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.
Hi Nagi, I have my daughters 3rd birthday coming up and want to try this. As we have a large family so plenty of mouths to feed and everyone loves chocolate cake, just wondering if I was to make this with 4 layers do I just double the ingredients and then cut the cakes in half? Also would the cooking time change if there is more batter?
Hi Elle-May, I’d do two batches as per the recipe (so two pans at once), cooking it in one pan will take too long and may not rise as well – N x
Great, thank you for the response. Also with the pans, I have the springform pans with the buckle thing on the outside. It says in notes to put butter in between the tin side and base, will that get into the batter or effect that? I’m a bit confused as it sounds like it is a watery batter.
Thanks x
I made this today for an after brunch treat for my girlfriends. Absolutely delicious! I only baked it in 1 springforn pan as my other pan is a different size and baked for 55 minutes instead. I also ran out of cocoa powder so I made butter cream frosting with real chocolate instead. Was Absolutely delicious!
Sounds great Ellie!
Made this for Easter and my sister said it was better than the chocolate cake Mum used to make … that’s one helluva compliment Nagi!
🤫 Don’t tell Mum!! Thanks so much for letting me know Lyn!
Could I use 9” glass to make the second?
Hi Nicole, are you meaning a glass dish? – N x
It was amazing I’m only 14 years old and it was so simple and yum especially for Easter. Thanks Nagi! Your so amazing
Can this be adjusted to fit cupcake pans?
That’s great Hallah!
I know I just wrote a comment a short while ago but I HAD to add more. It says here that this cake will keep up to 5 days. How would anyone know THAT. This cake won’t last 5 hours in our house. Please please please make this incredible cake!!!
😂 I hear ya Sheila!!
This is seriously the most delicious chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten in all my 73 years,,,
Best chocolate cake recipe I have ever used! Cake was rich, delicious and moist.
That’s awesome Byron!
hi Nagi ! wow this is so good.
By the way, I’m hoping you can upload a chocolate cake with avocado as an ingredient ? Hi Dozer ! ( hug hug )
YUM, am just onto second generous slice this morning, soooo good, there is nothing worse in the cake department than a dry chocolate cake, this is so moist, now my favourite chocolate cake recipe. Thank you.
I hear ya Jennifer! I’m so glad you love this one ❤️
Hi Nagi…. Best cake ever… I made this for my daughter’s birthday… Got polished away. Thank you so much.
One question I do have some members in the family that dont eat eggs…. What do I substite eggs with, any suggestions?
Hi Kamini, I’m so glad you loved it! Sorry I haven’t tried this with any egg substitutes unfortunately – N x
Thank you for the best ever chocolate cake recipe. I used a muffin tin and made 12 but also had enough for a small loaf cake too…. I’m not going to ice as they seem to have a soft chocolate tops….
Hands down the best chocolate cake. I always have people speechless when they dig into this cake. Making a special one for Easter this week!
Perfect!!
Hi! I was just wondering if it would be possible to bake all the batter in 1 pan with a longer baking time, since I don’t have 2 pans. Would that be possible?
Hello Nagi,
I try this recipe today. It’s super easy !!!! The cake comes out great..it’s moist & fluffy. It’s much easier than melting chocolate in double boiler and better. It’s a bit too sweet for me. So, I reduce sugar to 1 1/2 cup.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will bake it again 🙂
I’m so glad you loved it!!!
An absolutely beautiful chocolate cake! Can see myself baking this again and again.
I’m so glad you loved it Magda!
I am 10 yrs old and my mum told me to bake a cake so I went and searched it up this was the highest rating two I tried it it turned out PERFECT thx for this recipe 🙂
Thanks so much, I’m so glad you gave it a go! ❤️
Super easy to make but I think it needed longer in the oven. It came out fudgey and dense eventhough the skewer came out clean. Will try again!
Oh no! Maybe just slightly longer in the oven Joy – N x
Sounds like it was a little undercooked Relia – It shouldn’t be sticky – N x
Great cake…just polished off my second slice …ok …chunk!
Nagi I am going to try all of your recipes eventually. No fails yet nor do I expect any.
Thank you.
I won’t tell anyone Virginia 😉 Thanks so much for the great feedback!