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This moist chocolate cake recipe is the one I make when I need a guaranteed, never-dry chocolate cake. It’s incredibly soft, deeply chocolatey, and has been baked in our family for over 30 years — a recipe passed down from my mother-in-law that I’ve now tested hundreds of times for birthdays, celebrations, and everyday baking.
The secret is a simple hot-water cocoa method that creates an ultra-tender crumb and rich chocolate flavor, giving this cake the same dependable texture readers love in my rich and moist chocolate cupcakes, chocolate chip cookie pie, chocolate zucchini cake, and chocolate orange cake!
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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
Why This is the Best Moist Chocolate Cake
After 30 years and thousands of reader bakes, this recipe has become the gold standard on Sugar & Charm. Here is why it consistently ranks as a fan favorite:
The Science of “Moist”: Unlike butter-based cakes that can turn dry or crumbly, we use neutral vegetable oil. Oil remains liquid at room temperature, ensuring a silkier mouthfeel and a cake that stays soft for days
The Boiling Water Trick: This is the secret to deep flavor. Adding boiling water “blooms” the cocoa powder—essentially “waking up” the chocolate solids—while breaking down flour proteins for an ultra-tender, aerated crumb.
Deep chocolate flavor: This recipe is rich, chocolatey, and perfectly balanced. It pairs beautifully with my chocolate buttercream frosting, chocolate sour cream frosting, or maple syrup frosting.
Ultimate Versatility: This batter is incredibly stable. Whether you need a 9×13 sheet cake, a towering layer cake, or chocolate cupcakes, the timing adjusts easily without losing that signature fluff.
Perfect for Make-Ahead: Because of the high moisture content, this cake is exceptionally freezer-friendly. You can bake the layers weeks in advance, making it the perfect base for stress-free birthdays and celebrations.
Moist Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetness + structure.
- All-Purpose Flour: Creates a light, tender crumb.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Use Hershey’s, Ghirardelli, or go darker for a richer cake.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder: The rise and fluff factor.
- Milk – Whole milk or 2% both work.
- Eggs: Add structure and richness.
- Vegetable or Canola Oil: Neutral oil is key to that moist, soft texture.
- Vanilla Extract: For depth of flavor.
- Boiling Water: Sounds strange, but it’s the magic trick for ultimate moistness.
How to Make a Moist Chocolate Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line your baking pan with parchment.
2. Mix dry ingredients: Flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
3. Whisk wet ingredients: Eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla in another bowl.
4. Combine: Slowly mix wet into dry until smooth.
5. Add boiling water: Mix on low; the batter will look thin (that’s the secret!).
6. Bake: 9×13 pan for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
7. Cool & Frost: Top with chocolate buttercream or Swiss meringue buttercream frosting.
Eden’s Recipe Tips
Start checking early: Check early – Start testing 10 minutes before the timer. Look for moist crumbs, not a clean toothpick. Same rule I follow for my zucchini cake.
Gluten-free? No problem: I’ve made this cake with King Arthur 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour, and it turns out wonderfully. The texture is slightly different, but still super moist and delicious.
Make it a layer cake: For a classic celebration cake, bake it in two 8-inch round pans instead of a sheet pan. I love layering it with extra frosting in between.
Try it as cupcakes: Bake 18–20 minutes, similar to my chocolate cupcakes.
Switch up the frosting: My go-to is creamy chocolate buttercream, but it’s also amazing with Swiss meringue, or even gingerbread frosting during the holidays.
Even Layers: Use a kitchen scale to divide batter evenly.
Don’t Overmix: Keeps crumb tender and moist.
FAQs
The most common culprit is overbaking. Even 2–3 minutes too long in the oven can evaporate the moisture. Always start checking your cake 5–10 minutes before the timer ends. Additionally, ensure you aren’t substituting the oil for all butter; oil is essential for that “moist” mouthfeel because it remains liquid at room temperature.
Yes! Substituting the boiling water with hot brewed coffee is a professional baker’s secret. The coffee doesn’t make the cake taste like mocha; instead, it intensifies the chocolate flavor, making it taste richer and darker.
Don’t panic! This recipe produces a very thin, liquid batter due to the boiling water. This high hydration level is exactly what creates the ultra-tender, moist crumb after it bakes. Avoid the urge to add more flour; it will thicken up perfectly in the oven.
For this recipe, Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (like Hershey’s) works best because it reacts with the baking soda to create a light, fluffy rise. If you prefer a darker, “Oreo-like” color and flavor, you can use Dutch-processed cocoa, but the cake may be slightly denser.
To prevent the cake from drying out, wrap unfrosted layers tightly in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, this cake is incredibly freezer-friendly. Freeze wrapped layers for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator before frosting.
Yes! Grease your bundt pan very well and bake for about 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. This cake looks beautiful dusted with powdered sugar or finished with a drizzle of chocolate ganache. For more bundt inspiration, see my chocolate ganache bundt cake, pistachio bundt cake, and blueberry bundt cake, which all use similar reliable baking methods.
This is hands-down my favorite chocolate cake recipe, and I hope you love it as much as we do.
Leave a comment and let me know how it turns out — and while you’re here, don’t miss my coconut loaf cake, moist crumb cake, or chocolate chip cookie pie for your next baking day!
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Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups 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, whole or 2%
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. While it heats, prep your pan and measure out your ingredients. This cake comes together quickly.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl or stand mixer bowl. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl or large measuring cup. Combine the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Set the boiling water aside for later.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients using the mixer on low speed. Once everything is mixed, scrape down the sides and mix on medium for about 30 seconds.
- Slowly add the boiling water with the mixer on low. The batter will be thin, which is exactly how it should be. That’s what makes the cake super moist.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Notes
- Storage: Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap or pop them in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze unfrosted cake layers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then frost and serve!
- Gluten-Free Option: I’ve made this with King Arthur 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour and it works like a charm. The texture is slightly different but still super moist and delicious.
- Baking Time Tip: Every oven has a mind of its own. I always start checking about 10 minutes early. You’re looking for a toothpick with just a few moist crumbs—don’t wait for it to come out clean!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is from Hershey’s Cocoa Powder.
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!