosting is to die for. I can’t wait to taste them both together :) I would also like to say that you seem like such a sweet and genuine person! I love your writing style and the concept behind your blog. Have a great day!
I am so sorry to hear that! We have been making this cake the last few weeks trying to recreate the problem. So far, no luck. Do you have any thoughts? Do you happen to be in a high altitude location? It is delicious and generally super super easy!
What a kind thing to say! I hope to hear all good things about you and your family enjoying that chocolate cake. We enjoy it on a regular basis…yum!
First time on your site, and this cake is in the oven right now. Skimming through comments, and… wow. I think that is possibly the most eloquent response you could have given to such a rude comment. Ha! Kudos to you… I don’t think I could’ve been so nice. ?
(I’ll come back tomorrow and let you know how mine turned out!)
Im sorry to be a couple days responding…I was in a zero internet area for a short period this week. YEs, there is a difference and you can’t interchange them equally. Here’s a link to explain better… https://www.thespruce.com/baking-soda-vs-baking-powder-995111
Is there a difference between baking soda and baking powder because I have only baking powder //pls answer asap… thank you
This turned out so good! So good information for making a cake. I’ll need to use your tips ;)
this one looks amazing…
Thank you! I”ll add that to the notes because it is super helpful. Thanks so much for taking the time for stopping back to tell us…appreciated!
This makes 24 cupcakes for me and I’ve made it multiple times. I think I needed more frosting than that, though.
I would say 10-12. Great question!
How many cupcakes will this recipe make?
A stick of butter is 1/2 cup of butter or 4 ounces of 113 grams…hope that helps!
How much is 2 sticks softened butter? Looks so good :D
Yes, some recipes are perfectly fine with throwing everything into one bowl. Those are the best kind :)
I used to do this, but now I just put it all in a bowl and stir well with a whisk. Always turns out the same and saves me a lot of time and effort.
Almond milk or coconut milk would be good replacements. I wouldn’t go fat-free completely because the recipe needs a bit of the fat content.
Can almond milk or fat free milk replace the milk in the recipe?
I’m so glad to hear that!! Farm Fresh eggs probably make everything taste better, wouldn’t you say!
I make this cake every time I go to or have a big dinner of my own. Everyone raves about it! I find it best to use salted high grade butter and farm fresh eggs. I always run all my dry incredible through my sifter as well!
We are so pleased to hear that…thanks! And Happiest of Birthday’s to your daughter!!
I made these for my daughter’s birthday today – in the form of cupcakes – and they turned out perfect. Thank you for the recipe. My daughter looked up at me and said, “Wow…these are really good”. (8 year old today). I followed the suggestion for 17 minutes at 375F. Only change I made – and it was minor – was I did 1/2 cup 2% milk and 1/2 cup whole buttermilk.
Oh good!! Let me know how it goes with that extra coffee. Sounds yummy!
Fingers crossed I don’t fail this recipe. I’ve just put it in the oven, I added some instant coffee , I think it makes chocolate cake better. I licked the bowl and I have to say it’s the best from scratch batter I’ve ever had. Thanks so much for the recipe , I will use it from now on.
I’m so glad to hear it!! I have to agree about the combo…it’s the best!
Oh my Gosh. Tried this recipe along with the frosting because I was tired of getting boxed cake mix. I have to say that it truly is the best chocolate cake. It is not too sweet but combined with the frosting it is perfect!! Thank you so much for this recipe. This will now be my go to for cake!!
Yes, I’m sure it could and would be delicious. You would want to be sure it’s well oiled and floured and reduce the bake time a bit. I can’t say for certainty how much to reduce it but I would start by 10 minutes, check it, and then go from there. Good luck!
Can this be baked in a bundt pan? What would the temperature and bake time be?
Mmmmm… italian meringue buttercream! Girl, that has me wishing you lived right next door :).
Just made this into two 6 inch mini cakes and 12 cupcakes to stash in the freezer for when cake cravings hit. Batter was perfect and cooked perfectly. And the batter tasted quite excellent. Can’t wait to add some Italian meringue buttercream to some of these cupcakes.
Yes, let it cool a bit before you remove it from the pan. Most cakes will break if not carefully removed, when hot. Letting it cool about five minutes helps a great deal!
I tried this, I removed it from the pan when it was still hot, and it broke enterely. Shall I wait till it is cold to remove from pan? Or did I did sonething else wrong?
P.S…happy birthday to your son!
I think it would hold up fine. In fact, it would make it easier to frost! Freezing it would be my suggestion. Let it cool down and then freeze it. If it’s just going to be a day I would simply wrap it well with plastic wrap and then do it the next day.
Hi! I really want to make this cake for my sons bday party this Saturday, but I want to make it a day or two in advance to save time. I plan on decorating it like an airplane (we’ll see how that goes!), and I was wondering…how do you this cake will hold up in the fridge? Or should I freeze it? Or just cover it on the counter until I can decorate it? I put another cake in the fridge before icing it once before and the taste and texture were totally different after doing this so I don’t want to ruin this cake by putting it in the fridge! Any suggestions?? Thank you!!
Oh good!! ANd what a great reason to make it :). I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it. It’s a tendency to only get comments when there are problems and it’s a rare thing for someone who enjoys it to come back and say so…I appreciate you!
I tried this cake recipe for the first time yesterday, as well as the frosting and well thank you because it was a HUGE hit. My dad kept exclaiming how good it was! It was a success and a delicious present for my father and brother n law for Father’s Day! Oh and I had no problems with the cake not rising enough, or caving in like some other people had stated etc. I did however try to take the cake out of the pan probably a little too soon ( I’m a little impatient and I only had one 8″ round pan lol), and it started to break on the bottom and the sides. But the 2nd one came out perfect! Thanks again!!
Thanks for taking the time to try it a second time and even still for letting me know!! I’ll be sure to mention that tip in the advice.
I made this according to the recipe exactly. It turned into a great lumpy mess, which I threw out. But I wasnt giveing up. On my second attempt instead of adding dry ingredients to butter eggs and vanilla and finishing by adding milk, I mixed all the wet ingredients in one bowl and all the dry in another bowl. Then I slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet, and it turned out perfect!
let me know! Yes, I do have it on my calendar to re-make and photograph trying to catch any of the problems that might arise and trying to give even more clear instructions :). I hope to get that done soon!
I’m making this now. I have really been wanting chocolate cake with peanut butter cream cheese icing. I’m a little curious how this will turn out. I feel the batter is a little thick. I’m used to being able to pretty much pour the batter out of the bowl and into the pan. Can’t wait to give it a try though. Maybe you could add pictures of some of the steps you take while making this cake so people can compare and see if they’ve missed something.
I would give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars. But that’s probably my own fault- I made this cake with coconut milk because that’s all I had and I think that contributed to its bland flavor. I saw another commenter used buttermilk so if I make this again I’ll try regular or buttermilk. I also thought the frosting was a bit too buttery, almost greasy. Not a terrible cake but didn’t hit the spot like I was hoping.
Oh gosh, I’m so sorry to hear of the problems you had with this recipe and that you also couldn’t get another made! What an unfortunate day that must have been. I assure you that while I am “just a blog writer” I am absolutely qualified to give recipes, whatever that requires, especially when it pertains to cakes. I would be utterly frustrated too if I had the unfortunate experience that you did and wish you better luck with the next recipe you try out!
This recipe was the worst “from scratch” recipe I have ever tried. I tried to make this cake for my brother-in-law’s birthday and it totally fell flat it the middle and was under cooked. I followed it to the letter and depleted all my ingredients so that I could not make him a better, alternative cake. After reading some of the previous comments, I understand that others also had the same problems as me. I tried adjusting cooking time but that didn’t help. I think you are just a blog writer who doesn’t really know what you are talking about in terms of recipes and shouldn’t be giving recipe advice. I am completely irritated by this recipe.
Honestly, I think it’s somewhat based on oven temp, pan size, and altitude. Hopefully you can get it right :). It’s worth it!
I am baking it now. I think the baking time is off by a lot?
Heck yes! It’s still tasty. It probably needed a bit more time in the oven, that’s all.
My cakes didn’t rise in the center:(…. Should I still frost it anyway???
I see how that would be confusing :). The instructions say 1/2 of the milk which would be 3/4 cup. I’ll have to add that bit in to make it more clear. Thanks for helping!
In the ingredient list it calls for 1 1/2 c milk.
But in the instruction list it calls for 1/2 c and then another 1/2 c when do you add the other 1/2 c milk?????
I don’t think I made this return comment fast enough but… yes! I surely hope it came out okay anyways!
this may be a dumb question but, I forgot to add the vanilla after adding the eggs. Will it still be okay if I added it with the milk?
Yes, it would be bad. But I won’t tell. It is utterly amazing!
I want to make this tonight for dinner. Would that be bad? In all seriousness, this sounds DEEElicious!
Thanks! I need to pick up one of those and give it a try. Although, the cake never lasts long enough to worry about too m uch :)
maybe if you placed a flower nail into the center of the pan it might stop the sinking. I know this works with my sheet cake pans.
So glad this worked well for you!!!!
I made this in cupcakes yesterday. Absolutely delicious after it came out of the oven…but even more delicious today…all fudgy n chocolaty! My go-to chocolate cake recipe from now on! Thank you!
Congrats!!! It sounds like you’ve been busting butt and working hard. Yes, this is the perfect victory cake.
In the oven now. Been doing my workouts for two weeks now and have lost 8 lbs. A slice of this is my victory cake. A little something sweet after two weeks of hard work. I’m sure my family will polish off the rest.
I wish I could tell you what went wrong! I would say you might want to sift the flour next time, just to make sure you aren’t adding too much. But otherwise, I just don’t know what else to say. It always turns out perfectly fluffy for us…so hopefully your next attempt will be better! Let us know how it turns out!
I followed all recipe and the cake was not so fluffy. A bit hard, not rock hard either? What can I add for next time?
Your mother is genius! :) This is THE BEST!
My Mother has been making this frosting/icing since I was a little girl. I am now 50 years old. It’s the only recipe I use. Leave out cocoa & add vanilla for a white buttercream frosting.
Try it! I haven’t but I’m betting it would be fantastic. And this is one of those recipes that can be tweaked multiple ways and work each way. A great basic recipe to make your own. PB frosting is the bomb! Just saying :) ~Janel
Hey girls!
I was just wondering if you’ve ever made this cake with cake flour? I’m MORE than happy to use all-purpose, ‘cuz this cake looks amazing–just curious if cake flour would be worth a try. I’ve got some I have no other use for. :D
My husband is over the moon for chocolate cake, and the only frosting he loves it with more than my pb frosting is my chocolate cream cheese frosting!
Did it end up sweeter than you would like? If you do try it again with less sugar…let us know how it goes!
Yes, this is a rich cake! We make it so everyone in the family loves it, including the kids, but you could definitely get away with less sugar and still have a delicious cake. It’s all about preference!
It’s still baking, but by tasting the batter next time I would use only one cup of sugar.
So glad to hear this cake worked for you, Alana! And glad the birthday girl got a delicious cake for her big day :)
My niece wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for her birthday, so I bought a chocolate cake mix. I was very disappointed when it didn’t rise higher than an inch, so I tried your recipe. I have to say, this was the easiest and tastiest chocolate cake….everyone at the party loved it! Your frosting recipe was super easy to make, and I had guests at the party asking for the recipe on how to make it. Overall, the cake was a huge success! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
This is delicious! I used just one cup of sugar but it is still amazing!! :D
Thanks! We love it!
This cake is delicious!
Glad to hear it! You are most welcome!
Cake was eaten in seconds after it landed in the office kitchen. I also had to link your recipe because everyone loved it so much. Thank you!
Thanks, Natalie! We’ve done that, and we’ll try to remember to be more specific about some of those ingredients in the future.
U should update it to say all purpose flour For those of us that disn’t know the difference.
That’s so great to hear, Carrie! And we love that you’ve experimented with it and found ways to make it better for you and more fitting for your family. That’s exactly the reason we love to create recipes and put them online!
This is my go to chocolate cake recipe. I have made it many times over and it is always a hit. I have also tried it with Spelt flour and with almond milk and it always turns out perfect. And every time I have made it I have added a shredded zucchini (about 1 to 1.5 C). Thanks for the great staple recipe for my family recipe book!!
You want to use 1 1/2 cups…but you want to put only half the TOTAL amount into your batter at a time. I’ll work on a better way to phrase that, because it is kind of confusing.
The recipe says 1 1/2 c milk but directions say a total of 1 c. Which is it?
Thanks for letting us know, Dina! We’ll add that to the recipe so others don’t have to figure it out, too!
375 for 17 minutes thanks yummy!
We haven’t actually used this recipe for cupcakes before, so we don’t have exact numbers for you. The same temp should be fine…and the cupcakes will probably need about 18 minutes to cook, but check them after 15 and see. Let us know how it works!
Just wondering how long and what temp if using for cupcakes? Thanks
We’ve been hearing that problem and trying to figure it out. Are you using a tablet or phone by chance?
Love the recipes however, there are so many ads on the site that the pages are hard to load and I’m constantly having to close something out or be careful as to what I touch so that I don’t click on an ad! Frustrating.
A cake should never be mixed over two minutes when the flour is added because the gluten will begin to develop and you will get a chewy cake. Also a cake last two days in the fridge three at the most. cakes can be frozen and thawed.
So sorry you didn’t like the frosting, Tracey! But we’re glad you found the cake good. Maybe you would prefer a whipped frosting of some kind? That might be great!
Cake is wonderful. Frosting not good. Tastes like I frosted it with butter.
It’ll taste best if you wait…because the cake won’t have the time to start drying out. But it will still be fantastic if you make it tonight!
I am wondering how long this will keep? i have a party on Sunday and it’s Friday. should i wait til tomorrow to make it??
Oh no! Did it come out okay in the end? Not sure what would have been the cause. Perhaps the pan size and kind contributed?
Mine is taking way longer to bake. I am past 45 minutes and it is still runny in the middle? I am using a glass pan….
You’re welcome! The chocolate shavings on top are just from a candy bar…I think we used something with 60 or 70% cocoa, so the chocolate wasn’t soft, but that’s it. We used a potato peeler to just shave off chocolate and dumped it on top. That’s it!
ooohhhh! Thank you!
another one, I was wondering….the chocolate shavings on top….What sorta chocolate did you use and how did you get it to look that way? Its pretty! :) thanks again!
Not a dumb question! We aren’t sure it matters too much, but we tend to use unsalted for the cake and salted for the frosting. But really, use whatever you have. It doesn’t affect the taste that much.
Silly question, but….the butter in the frosting/cake recipe….is it salted or unsalted?
Thanks!
We recommend going for 17 minutes and then checking them periodically after that.
How long should it be baked for if we’re doing cupcakes? :)
Absolutely!! It’s delicious as cupcakes!
Could this be made into cupcakes?
I’m so glad you asked! It gives me an excuse to tell you about the BEST white cake :) (see what I did there)…https://www.nelliebellie.com/best-white-cake/ This is the recipe I use. I really am not sure what the steps would be to turn the chocolate into white properly. I’m so glad you liked the chocolate cake…I agree that is perfect!
This is my new favorite chocolate cake recipe!!! It is just so perfect, tight crumb, stays moist and is so delicious and easy. I do have a question though, if I want to turn this into a white/vanilla cake… could I just substitute 3/4 cup flour for the 3/4 cup cocoa? Thanks so much!!
I hope it turns out perfectly this time! We’ll be waiting to hear!
ok. about to make it again and will watch for the sink hole.
thank you…………..sure is yummy
We’ve never had the problem of it sinking in the middle…either it hasn’t cooked long enough, or you opened the door while it was baking? Those are the 2 reasons we can think of for it doing that.
Ok. I am a chocolate cake snob/connoisseur and this is hands down………………UNBELIEVABLE
BUT, why does it sink in the middle in a 9×13 pan? Any way to combat that? It didn’t detour my family one eyeota but wanted to make it for a church bake sale without the pitiful sink hole.
Suggestions?
Thanks, Amber. It really has been so great to have this to whip out.
I loved this recipe. Super easy, super basic ingredients, just super! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad!! I hope it is super successful and your Grandpa has a lovely birthday!
Making it for my grandpas 72nd birthday today and it’s In the over as we speak. My house smells so amazing can’t wait to eat it
So glad to hear it! We love homemade cakes, as well!
Made this cake for my 12 year anniversary. Turned out delicious. I prefer homemade cakes to box mixes ever since I tried them 2 years ago and this one is a definite keeper. It is my new go-to for a chocolate cake. I used a different frosting, thought it would be chocolate overload, but was very happy with the richness and density of the cake. Thanks for a great recipe!
Haha; I’m the same way! I don’t usually like cake…it’s too dry! But I love this one. Glad your family liked it!
Made this cake today for my boyfriend and my son. No special occasion, just wanted to make it! It is wonderful, and that is coming from a girl who isn’t really a cake eater! I make it, but don’t really like eating it. But this cake is delicious!
You’re Welcome! We know you’re both going to love it. Happy Birthday to the hubby from Nellie and I!
I just made this cake and frosting for my husband. It’s his birthday today and smells wonderful baking. I haven’t tried it yet but it looks amazing! Thanks!!
You are so welcome! We love this one too and use it time and again. Initially it’s scary making a homemade cake but once you make this…its hard to have another, isn’t it! Happy birthday to your son!
This cake is incredible. I made it this weekend for my sons birthday and everyone agreed this was the best cake chocolate cake they had tasted. I did use buttermilk in place of the milk but that was my only change. I will make this cake again and again and again!! Thank you!!
Excellent delish made this for my husband thank you so much for the recipes
Not a problem! A stick of butter is a 1/2 cup.
Sorry to bother you because a similar question was already asked, but how much is a stick of butter in cups?
So glad there are others like us out there!!!
Omg thank you for this yummy recipe! Also thanks for not understanding this insane trend of cake “pops” just like me. I think it’s gross to eat a bunch of cake crumbs people roll and smoosh into a ball with their hands…..wth…I just don’t get it.
Liquid measurements:
1 cup = 8 ounces
1 tsp = 5 ml
Dry ingredients
1 cup = @ 250 grams (according to my kitchen scale)
2 sticks of butter is 1/2 a pound or 226 grams
I made this last week for a birthday party – tried it in a bundt pan and it turned out really well! Delicious, thanks!! Will definitely use this recipe again!
The cake looks amazing and I would really want to try it. My father in law has birthday on Monday so I want to make it for him but I am really confused by the amounts of the products. Is it possible to give me the exact grams/ounces because honestly I have no idea how much a stick of butter weighs or how much 3/4 cup cocoa is. It is just easier for me to work with grams/ounces. Thanks in advance!
Just made this. My first ever made from scratch cake! Made it in a bundt pan and it came out beautifully! Made the frosting too, but haven’t yet put it on. I may have put too much butter cause it seems a bit watery, but I think it will pour nicely over the cake. Both taste great! Just haven’t had them together yet.
Tried it and I love it! Big hit with my family! I was worried that the frosting wouldn’t be enough, but it was the perfect amount! Perfectly delicious! Thanks!
You’re so welcome! We hope it turns out perfectly and is a hit!!!
I’m making this cake today for my boyfriend’s birthday! I’m super excited! My kitchen smells like a chocolate factory!! :) Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Sorry Kayli, we’ve never tried cupcakes with this batter before! Please try it, though, and let us know what you find out!
This was delicious. Thank you.
Do you know how long it will take for cupcakes using this batter? Thanks!
We used 9 inch rounds, but you could use 8″ and just have slightly thicker cake.
Hi, what size round pans? Thanks.
Hello Nate and Janel
Good to SEE you guys! Enjoy the 4th weekend.
Lots of love from the Easom clan in Simons Town SA
Mr. Nate can take his cake to the desert island but not you — we NEED you around — just in case. Does that sound selfish?? Yep it is :-) The cake looks delicious!! More like a no flour cake. Like the ones that weigh a ton and go right to the hips and thighs but it was worth it because of the taste — that kind of cake. Happy Birthday Mr. Nate and hope all of you have a great Fourth!!
Happy Birthday Mr. Nate.
Great recipe!