Simply Perfect Chocolate Cake
This is THE BEST chocolate cake recipe out there! Easy, one-bowl recipe, moist and melt-in-your-mouth, with tons of deep chocolate flavor!
*This post originally published on September 8, 2016. I thought it was due for an update! So, I’ve given some more detailed instructions, answers to FAQ’s, and tips for success. Hopefully you’ll enjoy this chocolate cake as much I do!*
Chocolate cake! It’s everybody’s favorite, am I right?
It is definitely mine. I’ve got a fabulous recipe for vanilla cake, a marble cake recipe that I love, and a red velvet cake that will knock your socks off. But in my book, chocolate cake always wins, hands-down!
This is something I have been meaning to share for a long time. My chocolate cupcake recipe is one of the top posts on this site, and readers are always asking me if it can be done as a cake too. So here it is (finally!): Simply Perfect Chocolate Cake.
I posted the cupcake version of this chocolate cake years ago. I remember it took me like three or four tries (maybe even five!) before those cupcakes tasted the way I wanted. There was a laundry list of “musts” in my mind for that recipe. And I was not going to rest until I could check off each and every one.
Well, my hard work paid off because that is one of the most popular recipes on my site to this day. There are tons of comments on it, from readers who tried and and LOVED it. Many of them say it’s the only chocolate cake they will ever make again! I’m super proud of it, and I’ve used it as a base as a lot of other recipes since. They all get the same kind of overwhelmingly positive response.
But I figured it was time I just gave it the classic chocolate layer cake treatment.
WHAT MAKES THIS THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE?
I’ve got a laundry list of reasons! Here is why this is the best homemade chocolate cake you’ll ever try:
- The batter is really easy to make and hard to mess up: It uses the reverse-creaming method, which I love because it means you only have to dirty up one bowl!
- The batter is really thick and almost mousse-like: One of my pet peeves is a drippy chocolate cake batter that leaves a big mess all over your counter. This is thick and gorgeous, and you’ll have to stop yourself from eating it straight from the bowl!
- The texture is tender: it’s fluffy but not so soft that it can’t stand up to a generous layer of buttercream.
- It bakes up nice and moist: I’m including an extra step here to make it even more moist! It’s optional, but if you really like an extra-moist cake, you should definitely give it a try.
- The flavor is SUPER chocolate-y: I have another pet peeve and that is chocolate desserts that don’t taste all that chocolate-y. This chocolate cake recipe is made with cocoa, so it has the deepest, richest chocolate taste you can get. Any time you’re baking a dessert that wants to taste extra-chocolate-y, it’s cocoa you want! That’s where all the flavor is at, and you can read more about it on this chocolate cupcakes post and this brownies post.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CAKE FROM SCRATCH
You’re going to love how easy it is to make chocolate cake from scratch!
Start by combining your dry ingredients. Sugar, flour, cocoa, leavening and salt can all get whisked together.
I like to use a combination of all-purpose and cake flour. You can learn more about why here: Why Use Cake Flour.
Next, mix in the butter. After about a minute or so on low speed, you’ll see it start to look like damp sand.
This is the time to add your eggs. Mix them in one at a time, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
Once the eggs are all mixed in, you can add your liquid ingredients. Feel free to use Greek yogurt or sour cream. Both work very well! Mix the dairy in, along with the vanilla, and beat the batter on medium speed for about a minute and a half, to aerate it and build the cake’s structure.
Then just transfer the batter to your prepared cake pans, and bake!
CAN THIS CHOCOLATE CAKE BE BAKED AS CUPCAKES OR IN DIFFERENT SIZED PANS?
It certainly can! You can find the cupcake version here: Chocolate Cupcakes.
As you can see in these pics, I baked my chocolate cake in three 8-inch pans. I just love the look of a tall cake!
But if you’d prefer to bake it as two 8 or 9-inch layers, or even in a 9×13-inch rectangular pan, you can totally do that. Just keep an eye on the bake time because a thicker or bigger cake may need more time to bake than a smaller, thinner cake would.
WHAT FROSTING SHOULD BE USED ON THIS CHOCOLATE CAKE?
This cake is so versatile! It can be filled and topped in all sorts of ways. You can really let your imagination go wild!
Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Whipped Cream Frosting
- Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Easy Chocolate Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Seven-Minute Frosting
For the pics you see here, I’ve frosted and filled the cake with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. It’s my favorite by far! The texture is so incredibly silky, and the chocolate flavor is really rich and pronounced. I highly recommend it!
CAN THIS CAKE BE MADE AHEAD?
I actually really like the texture of this cake once it’s been wrapped in plastic and refrigerated overnight. Letting it chill like that seems to bring everything together really nicely, and the layers stay super-moist. A lot of times when the cake has been chilled, I don’t even need to bother with a crumb coat. It’s great!
So yes I would recommend making this cake at least a day ahead, if you can!
Once filled and frosted, it can stay out at room temperature for a day or so. After that, it’s a good idea to pop it into the fridge.
The layers can also be tightly wrapped, slipped into a zip-top bag, and frozen. They will last in the freezer for about 6 to 8 weeks. Just thaw in the fridge and frost!
Next time you have a special occasion to celebrate, give this chocolate cake recipe a try! I’m sure you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll get rave reviews from your guests!
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Simply Perfect Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake layers
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (62.5 g) cake flour
- 1 cup (86 g) cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 eggs, large
- 1 cup (200 g) plain Greek yogurt, or sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the cocoa simple syrup (optional)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1/2 cup (125 g) water
Instructions
To make the chocolate cake layers:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Generously mist three 8-inch diameter by 2-inch high cake pans with non-stick spray, and line with circles cut from parchment paper.
- Place the sugar, flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine.
- Cut the butter into smaller pieces and add it to the dry ingredients.
- Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles damp sand (30 seconds to a minute).
- Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
- When all of the eggs are fully incorporated, add the Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and vanilla, and beat on medium speed for about 60 to 90 seconds, to aerate the batter and strengthen the cake's structure.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans, and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with one or two moist crumbs.
- Cool completely, then soak with cocoa simple syrup (optional), and fill and frost.
To make the cocoa simple syrup (optional):
- Place the sugar and cocoa powder in a small pot and whisk to combine.
- Stir in the water and place over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Use a pastry brush to soak the cake with the simple syrup before topping with filling. Repeat as you add each layer.
Hi there, thank you for this recipe! Does it make enough batter for a 9×13?
I would think so, although you’ll probably have to adjust the bake time. Good luck Michelle!
I’m from Scotland and therefore have no idea what cake flour is, we have plain or self raising..!? Also we don’t measure butter in cups can you advise please. Thank you Kerry
Hi Kerry! You should check out my free weight conversion chart- there’s a big graphic for it in the sidebar. Also cake flour is finer than plain flour and is milled from a harder wheat. It produces lighter, more tender cakes. There is a link to the exact product within the recipe card. Just definitely don’t use self-raising flour for a cake- it contains leavening and salt which is already listed in the recipe! Good luck and I hope you enjoy.
This cake was perfect for what I was looking for. A delicate crumb, not as fall apart as a buttermilk cake but not as dense as a mud but still moist! The yogurt addition was great for the texture I will definitely be baking it again.
I tripled the recipe and made 4 x 7″ cakes stacked high to feed 80 people. Recipe tripled well (only problem was that it became too much for my bowl). It baked amazingly. When I tipped the cakes out of the tins the crumbs were sealed so well where it had baked, meaning that it was a dream to frost. I opted for a vanilla swiss meringue buttercream as this had to be a white buttercream finish nonetheless AMAZING. Thank you for sharing this one bowl wonder x
The pleasure is all mine Lidia! I’m so happy it worked well for you and thank you so much for sharing your experience here. I love to hear a success story and I’m sure your story will be useful to other readers as well. Have a wonderful week!
I tried this recipe yesterday. I feel like the syrup made the cakes too soggy because they ended up falling apart while I was frosting it and it turned into a disaster. It was a tasty disaster, but my cake looked nothing like the pictures. The flavors were good, but it took such a long time for everything to come together and I was so disappointed when it did not work out. Maybe next time I’ll try it without the syrup and see if I have better results.
I’m so sorry you had trouble Kay! It sounds like it was all the syrup’s fault. The good news is, that part of the recipe is completely optional. I do hope you’ll give it a second chance, and I’m glad to hear that at least it tasted good!
The frosting was too runny. Now I’m going to have to make another cake. I wish I could post a picture of the cake.
The frosting will be runny if the meringue is not cool enough. It really helps to refrigerate it for 5 or 10 minutes, then re-whip!
I don’t have spur cream or kosher salt… Is there anything I can do about that? This cake looks so good and I really want to make it!
You can sub buttermilk or Greek yogurt for the sour cream. What kind of salt do you have? If it’s sea salt you can probably still use the same amount but if it’s table salt you’ll want to cut back. Good luck!
I made this cake, but made a white chocolate buttercream (so I can decorate it for easter). I baked it in two 9″ pans for about 37 minutes and it turned out perfectly. The chocolate cake is so light and moist. Truly the best chocolate cake recipe! Thank you 🙂
Aw, my pleasure Traci! I love that you topped it with white chocolate buttercream, that sounds so lovely!
I made this cake on a whim about a month ago and it was simply incredible. I want to use it again and try to adapt it for cupcakes (for a friend’s bridal shower). I was wondering, have you tried adding things like champagne to the frosting? Do you think that would mess with the consistency? If so, I’ll scrap the idea because the frosting was easily the best part.
Hey Alex! Thanks for the great question. I actually have more than one recipe on this site that incorporates champagne buttercream. I do think it’s necessary to reduce the champagne down quite a lot to concentrate the flavor, so you’re not adding too much liquid to the buttercream. You can check out the details here: https://bakingamoment.com/grapefruit-champagne-mimosa-cupcakes/. Hope that’s helpful!
I just made this cake and followed the instructions exactly, using Greek yogurt and adding the simple syrup step. I baked it for 30 minutes. The cake ended up very dry. What did I do wrong? Are there any other tips for keeping it moist? Thanks!
Hmm I’m not sure Beth. You could try a bit less time in the oven? But saturating it with simple syrup should keep it from being dry.
Can I use plain yogurt instead of greek yogurt?
I haven’t tried it Christine- but I do think it would work. Your batter just won’t be quite as thick because regular yogurt tends to me more watery. Hope that helps! Good luck and enjoy!
I tried this and am very bummed. Made this a day ahead for husbands birthday. I ended with what looks like thick 1 inch cookies. Now day of birthday need a new recipe! Picture looks great but nothing like mine?
Hey Heather, so sorry you had a problem. Couple of things that could have potentially led to this result: 1) Cake pan size. The recipe calls for 8-inch diameter pans. Double check and make sure you didn’t use a 9-inch. 2) Expired baking powder or baking soda. The leavening can lose its potency if it’s been sitting in the cupboard for too long. 3) Letting the batter sit for too long before baking. There’s a short window of time where the leavening is working, if you don’t get it into the oven within 10 minutes or so of adding the liquid to the dry, the leavening will “poop out.” Hopefully that’s helpful and you can get a better result the next time 🙂
Could you use coffee instead of water for the buttercream frosting?
You absolutely could Meghan, and I think that would be delicious!
Has anyone ever used gluten free flour?
In the process of baking this cake. The cake looks perfect and am now whipping up the buttercream. I got through one stick of butter and it seems a bit runny so I’ve got it in the fridge now and will beat in the rest of the butter and hope it thickens up! Will update you afterwards…
Sounds great Melanie! Definitely get that temperature down and I think you’ll be good. Enjoy!
Hello, your cupcake version is my go to. Will be making this one but using two 6×2 pans. How long should I bake them for? I’m sure I will have leftover batter. Thanks!!
Hey Annette! So happy you like the recipe! I’m not 100% sure you’ll be able to fit all this batter into just two 6×2 pans. The recipe calls for three 8×3’s. Perhaps if you halved the recipe? As for bake time I would give it a check after 20 or so… you’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of a cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Hope that’s helpful!
I’ve been searching the internet for a ‘best’ chocolate cake and at last I found one that has butter rather than oil in it – I hate oil cakes! I’m going to bake this for my daughter’s birthday. I only have two 8 inch tins … what do you suggest? I saw you said above that the cake batter wouldn’t wait. I really don’t want to have to buy another tin. I’m going to have to convert the recipe into grams/ounces as I only enjoy baking with weights – cup measurements are so vague – but even so dividing by a third is a bit cumbersome!Thank you!
Hey there Mel! I’m so happy you are going to try making this cake! It’s truly one of my favorites. If you really don’t want to buy another cake pan, there is a trick that *might* work in this case: after you mist your pans with non-stick spray, wrap a long piece of parchment (about 24 inches long by 5 inches wide) around the sides of the pans before putting in the cake batter. This way, if the cake puffs up above the rim of the pan, hopefully the parchment would keep it from overflowing batter all over the bottom of your oven. I tried this one other time, and it worked, but it was a different cake recipe. Hopefully it would work just as well for this one though. Good luck and I hope that’s helpful!