This is the best homemade chocolate cake recipe. It’s an incredibly moist chocolate cake with a fluffy texture and a perfect chocolate flavor.
We’ve been making this recipe for years and it always turns out incredibly moist and delicious. It can be served with our creamy chocolate buttercream or without frosting as a simple snacking chocolate cake. You’ll love how easy it is to make!
I’m excited to share this homemade chocolate cake with you because it’s truly the best chocolate cake recipe. It was passed down to me years ago from my mother-in-law. It’s a super moist chocolate cake with a fluffy texture. It can be made as a chocolate sheet cake or a layered round cake.
It’s also really easy to make as well. All of the dry ingredients are measured together in a mixing bowl and the wet ingredients are measured in a liquid measuring cup and then simply combined using a mixer.
This recipe also uses boiling water which helps create a tender, moist texture.
We love this moist chocolate cake paired with our perfect, creamy chocolate buttercream frosting. However, you can also switch it up and make any frosting you want.
Why We Love this Moist Chocolate Cake
- Super moist
- Fluffy texture
- Versatile – Can be made into a sheet cake, layered cake or cupcakes
- Rich chocolate flavor, but not overwhelming
- Easy to make
- It taste good even without frosting as a chocolate snack cake
- Tried and tested over and over and always works
How To Make Chocolate Cake From Scratch
Ingredients
Granulated Sugar – To sweeten the cake.
All-Purpose Flour – We use King Arthur flour for this recipe. Also, see how to properly measure flour.
Unsweetened Cocoa – Gives the cake a rich chocolate flavor. Try Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa or Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened Cocoa.
Baking Soda + Baking Powder – Helps the cake rise and create an extra fluffy texture.
Milk – Added for texture and moisture. Whole milk or 2% will both work.
Eggs – Create structure and stability in the cake. Use organic eggs when possible.
Vegetable or Canola Oil – This chocolate cake recipe is made with oil to give the cake extra moistness and a very fluffy texture.
Vanilla Extract – Adds depths of flavor.
Boiling Water – Helps bloom the cocoa powder and create a super moist cake.
Directions
Preheat the Oven – The oven temperature should be 350 degrees.
Measure Dry Ingredients – Simply measure the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. If using a stand mixer, use the fitted bowl for the dry ingredients.
Measure Wet Ingredients – In another bowl or liquid measuring cup add all of the wet ingredients, except the boiling water which gets added at the end.
Mix – With the mixer on low, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is mixing. Turn the mixer to medium for about 30 seconds, then back to low.
Add Boiling Water – With the mixer on low, slowly add in the boiling water. The batter will have a liquid consistency to it and that’s how you want it to be.
Prepare Baking Pan – 9×13 baking pan is perfect for this cake. Oil it well and use some parchment paper on the bottom so the cake will be easy to remove.
Bake – Bake for 30 minutes until the cake has risen in the center.
This recipe pairs really well with our chocolate buttercream recipe. It’s a creamy, whipped frosting made with semisweet chocolate chips and butter.
Tips For Making a Homemade Chocolate Cake
- Use whole, organic ingredients when possible. It really does make a difference in the flavor and outcome of the cake.
- Oil and grease your pans well and use parchment paper for easy removal.
- Mix well, but do not over mix. Keep the mixer on low most of the time, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- If you want to make a dark chocolate cake, use Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder.
- Pair this cake with our creamy chocolate buttercream frosting.
Freezing Chocolate Cake
This cake freezes very well. We recommend freezing without frosting. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and store it in a freezer-safe bag.
How to Tell When the Cake is Done
How do you know when it’s done? Look for these signs:
- The cake pulls away at the sides of the pan.
- It smells fragrant (yum!)
- The top turns golden brown.
- The toothpick or knife test (stick a toothpick or knife in the cake and if there are still crumbs, it needs to bake for longer)
- Press on the cake and see if it springs back.
Chocolate Cake Variations
Make this into a round stacking cake by baking it in two 8″ round cake pans.
Serve this cake with a swiss meringue buttercream frosting.
Drizzle homemade caramel over the top of this cake instead of frosting.
Cocoa Powder vs Extra Dark Cocoa Powder
There are a few types of unsweetened cocoa powder that you can use for this recipe. We recommend the classic Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Hershey also makes a Special Dark Cocoa Powder. This will make a very dark, rich chocolate cake. The color will come out almost black! If you want that look and flavor, then use the special dark.
Frequently Asked Questions
After trying several chocolate cake recipes, this recipe is by far our favorite. It’s easy to make and yields a tender, moist chocolate cake every time.
When baking a cake ingredients like eggs, oil, milk and hot water are what give a cake a moist texture.
To give a cake light and fluffy texture, use oil, baking soda, and baking powder. These ingredients work together to create a fluffy cake that’s irresistibly moist.
Yes, you can! Using a gluten-free, cup for cup flour will work well in this recipe.
When to Serve a Homemade Chocolate Cake
This cake is perfect for so many occasion, or even just an afternoon snacking cake! Here are a few occasions when you can serve this cake:
After Dinner Dessert
Potluck Dessert
Summer BBQ
More Sheet Cake Recipes
Sheet cakes are easy to make and require zero fussing with stacking and frosting sides! If you like easy cake recipes, try more of our sheet cake recipes.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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The Best Homemade 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 degrees.
- Measure the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. If using a stand mixer, use the fitted bowl for the dry ingredients.
- In another bowl or liquid measuring cup add all of the wet ingredients, except the boiling water which gets added at the end.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is mixing. Turn the mixer to medium for about 30 seconds, then back to low.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in 1 cup of the boiling water. The batter will have a liquid texture to it and that’s how you want it to be.
- 9×13 baking pan is perfect for this cake. Oil it well and use some parchment paper on the bottom so the cake will be easy to remove.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the cake has risen in the center.
Notes
- Use whole, organic ingredients when possible. It really does make a difference in the flavor and outcome of the cake.
- Oil and grease your pans well and use parchment paper for easy removal.
- Mix well, but do not over mix. Keep the mixer on low most of the time, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- If you want to make a dark chocolate cake, use Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder.
- Pair this cake with our creamy chocolate buttercream frosting.
Kristen says
This cake was so good, it has to be my new favorite way to make chocolate cake. I definitely will be using this again.
Katie says
This is so soft and moist, and just the right amount of chocolate flavor! We all love it around here.
Lily says
This cake was amazing, so fluffy and moist!! I decorated the top of mine with fresh raspberries, it was divine 🥰
Lynn says
Thanks for the recipe.
I made this last night and am really happy with the result. I hesitated on making this cake due to the lack of specificity of 3 ingredients. The amount of cocoa powder intrigued me and it did produce a more pronounced flavor. The cake was very good and I will make it again.
However, the aforementioned issue should be addressed:
2 cups flour: What kind of flour? All-purpose, cake flour?
2 cups sugar? What kind of sugar? Granulated, caster, dark brown, light brown?
1 3/4 cups cocoa powder? What kind? This makes a huge difference. Dutch processed cocoa versus natural cocoa.
I used dutch process and the texture and flavor were good.
Jen says
Is this made with Dutch cocoa?
Sondra says
A cup of boiling water in the batter self? That seems interesting…I should try it at the end of this month. Hope it comes out nice.
Chocolate Truffles says
The reason that I love this cake so much, is that it is really moist and dense – the recipe does not include any baking powder, but rather buttermilk and a small amount of baking soda. It delivers big time on the wow factor as well.
•Kristin• says
i love the wooden cake stand! so clever! and i’m pinning this recipe too, it looks perfect!
Photo Booth Proms says
The recipe seems awesome and I will definitely try this on my weekends because I love chocolate cakes.
Maria says
Looks fantastic!!
Maria xx
http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com
Jenny says
drooling over those photos!! YUM!
Kai Mercado says
Holy Moly. This looks absolutely to die for….I might have to make it