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 just posted almost the exact same chocolate cake recipe last night on my tea blog! Except instead of a cup of boiling water I added a cup of strong brewed English Breakfast tea. Great minds think alike as they say!
Would love to see a recipe for the frosting you used. It looks light and luscious!
Hi Sherry! It’s linked in the recipe! 👍🏻
Is there a reason to use plain flour plus baking powder & bicarb rather than SR flour? If so, is it okay to use bread flour which is all the plain flour I have as I only use plain for making bread & pizza.
Hi Kate! Bicarb is stronger than baking powder and this cake needs that extra lifting power because the batter is so thin 🙂 Bread flour should be fine with this recipe, I even made it with wholemeal once and couldn’t tell the difference! N xx
I use coffee, usually brewed, in the cake, too. I also usually use a little cooled coffee in my chocolate buttercream frosting, making it slightly mocha. As an aside, we have a couple of members of our family who do not tolerate wheat well, but can have spelt flour. (They are not celiacs.) This cake does extremely well with spelt flour, as well. Most people never even notice the difference; I would say only those of us who work with spelt a lot do. The cake is slightly less moist initially because of spelt’s absorbing properties, but the second day, usually the best day for cake, in my opinion, it’s just as moist as white flour. ~ Thank you, Nagi, for all your great recipes! I really enjoy your blog, and each recipe I’ve tried has been a winner! 🙂 My girls and I also love to see and hear about Dozer, too. We’re a real dog-loving family. Blessed Easter wishes from my family to you and yours!
Good to know about the spelt Sheri, thanks!
Sure thing! Glad you found the information helpful, Cheryl! 🙂
Hey Nagi,
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Just wondering what would be a substitute for vegetable oil. I have olive or coconut will they work?
Xx
Olive oil will be just fine Mona. 😎Just don’t use a strong Flavoured extra virgin Olive oil (which are the more expensive ones I reserve for salad dressings 👍🏻) N xx
Hi, Mona!
I know I’m not Nagi, but I regularly use a light, mild-tasting olive oil in my baking, and it works just fine.
Happy Easter! 🙂
You forgot the nutritional analysis. 🙂
Buona Pasqua, Nagi!! The cake looks so good! But I’m sure you know — Dozer looks totally bored. Did you wear him out with all the rushing around to get done? I was going to do something spectacular but we’re packing up today to go home — 3 months of warmer weather and now we’re going back to cold and rainy. 😭 Thank you for the chocolate cake — wish I had a big slice now!!
Thank you, Nagi!
I love a good slurp of white rum in the frosting too, very yum!sue
Really? The DozMan didn’t just go chomp it?? Dogs will put up with just so much…but then they reach their limits!
Wow this is definitely going to be made as I have a chocaholic husband and family. Unfortunately I am allergic to chocolate but I don’t mind making it for them. A Happy, safe and peaceful Easter to you Nagi and family and especially Dozer.
Looks good Nagi,
Going to make this over the Easter break
Happy Easter to you and Dozer
This is also my go to recipe. The version I use just adds 2 teaspoons of instant coffee to the boiling water. You can also use freshly brewed coffee but it should be strong. It makes it even better. Doesn’t give it a coffee flavour at all, just deepens the chocolate flavour. Amazing! Everyone loves it.
Instant coffee is a great idea!!!