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If you’ve fallen in love with our Carrot Cake or Red Velvet Cake, you already know that at Cafe Delites, we’ve mastered the art of the perfectly moist cake. Naturally, we couldn’t resist creating our ultimate Chocolate Cake Recipe—a true showstopper packed with everything you adore about a classic chocolate cake. With just one bowl and a handful of pantry staples, this decadent dessert comes together effortlessly. Rich, chocolatey, tender-moist, and perfectly sweet, it’s the kind of cake that dreams (and second servings) are made of.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Cake
If you’ve been dreaming of recreating the Famous Chocolate Cake from Matilda, we’ve got you covered—and then some! Unlike other recipes, our Classic Chocolate Cake delivers the perfect balance of rich chocolate flavor and an irresistibly tender crumb, all without the need for real chocolate. Instead, we use pantry-staple cocoa powder to create a dessert that’s both indulgent and approachable.
What’s In A Chocolate Cake?
The secret to this Choco Cake is all in the ingredients. Unsweetened cocoa powder delivers deep, bold flavor, all-purpose flour creates a tender crumb, and baking soda ensures the perfect rise. Simple pantry staples, extraordinary chocolate bliss!
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Opt for high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder to maximize the depth of chocolate flavor. If you want a richer color and smoother flavor, consider combining natural and Dutch-processed cocoa. Store cocoa powder in an airtight container to keep it fresh and aromatic.
- All-Purpose Flour (or Cake Flour): The foundation of the cake’s structure, flour plays a crucial role in achieving the ideal crumb. Substituting a portion of all-purpose flour with cake flour creates a lighter, more tender texture. This simple adjustment transforms the cake into a moist, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents work together to create the fluffy rise that makes your cake airy yet substantial. Precision is key—be sure to measure accurately and avoid substituting one for the other, as they serve distinct functions. Proper use ensures the cake bakes to perfection every time.
*NOTE: See the recipe card at the bottom for full list of ingredients and measurements
The only addition that could elevate this already Perfect Choco Cake is a couple of teaspoons of instant coffee or espresso. It’s entirely optional, but it enhances the chocolate flavor to an even deeper level. Don’t worry—you won’t taste the coffee, just pure chocolate bliss!
How to Make Chocolate Cake?
Let’s get started! With just a few simple steps, you’ll create a rich, moist chocolate cake that’s bound to be a crowd-pleaser. Gather your ingredients, preheat that oven, and let’s bake something truly unforgettable!
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) or 320°F (160°C) for fan-forced. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter or cooking spray, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Grease the top of the parchment for extra non-stick protection.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sifting ensures a lighter cake texture by aerating the dry ingredients. Whisk in the sugar until evenly combined for consistent sweetness throughout.
- Add the Wet Ingredients: Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix with a whisk or electric mixer until smooth, but avoid over-mixing. A cohesive, slightly thick batter is perfect, with no large lumps.
- Add Boiling Water: Gradually stir in boiling water to the batter, blooming the cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor. Mix until fully combined—the batter will be thin, which is key for a moist cake.
- Bake the Cake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, scraping down the bowl with a spatula. Place the pans in the center of the oven for even baking. Bake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Melt Butter: In a medium bowl, melt butter using the microwave in short bursts or on the stovetop. Stir in cocoa powder until smooth and glossy for a rich frosting base.
- Finish the Frosting: Alternate adding powdered sugar and milk to the butter mixture, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and mix until fluffy and smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk if too thick, or more sugar if too thin.
- Frost the Cake: Once the cakes have cooled, trim the tops to create an even surface. Spread a generous layer of frosting over one cake, stack the second on top, and cover the entire cake with frosting. Smooth the sides and top or create decorative swirls to finish.
And there you have it—your perfect Chocolate Cake ready to impress! For a light, complement it with another treat, our Strawberry Cheesecake Donut Holes bring a fun mix of textures and flavors. These pairings will take your dessert game to a whole new level of indulgence!
And if you are feeling a little Machiavellian, try this recipe, but make it scary with my Chocolate Spider Cake.
Recipe FAQ’s
No, this recipe is specifically designed for cocoa powder. Using real chocolate would change the texture and balance of the cake, so it’s best to stick with cocoa powder.
Definitely! Taste as you mix and adjust by adding more powdered sugar for sweetness or a splash of milk to tone it down.
All-purpose flour works best for this recipe. However, you can substitute some with cake flour for a softer crumb. Avoid using self-raising flour as it may disrupt the leavening process.
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Chocolate Cake Recipe (Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Recipe)
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour or plain flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or regular Hershey's cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda or bi-carb soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 4 oz butter
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or regular HERSHEY'S (2.4 oz | 65 g)
- 3 cups powdered sugar confectioners or icing sugar
- 1/3 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 (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22-25 minutes. Makes about 30 cupcakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely love this recipe with the frosting. Highly recommend leaving it in the fridge overnight and then serve it the next day. But keep it in the fridge because it’s more fudgier and delicious.
The BEST EVER!! This cake deserves an award! It felt like fireworks were popping when I took a bite! My new favorite chocolate cake, so I took it to a Birthday Party for my husbands uncle that just turned 78, it was a HUGH hit! With every child and adult!
I made it also, I used a different icing recipe that made this the BEST cake ever that I have made. I made it for my hubby’s birthday & he loved it. I left it in fridge & it makes it so much better.
I’ve tried this recipe twice ..and it turned out so delicious and moist at both the times.This is the perfect recipe.
This is the best recipe for chocolate cake I’ve ever made. I really love this recipe and it’s my go-to cake recipe for any occasion. So moist and fluffy and it melts in your mouth 😍😍😍.
I top it with ganache because I have a very bad experience with buttercream. Nevertheless, THIS IS THE BEST RECIPE!!! Everyone loves the cake when I make them.
This recipe is amazeballs!!
I used less sugar, and Hershey’s cocoa powder is now a favorite!
Initially I was worried about the thin consistency of the mix but it turned out perfect!
Everyone loved the cake!
I however coated it with ganache instead of the buttercream frosting .
Thank you for sharing this marvelous recipe!
I made this cake yesterday for my husband’s birthday. It was heavenly! I had never made a chocolate cake from scratch before. It was…wow! The cake didn’t raise very much as a box mix, so I was a little worried. I guess it’s normal? I used less sugar after reading some comments. If you’re looking to impress or celebrate someone, this recipe is it!
And the frosting? Crazy good!
My cake turned more softer and it started breaking while flipping on the wire rack
And top of the cake turned harder !!!
Should we use baking powder and baking soda in equal measure ??
Taste is awesome
For this recipe, I used a mini bundt pan set of four for the 4th of july. It came out perfect and gooey. I loved it!! My brother could not stop eating them. Thank you for this great recipe!!!!
I just deleted all my other chocolate cake recipes. I will be using this recipe whenever my husband and I get a hankering for chocolate. I made a 13x9x2 size cake. It came out of the oven beautiful, and when i made the icing it came out just as expected. Thanks!
did you do the same amount of time that the recipe said?
I’ve tried this cake recipe for over 10 times now. Turned out to be excellent each and every time. I can even make this with my eyes closed. So so so easy and absolutely delicious. So moist and fudgy and chocolaty! PerFectly balanced. Thanks a lot for such an amazing recipe. Can’t thank you enough 🙂
OMG THIS CAKE IS AMAZING. I am SOOO happy I found this website!!! My family loved it!!! gotta say, it was moist, soft, and DELICIOUS!!! Most chocolate cakes either don’t hit on the chocolate flavor, or don’t hit on the moistness of a cake. This one had neither problems! Totally making it again! Hope your doing well Karina, thx a million!
This chocolate cake is incredible! It’s moist, has a great crumb (doesn’t fall apart, but not dense either) and leaves you perfectly satisfied with it’s chocolatey goodness. I highly recommend this recipe!
Made for a friend’s birthday, honestly some of the best cake I’ve ever had lol. It was super moist, chocolatey and great without being overpoweringly sweet, the frosting was also awesome. 10/10 will make again.