This is a really easy yet exceptional Chocolate Cake that truly tastes of chocolate. The crumb is beautifully tender and moist, and it keeps for up to 5 days. It requires no beater, just a wooden spoon.
Frost generously with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for a terrific birthday cake or chocolate ganache for a luxurious rich option. For a richer, fudgier chocolate cake, try this Chocolate Fudge Cake. The ultimate glaze to impress, however, is without a doubt Chocolate Mirror Glaze…..
This is the Chocolate Cake
If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that sometimes I get real stubborn about doing certain things the “right way”. And there’s also a time and a place for shortcut recipes and quick dinners.
Then there’s recipes like this Chocolate Cake which tick all the boxes – it’s easier than the way I’ve been making everyday cake for most of my life, and the results are better.
You’ll love how it really does taste of chocolate even though it’s only been made with cocoa powder (the secret is to add boiling water – it makes the chocolate flavour “bloom”).
You’ll love how tender the crumb is, and how it stays moist for 4 to 5 days.
You’ll love how the cake can stand on its own so you could just dust it with icing sugar then serve slices with dollops of cream on the side. Though of course, smothering it with frosting never hurts….
This is the famous Hershey’s Chocolate Cake recipe which I tried on the recommendation of Michelle from the Brown Eyed Baker (one of the first places I go in hunt for baked goods). I tried it without massively high expectations, because I thought “how much better can this be than the usual, being such a simple recipe?”
I love being proved wrong when it comes to food. So wrong in fact, that even though I tinkered with the recipe multiple times, I landed right back where I started using the recipe exactly as written.
I truly think this might be the only recipe on my entire website that I’m publishing from another source without changing the ingredients at all. It’s unheard of! But to me, it’s perfect as it is. I don’t see myself using any other recipe for an everyday Chocolate Cake, ever again.
Incredibly quick and easy
It’s astonishingly quick to make the batter, with all the ingredients mixed up in one bowl using a whisk.
There’s no need to cream butter like the usual recipes because this one is made with oil which is the reason why this cake is beautifully moist. No more dry chocolate cake! 🙌🏻 (Also means this is more forgiving than most, having once accidentally left it in the oven for 15 minutes longer than necessary and it still wasn’t dry).
I’m publishing this recipe as part of the Easter Recipes posted yesterday! So here it is, dolled up for Easter. The same cake in the photos above, the same frosting, topped with speckled Easter eggs, baby chicks (both from Woolworths in Australia), and a chocolate basket. I’ve provided directions in the notes of the recipe for how I made that chocolate basket (hint – it involves a balloon…).
My everyday Chocolate Cake
Easter aside, I call this my everyday Chocolate Cake because it’s just that – my new favourite to make for any occasion. There will be times that call for a mud-cake like Fudge Cake made with both cocoa powder and melted chocolate. There will be times that call for intensely dark chocolate cakes. There will be times that you need / want the nutty brownie-like Flourless Chocolate Cake. And there will be times you’re after one that’s light-as-air, a delicate chiffon cake.
This one is for all the other times when you just want a great, classic Chocolate Cake. Which in my world, is 80% of the time! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups plain / all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder , unsweetened (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda (bi-carb soda)
- 2 cups white sugar (Note 1)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs (~55-65g / 2 oz each)
- 1 cup milk (low or full fat)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 1/2 batches Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (slide scaler on recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C°/350°F (160°C fan). Read Note 4 regarding shelf positions.
- Grease 2 x 22cm/9" cake pans with butter, then line the base. (Note 3 re: springform pans and other pan sizes).
Batter:
- Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add Sugar and salt. Whisk briefly to combine.
- Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk well to combine until lump free – about 30 seconds.
- Add boiling water and whisk to incorporate. The batter is VERY thin (see video).
- Pour batter into cake pans.
Baking:
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. See Note 4 regarding cook time if pans are on different shelves.
- Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks upside down (Note 5).
- Cool completely before frosting. I frosted the cake with my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (scale recipe up by 50%).
Recipe Notes:
- bundt pan – 50 minutes
- single 22cm/9″ pan – 40 to 45 minutes
- 2 x 20cm / 8″ pans – 38 minutes
- 3 x 20cm / 8″ pans – 32 minutes
- 33 x 22 x 5 cm / 13 x 9 x 2″ rectangle pan – 35 – 40 minutes
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Dozer vs tiny toy chick.
Chick won.
I will give you big praise, this was the best cake I have made from googling recipe. My husband loved it.
Again thanks for the recipe.
Yummy cake and beautiful consistency.
Next time I will you 50% more ingrefients for a 26 cm spring Form.
Then cut into two layers and fill with cherry jam and cream.
Cake will need lower temperature (160) for baking, and at least 55 minutes baking time…
The quantities as they were given were not quite enough for 26cm spring form..( and the author did not suggest this)….Yummy…
Have you ever made this with GF flour?
This is a go to in our house for all birthdays and celebrations.
I have to make a dairy free chocolate cake – what could I replace the milk with – Thanks Nagi x
Hi Anita, I have made a dairy free version with soy milk! It works well!
Hi Bon, Thank you so much for replying – I made it today with Oat milk and it turned out beautifully – I think the salt is a tiny bit too much but the crumb is perfect!
Thanks again xoxo
My husband has been asking me to make a chocolate cake for ages. I normally make a German Chocolate cake and was looking for something with less work. This was excellent and everyone LOVED it. This will be my new “go to” chocolate cake! I love all your recipes!
This recipe is amazing! The perfect kids’ (or anyone’s really) birthday cake. Tastes like chocolate but not too rich, suuuuper easy to make and very forgiving – pretty sure I left mine to bake for longer than I should have and it was still super moist. This is definitely my new go-to chocolate cake recipe!
My daughter and I made this for her 11th Birthday party. She wanted a s’mores cake, so we left off the chocolate frosting. Instead we filled the cake with marshmallow fluff and sliced marshmallows and then topped it with vanilla frosting, biscuit crumbs and a few toasted marshmallows. It was a big hit, and we’ll definitely make it again!
Absolutely outstanding cake, definitely a keeper
I did add 1 teaspoon of instant coffee to the hot water to enhance the flavour of the chocolate
Love this recipe – it’s now my “go to” chocolate cake. Light, lovely moist texture and delicious chocolate flavour. I baked in a single 22cm springform tin which I carefully lined with baking paper and butter so the very liquid batter wouldn’t leak.
Most amazing cake 👏
Big thumbs up from teenage boys I quote *best chocolate cake ever mum*
Do you think I could sub the flour for gluten free flour?
I am 11 and made this cake for my aunts birthday. It was amazing everyone loved it. Best chocolate cake recipe!
Most amazing CHOCOLATE Cake!!!! 🍫 Thank you
Made this several times. Friends and family cannot believe how moist it is. I cooked your Artisan bread also, that was delicious and easy.
Made this today, subbed the oil for butter. Tasted great but despite following it all to a Tee the middle sunk and despite leaving it to cool in the tin for 30mins it fell apart when I lifted it out. Tastes great however and would be delish served with some hot custard for dessert.
I baked this in 1 22cm pan as suggested however it completely fills the tin. What size tin would be better for a single cake
Hi Nagi, I’ve just come home from a friends birthday lunch to which I took your Everyday Chocolate Cake with frosting recipe. It went down so well 9 YUUUMMMM!!! – and as we were setting a date for the next birthday (mine) lunch, they were unanimous in asking me to bring this deliciously moist chocolate cake. Thank you.
This is the best chocolate cake recipe I have ever made! I used this to bake my son’s birthday cake and everyone couldn’t stop eating it! It is the best ❤️
I don’t know whether to be happy or upset with this recipe because it’s so good we can’t stop at one slice 🤤 Nagi is my go to for most recipes, as every one I’ve tried, is AMAZING! Highly recommend 👌 So easy to make, yet so delicious you’d think it took a lot of work! So glad I found her!