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Home » Eats & Drinks » The Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe

The Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe

Published on October 11, 2012 Updated on June 6, 2019 by Eden

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This is the best chocolate cake recipe, in fact I’d go so far as to say this is the perfect chocolate cake recipe! It’s moist, rich and packed to the brim with flavor. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream cake! Plus it is a simple cake recipe, that’s bound to impress!

Top down shot of the perfect chocolate cake with slice out

It’s finally time to share one of my favorite perfect chocolate cake recipe. It was passed down to me years ago and I often make it for birthdays and other special occasions. It’s VERY rich and dense, so you MUST be a chocolate lover to enjoy this perfect chocolate cake. I think it’s pretty easy to make and you can add your own twist on it by changing the filling or frosting flavor. I chose to use a rich chocolate buttercream frosting recipe because if you’re going to make chocolate cake, might as well make it really chocolatey : ) Also, how cool is the stand? I have a secret to share… that’s a candle holder I bought at Michaels a year ago! I thought it would make the best cake stand and this was my first time using it. I bought it for around $15! So everyone go to the craft store and pick up a large candle holder to use for all of your beautiful cakes this fall : )

How To Make The Perfect Chocolate Cake – Step By Step

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix all of the dry ingredients together. Add in the eggs, oil, vanilla and milk and mix until combined.
  • Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  • Add in the boiling water.
  • Divide batter into two 9 inch round pans that have been sprayed.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until the center of the cake is done. If you take it out too early, the middle will collapse.

Rich Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • Beat butter until fluffy.
  • Sift together powder sugar and cocoa (you can skip the sifting, but it helps with lumps.)
  • Add the dry ingredients to the butter and beat on high.
  • Slowly add in the milk, vanilla and coffee and beat in high until light and fluffy.
close up of chocolate cake slice

Easy To Make Homemade Chocolate Cake

This rich and moist chocolate cake is pretty darn easy to make! With it’s dense layers and creamy frosting, you’d think this was straight from the bakery! But really you only need a coupe of mixing bowls to make it!

Chocolate and Coffee

One little – not so secret – ingredient is brewed coffee. Just a tablespoon but it really lifts the whole profile of the cake. The strong, sometimes bitter flavor of coffee goes great with sweet, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate.

National Chocolate Cake Day

This is the perfect chocolate cake for birthdays and special occasions, so why not add another one to the calendar – national chocolate cake day! It’s on January 27th – so mark your calendars!

Top Tips For The Perfect Chocolate Cake

  • For the smoothest cake mix, make sure you sift out all the lumps in your dry ingredients.
  • Use a toothpick or knife to test the center of the cake, making sure it is baked thoroughly if you remove it too early the cake will collapse.
  • When frosting the cake, place it on a stand with a dollop of icing underneath, to secure it in place.
  • If you wish to store the cake before serving, make sure the frosting has hardened, then wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge.

Check Out These Other Delicious Chocolate Cake Recipes

Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Recipe

Chocolate Ganache Bundt Cake

Chocolate Flourless Cake

Best Fudgy Chocolate Cake by Cafe Delites

Chocolate Raspberry Cake by Baker By Nature

montage of overhead shot of the perfect chocolate cake

If you have tried this Perfect Chocolate Cake recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!

Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe

This is the only chocolate cake recipe you will need!
0 from 0 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate cake, easy cake recipe, occasion cake
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 499kcal
Author: Eden

Ingredients

Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup boiling water

Rich Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon brewed coffee

Instructions

Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the dry ingredients together. Add in the eggs, oil, vanilla and milk and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add in the boiling water. Divide batter into two 9 inch round pans that have been sprayed. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center of the cake is done. If you take it out too early, the middle will collapse.

Rich Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • Beat butter until fluffy, sift together powder sugar and cocoa (you can skip the sifting, but it helps with lumps.) Add the dry ingredients to the butter and beat on high. Slowly add in the milk, vanilla and coffee and beat in high until light and fluffy.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 499 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 14g88%
Cholesterol 50mg17%
Sodium 328mg14%
Potassium 391mg11%
Carbohydrates 81g27%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 54g60%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 315IU6%
Calcium 85mg9%
Iron 3.6mg20%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @sugarandcharm or tag us #sugarandcharm!


9 Comments

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Comments

  1. Kai Mercado says

    October 11, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    Holy Moly. This looks absolutely to die for….I might have to make it

    Reply
  2. Jenny says

    October 11, 2012 at 9:34 pm

    drooling over those photos!! YUM!

    Reply
  3. Maria says

    October 13, 2012 at 5:19 am

    Looks fantastic!!

    Maria xx
    http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com

    Reply
  4. Photo Booth Proms says

    October 16, 2012 at 7:52 am

    The recipe seems awesome and I will definitely try this on my weekends because I love chocolate cakes.

    Reply
  5. •Kristin• says

    October 18, 2012 at 4:47 pm

    i love the wooden cake stand! so clever! and i’m pinning this recipe too, it looks perfect!

    Reply
  6. Chocolate Truffles says

    March 20, 2013 at 7:32 am

    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.

    Reply
  7. Sondra says

    May 12, 2013 at 6:57 pm

    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.

    Reply
  8. Jen says

    June 3, 2014 at 3:52 pm

    Is this made with Dutch cocoa?

    Reply
  9. Lynn says

    December 5, 2016 at 12:27 am

    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.

    Reply

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Eden of Sugar and Charm

Adding a little charm to the everyday life with entertaining and lifestyle inspiration, sweet recipes and classic style… your daily dose of sugar and charm!

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