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 - 25 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.
Made this for my adult son’s birthday. Most amazing, delicious, moist cake EVER ! I baked 2 8” layers and it turned out perfect. Also used decaf for the coffee So delicious.
I made Peanut Butter frosting for it. Drizzled Chocolate Ganache down the outside edge and put chopped Reese Cups in the center. Turned out fabulous! Will never use another chocolate cake recipe again. Another Nagi winner !!! 😋
This cake was quick to make and it was a winner for the birthday girl! Chocolate buttercream frosting excellent with it too.
Wonderful cake! This is the only recipe that I use it’s always a hit at parties.
Side note – I used a much smaller amount of boiled water and the mixture came out a good consistency
The perfect chocolate cake. After every kids party someone asks me for the recipe!
Recipe was spot on, I will skip the frosting next time as it was too sweet for me (personal preference) but very reliable recipe
Super easy and came out perfect.
Whipped
Whipped up the espresso in the mokka pot as I don’t have instant coffee.
I’m on the fence with this one. It’s pretty nice but to be honest I’m not sure it’s worth the effort over a box cake.
Hi! I understand that the batter is thin however it leaked over 40% of it…🙄
Can I use this recipe as is for cupcakes?
I just made them as cupcakes, work just fine. Prob baked for 22-25 min. Don’t overfill… lesson learnt here.
Made this yesterday from your cook book and it is absolutely sensational!!!! best chocolate cake i have ever had! seriously unhealthy but so worth it!!! yummmmmmmmmmmm!
I have made this recipe so many times. It’s one of my favorites! It’s so easy, so moist, and always a hit. I put in two teaspoons of espresso powder into the boiling water. Delicious!
I baked this recipe for a double 50th birthday party and it was a huge success.
I have subsequently made it adding orange zest to both the cake and the ganache. It adds an extra dimension to an already really delicious cake. Thanks Nagi.
I have been following you for many, many years and everything I make is wonderful. This cake was just so easy, smells heavenly and is moist and chocolatey. Being able to make it in one big bowl with just a whisk just made it so easy. Congratulations on your book which I am working my way through….😄
Thank you for the best Chocolate cake recipe I have ever used it was moist with a perfect chocolate flavour. I did replace some of the boiled water with a shot of coffee about 35ml to enhance the chocolate flavour. This recipe will definitely be my chocolate cake go to.
Everyone loved this cake I made for my sons 30th!
I have made this twice in the last two weeks first as a test run then for my daughters birthday. Both came out terrific. Light, moist, and Oh! So chocolatey! The cake stands up to the ganache frosting. I have come to rely on Recipetineats as a go to site for trustworthy and tasty food. Thank you for providing these recipes to us!
Hands down, the best chocolate cake recipe (made it from the cookbook!). I made it yesterday with chocolate buttercream icing for an 18th birthday and served it today. Compliments all round! Absolutely delicious!
The first time I tried making a gluten free version of this cake it was a complete fail. The following tweaks have resulted in success: (1) weigh out the flour [265g] (2) use 2 teaspoons each of bicarb and baking powder (3) let the batter rest for 1/2 hour, then mix in 1/4 teaspoon vinegar. The baking times for gluten free are much longer – about an hour for a wooden skewer to come out clean. I had to reduce the oven temperature to avoid the top getting burnt. But the end result was absolutely DELICIOUS. Nothing dry and crumbly about this chocolate cake.
I made a 3 tier, 8-inch birthday cake using this recipe and it was a hit! Have made birthday cakes in the past for family but this was the first time people asked for seconds. The only downside was there were no leftover cakes for me the following day.
Thanks for another great one, Nagi!
Great cake! It was very light and chocolatey. I used the Ganache frosting suggested and I did not whip it nearly enough so that was a miss. I made this as a test run for my daughter’s birthday and I know what to fix for next week. Thank you for providing your expertise!