The Best Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe
Feb 07, 2024, Updated Sep 01, 2026
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This is the best moist chocolate cake recipe. It’s incredibly soft, deeply chocolatey, and has been baked in our family for over 30 years. My mother-in-law gave me the recipe, and I’ve made it hundreds of times for birthdays, bake sales, Sunday dinners, and plenty of last-minute “we need cake tonight” emergencies. It’s one of those recipes I know I can always count on.
If you love baking with chocolate, you’ll also want my rich chocolate cupcakes, chocolate orange cake, and super moist chocolate zucchini cake.
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Here’s What You Need to Know
This chocolate cake stays incredibly moist because it’s made with oil and has a very thin batter created by adding boiling water at the end.
And when I say thin, I mean really thin! Don’t be tempted to add more flour. I’ve made this cake hundreds of times, and that’s exactly what the batter should look like.
You can make it as a 9×13 cake or a classic layer cake, and I’ve even tested it with gluten-free flour. It also freezes beautifully, which makes it a great cake to bake ahead.
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“This will forever be my new go-to recipe for chocolate cake! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!”
Jessica
What Makes This Chocolate Cake So Moist?
Oil is the key to the soft texture. Because it stays liquid at room temperature, it helps the cake stay tender and moist even after it cools.
The recipe also uses a generous amount of liquid, which creates the soft, delicate crumb I love about this cake.
Moist Chocolate Cake Ingredients
Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create a soft, moist cake.
All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cake its structure while keeping the crumb light and tender. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off rather than packing it into the cup.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I use natural unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. Hershey’s and Ghirardelli are both great options.
Baking Soda + Baking Powder: This recipe uses both to help the cake rise and create its light texture.
Salt: A little salt balances the sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavor.
Milk: Whole milk or 2% both work well.
Eggs: You’ll need two large eggs to add structure and richness.
Vegetable or Canola Oil: A neutral oil gives this cake its wonderfully soft, moist texture without adding another flavor.
Vanilla Extract: Two teaspoons add warmth and round out the chocolate flavor.
Boiling Water: This is added at the very end. It creates a surprisingly thin batter, but don’t worry! That’s exactly what you want.
How to Make a Moist Chocolate Cake (Step-by-Step)
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Make sure there aren’t any large lumps of cocoa powder.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Combine: Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the boiling water: With the mixer on low, slowly pour in 1 cup boiling water. The batter will become very thin and liquid. That’s exactly how it’s supposed to look, so don’t add more flour.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. I start checking around 25 minutes. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and frost: Let the cake cool completely before frosting. My chocolate buttercream is the classic pairing, but I also love it with chocolate sour cream frosting or silky Swiss meringue buttercream.
Chocolate Cake Baking Times by Pan Size
9×13-inch pan: 30 to 35 minutes
Two 8-inch round pans: 28 to 32 minutes
Cupcakes: 18 to 22 minutes
Bundt pan: 40 to 45 minutes
Ovens and pans can vary, so use these times as a guide and start checking early. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
Eden’s Baking Tips
Don’t overbake it: Start checking your cake around 25 minutes. You want a toothpick to come out with a few moist crumbs attached rather than waiting until it’s completely dry.
Measure the flour carefully: Too much flour is one of the easiest ways to end up with a dry cake. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off, or weigh it if you prefer.
For even cake layers: If you’re making a layer cake, use a kitchen scale to divide the batter evenly between two 8-inch pans. I use the same trick when making my buttermilk cake.
How to Store Chocolate Cake and Keep It Moist
At room temperature: Keep the cake well covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you’re storing unfrosted cake layers, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap once they’re completely cool.
In the refrigerator: If you’re using a frosting or filling that requires refrigeration, store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let it come closer to room temperature before serving for the softest texture.
In the freezer: The unfrosted cake freezes beautifully. Wrap completely cooled cake or cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw: Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator while it’s still wrapped, then bring it to room temperature before frosting or serving.
For a cut cake: Press a piece of parchment or plastic wrap directly against the exposed cut side before covering the cake. This helps keep the inside from drying out.
Moist Chocolate Cake FAQs
The most common cause is overbaking. I start checking this cake around 25 minutes and take it out when a toothpick inserted into the center has a few moist crumbs attached. Too much flour can also make a cake dry, so spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off rather than packing it into the cup.
That’s exactly how it’s supposed to look! The cup of boiling water makes this batter much thinner than a typical cake batter. Don’t add more flour. I’ve made this cake hundreds of times, and the thin batter bakes into an incredibly soft, tender cake.
I use natural unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe and love the rich chocolate flavor it gives the cake. Hershey’s and Ghirardelli are both great options. Since this is the cocoa powder I’ve tested the recipe with, it’s what I recommend for the most consistent results.
Yes. Grease the Bundt pan very well and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. I love finishing it with powdered sugar or a drizzle of chocolate ganache.
If you love Bundt cakes, try my chocolate ganache Bundt cake, pistachio Bundt cake, or blueberry Bundt cake, too.
This cake stays wonderfully soft for several days when it’s properly covered. I think it’s especially good the next day! Keep it covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate it if you’re using a frosting or filling that requires refrigeration.
If you love baking cakes from scratch, browse all of my homemade cake recipes. A few of my favorites include coconut loaf cake, moist crumb cake, and pound cake!
If you make this moist chocolate cake, leave a star rating and comment below. I love hearing how it turned out!
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Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk, or 2% milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (or two 8-inch round pans) and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together 2 cups sugar, 1 ¾ cups flour, ¾ cup cocoa powder, 1 ½ tsp baking soda, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt. Ensure there are no large cocoa clumps.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 1 cup milk, ½ cup vegetable oil, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. (Hold onto that boiling water for the final step!)
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Turn the mixer to the lowest setting and very slowly pour in 1 cup of boiling water.Note: The batter will be very thin and liquid—this is exactly what you want for a moist chocolate cake!
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, but start checking around 25 minutes. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan before topping with my chocolate buttercream frosting or Swiss meringue buttercream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely delicious! Super moist
Thank you so much for this recipe Eden this is my new go-to chocolate cake recipe! It’s so moist!
Truly the PERFECT chocolate cake, and I’m a chocolate lover to the core. Thanks for the recipe, Eden!
Thank you this is the best recipe, my cake came out so moist, and I did a chocolate cream cheese frosting and it was honestly like it was store bought, but better ,I recommend this recipe
Hello there! Thank you so much for the recipe. I would like to try to bake this into 8 inch round cake pans. Do you happen to know if the baking time and temperature would be the same as a 9 x 13 pan?
Thanks again!