Decadent, fudgy, sweet Chocolate Cake has to be one of the most craved desserts in the world. With a thick, moist centre and rich, chocolatey frosting, we can understand why!
Naturally, we decided to create our own chocolate cake recipe with all of the things you love about a good chocolate cake. You’ll only need one bowl and minimal ingredients to bake this decadent chocolate cake. Rich in chocolate with a tender-moist crumb, and fluffy with the perfect amount of sweetness, this delightfully moist chocolate cake is what dreams are made of.
CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE
If you’ve been craving the famous chocolate cake from Matilda since you were a kid, you’re not alone and BOY OH BOY, do we have the cake for you!
Like our Fudgy Chocolate Cake and our Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake, this classic chocolate cake is baked with cocoa powder rather than real chocolate and is just as moist as it looks. Whether you eat it plain, dust it with powdered sugar or serve it with dollops of cream, it truly is perfectly perfect!
Of course, smothering it with a buttercream frosting makes it even better. With a gooey, chocolate icing and sticky crumb, this cake will practically dissolve in your mouth.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CAKE
Hershey’s world famous “Perfectly Chocolate” Cake recipe was created especially for chocolate lovers and ticks all of our boxes: EASY, QUICK with AMAZING results.
Tips:
- Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl first to get rid of any hard lumps accumulated during storage. This also helps to get more air into the mixture.
- Then add in your wet ingredients. Keep in mind that the cake batter is VERY thin. Don’t be tempted to add more flour as this is what makes the cake super soft and moist.
- The ONLY thing you can add to this already perfect cake recipe is a couple of teaspoons of instant coffee or espresso for an even deeper chocolate flavour. Of course, this is totally and COMPLETELY optional. You cannot taste the coffee flavour.
Super-fine cake flour can be used if you have it for an even softer crumb but is not necessary.
HOW TO MAKE MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE
A perfect combination of oil, milk and boiling water without the use of melted chocolate is what makes this chocolate cake recipe stand out from the rest. The fats in the oil, protein in the milk and temperature of the water helps the chocolate flavour to develop while baking.
Don’t over-mix or over-bake. This cake only needs about 30-35 minutes in the oven, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
If you’ve already tried our Carrot Cake or our Red Velvet Cake, you’d trust us when we say – we KNOW how to make a perfectly, moist cake.
HOW DO YOU MAKE CHOCOLATE CAKE FROM SCRATCH?
Make sure you preheat your oven before starting. We’ve included temperatures for standard, fan or conventional ovens.
If using springform pans, note that they are NOT 100% leakproof. Very thin cake batters such as this one will leak through the base. To combat this issue, line the base with parchment paper coming up where the sides meets the base to create a ‘cover’. Place a baking sheet on the shelf below the cake pan (or the bottom of the oven) to catch any stray drips. Don’t put cake pans directly on the pan as the heat will affect the base of your cake.
Let cake cool COMPLETELY before frosting. You can make this chocolate cake the day before and frost the next day.
FAQ’S
Both baking soda and baking powder are used in this recipe to ensure it rises enough. The sponge itself contains oil, which is quite a heavy ingredient that normally creates a dense result. Using both raising agents together balances this out to provide just the right amount of rise.
If your cakes turn out flat, make sure you check expiry dates. Keep in mind both baking powder and soda will lose their effectiveness if kept too long in your pantry.
With a crumb this tender, the cake will stay moist for a good 4-5 days.
MORE CAKE RECIPES
Best Red Velvet Cake
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake
Butter Cake with Kahlua Chocolate Cream Frosting
Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cake
Chocolate Cake (Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Recipe)
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour or plain flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder or regular Hershey's cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda or bi-carb soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 4 oz butter
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder or regular HERSHEY'S (2.4 oz | 65 g)
- 3 cups powdered sugar confectioners or icing sugar
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) standard or 320°F (160°C) fan/convection.
- Lightly grease 2x 9-inch (22cm) round cake pans with butter. Line base with parchment paper.
- Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk in sugar, then add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk well to combine until lump free, about 30 seconds.
- Pour boiling water into batter, mixing well. Cake batter is thin in consistency.
- Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- Melt butter, then whisk in cocoa powder. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency (add a small amount of additional milk, if needed). Stir in vanilla.
Notes
- ONE-PAN CAKE: Use 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake 35-40 minutes.
- THREE LAYER CAKE: You’ll need 8-inch round baking pans. Bake 30-35 minutes.
- BUNDT CAKE: Use a 12-cup fluted tube pan. Bake 50-55 minutes.
- CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-½ inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Fill cups ⅔ full with batter. Bake 22-25 minutes. Makes about 30 cupcakes.
Jean S says
My new favorite chocolate cake. So easy to make and so good too. I honestly probably never would’ve tried this recipe if I hadn’t tried it here! Thanks so much for sharing this with us! I would 100% recommend trying this recipe to everyone who loves chocolate cake.
Gail Burkel says
My go to cake, when my sweet tooth of a husband wants “something sweet”. He calls it it, “the super moist deluxe chocolate cake you make”. It’s and moist EVERY TIME! Thank you for sharing. Thank you Thank You!!
Lavee says
The best chocolate cake recipe ever 😋.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Shaaziya says
I absolutely LOVE this recipe.
I make this cake every time we have an outing with friends or family. It is not requested, it is demanded that I make this particular cake.
Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe!
Wendi London UK says
This is Thee best chocolate cake recipe out there! I have tried many many recipes over 10 years and this is simply beautiful and so easy. I followed the instructions to the letter and it was moist chocolate perfection, even on the third day. I give this cake 5 stars for sure it’s beautiful
Sabrina says
Made this recipe for the 1st time for my husband’s birthday. It was such a winner. It was super moist and so easy to make. I love that it’s a one bowl recipe. The icing was so divine and love that it uses less butter than most recipes yet still comes out smooth and buttery. It’s such a hit.
Kassandra says
This is a beautiful cake! Thank you kindly, Karina for sharing your recipe.
I made this chocolate cake for the first time for my step-son’s birthday and he said ‘this is the best chocolate cake he has ever had’.
The second time I made it, I got complements from those who tried it.
Now I am making it the third time for dinner guests tonight.
This cake is beautiful, moist and very chocolatey. It’s not overly sweet, but just the right balance. I recommend this cake to anyone.
I do only bake the cake for 28-29mins on 180c and that’s just the right amount to bake it.
Thank you again.
Katharine Johnston says
Having read the latest comments about the cake refusing to leave its tin, I left it in a dying oven with the door a crack open. Popped out OK . Its crumbs taste a bit of bicarb but so far so good.
Laura says
Made this today. I used 2 8” pans sand cooked a little longer, around 40 minutes. I let it sit for 10 minutes and went to take it out of the pan. I had to loosen the sides and finally got the bottom out but lost about 1/4 of the bottom. I’m letting the other cake cool completely in the pan hoping to not lose any of it. That being said, the taste of the cake that was stuck in the bottom of the pan is absolutely delicious, which is why I gave it 5 stars! Next time I make it, and there definitely will be a next time, I’m going to line the bottom with parchment paper and spray that. I didn’t have espresso coffee so I made a strong Keurig 8 oz cup of hot coffee and used that. Can’t wait to make the frosting.
Sarah says
First time baker and the recipe worked out great! Whole family loved it, super soft and moist!