This easy chocolate cake is the best chocolate cake ever, it’s fudgy, moist, and so delicious. It’s topped with a creamy and rich chocolate buttercream and is the perfect cake for chocolate lovers!
This chocolate cake recipe is the best of the best. It’s moist and tender, and has the perfect crumb, and did I mention it tastes delicious too?!
This chocolate cake is so moisty, chocolatey, and topped with the best sweet chocolate buttercream frosting. It’s seriously my new favorite.
I’m all about making cakes easy. I know every once in a while it’s nice to make a pretty layer cake for a birthday, or another special occasion, but I’ve never been one to make gorgeous cakes, and most the time I’m all for an easy cake, that still looks good, but more importantly tastes delicious. This chocolate cake is the solution for that. Delicious. Easy. And you can totally make sure it’s still pretty too.
I’ve got a few other easy 9×13 from scratch cakes that I think you’ll love too; pumpkin cake, banana cake, and this easy carrot cake recipe.
Can I use this recipe to make a layered cake?
I make this chocolate cake in a 9×13 pan, but you can also make it in 2 greased round 9 inch cake pans if you want a layered cake instead. You will divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Then bake the cake at the same temperature for about 22 to 28 minutes, or just until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
You should need the same amount of frosting for a 2 layer cake as you would for a 9x13in cake. Once the cake is cook, you’ll place 1 layer of cake on a plate or cake stand. Spread frosting evenly over the top. Place the second layer or top and then spread the frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake.
How to make this easy chocolate cake?
To make this chocolate cake recipe, you’ll first mix together the dry ingredients, including the sugars. That means you’ll mix together brown sugar, white sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sift the cocoa powder to avoid chunks if you want.
In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk them all together. Then slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. While I’m mixing those I boil a cup of water on the stove, which only takes a couple minutes. Then slowly pour the hot water into the cake batter and stir till it’s all totally smooth. The cake batter is REALLY THIN.
Carefully pour the batter into a greased 9×13 pan and place into an oven preheated to 350. Bake the cake for about 25-35 minutes. (Mine takes 28 in a metal pan and about 33 in a ceramic pan, haven’t tried glass yet.) Remove the cake from the oven when a toothpick comes out mostly clean. It’s okay if there are a couple moist crumbs on it still, keeps the cake extra moist. Allow the cake to cool completely before spreading the chocolate frosting over the top.
How to make chocolate buttercream?
Cream your butter until nice and smooth, for about 1 to 2 minutes. While mixing on slow add in the cocoa powder and 3 cups of powdered sugar. I suggest sifting them as you add them to the butter so your frosting is super smooth.
Once that’s all mixed, add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and a dash of salt. Continue to mix until the frosting is nice and fluffy, about 2 minutes with a hand mixer, it only needs about 1 in a stand mixer.
Spread the frosting over the top of your cooled cake.
I’ve already made this cake many times since I first made it last month for my son’s 2nd birthday party. Logan and his cousin have the same birthday, so we did a combined birthday party for them this year, with the theme of The Hungry Caterpillar. We wanted to have all the foods that the caterpillar ate in the book for the party, you know like on Saturday he eats through “one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese…” etc. I made this yummy cake as the one piece of chocolate cake and everyone loved it.
Anyway, this easy chocolate cake is the best chocolate cake ever. It’s simple to make, it’s delicious and it’s a total crowd pleaser. I think you’ll love it as much as we do.
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Easy Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot water
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
- 1 cup butter (room temperature)
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 TBS heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 dash salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Add the brown sugar, white sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl and combine.
- In another bowl add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract and whisk together.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat together until well combined. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Slowly pour the hot water into the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Continue to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is mixed well. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9x13 pan and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- In a large bowl cream your butter until smooth.
- Turn the mixer on low and add in 3 cups of powdered sugar and the cocoa powder. Beat until they're mixed well.
- Add in the vanilla extract and heavy cream and mix till smooth.
- Turn the mixer up to medium high speed and beat until it has gotten nice and fluffy.
- Spread frosting evenly over the top of cake.
- Decorate as desired.
Anne Kessler says
Thank you I plan to make this soon. Can you freeze it? How many days ahead can you make it?
I’m going to make it for Christmas.
Aimee says
Sorry for the late response! It should freeze fine, or stay good for a few days before anyway. Did you try it out?
Monica says
Love love love this cake! I’ve made it numerous times and it has always been a huge hit. Sometimes I use coffee instead of water, sometimes I use maple extract instead of vanilla and sometimes I stick to the original recipe. It’s fun to experiment with this recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing your heavenly chocolate cake recipe!
Aimee says
I love the idea of those changes, these look amazing!
Sandy Gotter says
Hi, can I use buttermilk for the milk. Thanks. Sandy
Dave Shaw says
This is a great-tasting cake and easy to make! I tested with a toothpick after 35 minutes and it was still “soupy” in the middle. So it went back in the oven another 7 minutes and seemed okay. My only concern is that once it cooled down, there was a big depression in the middle.
I’m suspecting it will be “soupy” once cutting into that section, but edible. Any ideas from others what might have gone wrong? Thanks in advance.
Aimee says
Hmm, I’m sorry! Did you check the middle with the toothpick after the extra time? It can definitely fall from being under baked. But there are other reasons, like if it was over mixed and there was too much air, too high of an oven temp so it rose fast and then fell. Hope it’s cooked and you can still enjoy most of it!
Ann says
I am looking to make the chocolate cake. You have a 9×13 pan. Is that glass or metal? Will the time to cook change for the glass of metal?
Lastly, is one batch enough to use 2 8×8 round pans?
Thank you
Aimee says
I used a metal pan for the cake, I’d just watch it closely the last 10 minutes or so of baking. It should be plenty for two 8inch pans, they may take a little longer than the 9×13 cake to bake.
Missy says
So moist and delicious. I used coffee for the hot water. Thanks for sharing.
Amber says
Hi! Do we use unsweetened cocoa powder?
Aimee says
yes unsweetened cocoa powder, not sweetened which would be a drink mix.
Fran says
Does this need to be refrigerated?
Aimee says
It doesn’t need to be kept in the fridge, but will last a couple days longer if you keep it in the fridge. Either works!
Sue Fischer says
Delicious, delicious, delicious! Did I say delicious?! Making it the second time for company this week. Thank you for this easy and fabulous recipe.
Aimee says
I’m so glad you loved it! Definitely a favorite here too.
Ruby says
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Ellen says
Unless specified, I always use unsalted butter. I hope that helps.
LILLY BECKER says
IT WAS REALLY DELICIOUS EVERYONE IN MY HOUSE LOVED IT AND IM JUST WONDERING SAY I WANTED TO MAKE THIS INTO CUPCAKES SHOULD I JUST USE AROUND THE SAME COOK TIME AS A REGULAR CAKE??
Aimee says
Cupcakes bake for a lot less time than a cake since they are so much smaller. It should take about 15-20 minutes to bake cupcakes. I haven’t tried this recipe as cupcakes, let me know how it turns out!
Shonda Hilton says
Seriously easy and AMAZING chocolate cake! Best cake ever!!!
Brandi says
Your ingredients for the icing say to use heavy cream and then the directions say half and half ???
Aimee says
Oops! I usually use heavy cream, but half and half should work too! The recipe should be updated now
Meera says
Hi, did you use plain (all-purpose) or self-raising flour for this recipe?
Thank you.
Aimee says
All purpose
Mary says
Awesome cake – so moist and that frosting! So good!
Ellen says
Thanks so much for your comments. We are so glad you like it.
Shannon says
Easy to make & turned out perfect. I’ll be using this recipe for years to come. Thank you.
Aimee says
Yay! I’m so glad to hear!
Jossy Creations says
I made the chocolate cake yesterday using this recipe and it’s so nice.
Thanks for the recipe.
Amanda says
I just finished frosting this cake and I can’t wiat to try it!
Ellen says
That frosting 😍😍 I definitely will be making this cake. It looks perfect. I can’t wait to see more pictures if the birthday party. So cute!