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This is the best Homemade chocolate cake recipe! Cake like this is rare to find. This perfectly Moist Chocolate Cake recipe is rich, decadent, and truly irresistible! Tested and approved by a cake fanatic (Me!)
Table of Contents
You all know how I work. It’s why we have the best Traeger Ribs, Buttermilk Pancakes, and Banana Bread recipes among a gazillion others. I get all sucked into finding the best of the best for a specific recipe, and I can’t let it go until I’ve achieved it.
And friends, I’ve discovered which chocolate cake is best. If you need chocolate cake for a birthday or a family celebration, you just step right up. (Who am I kidding? Just make it because you are surviving the crazy these days.)
Creating the Best Chocolate Cake
Everyone I know loves a moist chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting, but most people struggle to make a homemade version without reaching for a cake mix. I’m absolutely giddy to share all my secrets, along with the full list of ingredients that make this the best from-scratch chocolate cake.
Here’s the twist: this is a chocolate cake recipe without butter, and that’s intentional! As much as I thought butter would enhance the flavor of the chocolate, it just didn’t. The cake lost too much moisture. Butter has a high water content that evaporates as steam during baking, so it can’t lock in moisture the way oil can. Using oil instead creates a softer crumb and keeps the cake tender and moist. If you prefer, you can swap in equal amounts of butter, or even go half and half, but all oil gave me the richest flavor and the most luscious chocolate layer cake.
Ingredients for The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
As I already mentioned, the moistness of this homemade chocolate cake is thanks in part to the oil used in the batter. Our other secret? Buttermilk! Yep, this is a buttermilk chocolate cake.
Any time a recipe calls for buttermilk, it makes me think it’s going to be a fancy recipe. But in reality, this chocolate cake from scratch couldn’t be simpler to make.
Chocolate Cake Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour: reliable structure for the cake
- Unsweetened natural cocoa powder: better rise than Dutch-process
- Espresso powder: optional, but enhances chocolate flavor
- Baking soda & baking powder: both needed for the right lift
- Salt: balances sweetness and boosts flavor
- Oil: keeps the cake moist (better than butter)
- Eggs: room temperature helps the batter mix smoothly
- Buttermilk: adds moisture and tenderness
- Hot water: blooms cocoa for deeper flavor
Frosting Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter: base for a rich, creamy texture
- Cream cheese: adds tang and stability
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: deep chocolate flavor
- Powdered sugar: sweetness and structure
- Vanilla extract: enhances flavor
- Whole milk: thins to a spreadable consistency
- Salt: balances sweetness
Pro Tip: When you make this chocolate cake for the first time, try it exactly as written. It’s truly the best chocolate cake recipe, and baking it as is ensures you’ll know how it’s meant to turn out before experimenting. If you’d like to tweak it later, we’ve included some substitution ideas below.
For step-by-step instructions and measurements, see the recipe card below.
Substitutes
- For each cup of buttermilk, mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with enough milk to make 1 cup. Stir and let sit 5 minutes.
- You can also use half milk and half sour cream in place of buttermilk. Sour cream adds density, so it’s actually a great swap.
- For chocolate, 1 ounce unsweetened baker’s chocolate equals 3 tablespoons cocoa. Melt it and add to the sugar and butter (or oil).
How to Make The Best Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Cake Steps
Okay, it’s time to bake the best chocolate cake recipe! Here we go!
- Preheat: Set oven to 350 degrees F before baking.
- Prepare pans: Spray bottoms of 2-3 9-inch cake pans, line with precut parchment paper, and spray sides.
- Sift: Remove lumps from dry ingredients with a mesh sieve.
- Mix: Beat eggs, buttermilk, hot water, oil, and vanilla using a hand or stand mixer on medium speed until smooth.
- Combine: Add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
- Divide & bake: Pour the chocolate cake batter evenly into pans and bake.
- Cool: Let cakes rest 10-15 minutes on the counter, then turn onto a wire rack.
Unlike brownies, you can use the toothpick trick for cake. Just insert a toothpick into the very center of the cake, and if it comes out clean, it’s time to pull the cake!
Chocolate Frosting Steps
The secret to a good chocolate frosting is actually, in my expert opinion, to use both butter and cream cheese. Each doesn’t hold up to the chocolate enough, but together, man, it’s good! All rich and creamy, totally dreamy.
- Soften: Bring butter and cream cheese to room temperature.
- Cream: Beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add: Mix in cocoa, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
- Adjust: Add milk as needed for a spreadable, but thick consistency.
- Frost: Spread evenly on cooled cake layers and decorate as desired.
Once frosted, your chocolate cake is ready to impress! Rich, creamy, and utterly irresistible! Every bite is pure chocolate bliss.
Do You Have to Use Coffee for This Recipe?
You might have noticed coffee or espresso powder in the ingredients list, and it’s actually one of the secrets to making your chocolate cake taste extra chocolate-y. Almost every chocolate cake uses a little coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor, even if you can’t taste it.
I don’t drink coffee for religious reasons, but I still add just a tiny bit of Baking Espresso Powder, and it really does deepen the chocolate flavor. Here’s why I love it:
- No bitterness like regular coffee
- Conveniently stored in a jar
- Adds richness and depth without tasting like coffee
Tips for A Perfect Chocolate Cake
- Always start by sifting your dry ingredients for a cake. This is especially important when making chocolate cake from scratch, as the cocoa powder often has lumps and you want a perfect cake texture.
- Please note that cake flour will not work in this recipe. Cake flour is too fine and cannot hold up the chocolate cake. All-purpose flour is a must here.
- When making the chocolate cake frosting, it’s important that you use real butter and full-fat cream cheese. You need the fat in both to create a fluffy, rich frosting. I’m not sure how the chocolate frosting will turn out if you use margarine and/or low-fat cream cheese.
How to Store Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cake will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 2 days if it’s covered. After that, it should be refrigerated to maintain its texture and flavor. A whole cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week when covered with foil, plastic wrap, or placed in an airtight container. For cut and frosted cake, the best method is to slice it with a sharp knife, wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator. This keeps the slices moist and makes them easy to grab whenever you want a piece.
For longer storage, chocolate cake freezes beautifully. Frosted cake can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. First, place the cake in the freezer uncovered until it’s completely solid, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. When you’re ready to enjoy it, just thaw the cake at room temperature and serve.
Whether it’s a holiday, birthday, or just a Tuesday, this chocolate cake makes every moment feel special!
More Easy Cake Recipes:
- Our Favorite Cake Recipes!
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake
- Easy Carrot Cake
- Banana Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
Watch How This Chocolate Cake is Made…
The Most Perfect Moist Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 ½ Cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Salt
- 4 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ Cups Buttermilk
- 1 ½ Cups Warm Water
- 1 teaspoon Espresso Powder
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Frosting:
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 12 Ounces Cream Cheese
- 1 ¼ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 7-8 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1-2 Tablespoons Whole Milk, more if needed
- 1 Pinch Salt
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter three 9-inch round cake pans and dust with flour, dumping out excess.
- Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.3 Cups All-Purpose Flour, 3 Cups Granulated Sugar, 1 ½ Cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda, 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder, 1 ½ teaspoons Salt
- In a standing mixer, mix the eggs, buttermilk, warm water, espresso powder, oil and vanilla until combined.4 Large Eggs, 1 ½ Cups Buttermilk, 1 ½ Cups Warm Water, 1 teaspoon Espresso Powder, 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil, 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between three pans. * (see note)
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool on wire racks, then after 20 minutes turn out to cool completely.
- Frost and enjoy!
For the Frosting:
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy.1 Cup Unsalted Butter, 12 Ounces Cream Cheese
- Add in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt, beating until smooth and adding 1 tablespoon at a time of milk if needed to make it spreadable.1 ¼ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract, 7-8 Cups Powdered Sugar, 1-2 Tablespoons Whole Milk, 1 Pinch Salt
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello. What can i substitute buttermilk with please? Since it’s not available in my country… Thank you
Hi Maya! For this recipe, you can add 1 1/2 Tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a glass measuring cup and then add milk to it until it measures 1 1/2 cups. Let it sit for a few minutes and give it a good stir. This will mimic the acidity of buttermilk. Enjoy!
” individually wrap each slice in plastic wrap ”
The recipe sounds great but I really want to know how to wrap it to not lose all the icing on the plastic wrap.
Hi Erica! I would place individual slices on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer uncovered for about 30 minutes to freeze the frosting. Then you can wrap them up and you don’t lose the icing in the plastic wrap.
Not a fan of vegetable oil. Would melted butter work?
Hi Tami! I wouldn’t use butter. Butter has a lot of water in it and when it bakes, the water evaporates leaving the cake dry. You could substitute canola oil or melted coconut oil.
Your instructions say to spray pans and line with parchment paper, but the recipe instructions say to butter pans. What is best for this cake?
Hi Kathie! Sorry for the confusion! I’ve had luck with both, so whichever your method you prefer!
Hi, can you please tell me the measurement conversion from cup to grams in these ingredients? I’m sorry I don’t know and in google it shows lots of different ones, I’m gonna make my first chocolate cake and this recipe looks perfect, I want it to be perfect please HELP 🥺 thanks xx
Hi Mila! I have updated the recipe card to also include metric measurements. Underneath the list of ingredients, there is a button to convert to metric. I hope this helps! Enjoy!
Can I use whole spelt flour instead of all purpose? Do I need to adjust other ingredients? Thanks! ☺
Hello! That’s a great question! I can’t answer for sure because I’ve never tried it.
This cake is AMAZING! It is so delicious, chocolatey, moist and luscious. The layers were very thick and held together nicely.
Thank you!! I seriously have dreams about this cake! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this last year for my husband’s bday and we all LOVED IT! I think I skipped the espresso powder and maybe added more cocoa? My question…can I make the layers Friday and refrigerate it until Sunday? Or is it best fresh??
Yes, you can definitely make them ahead of time! Let the cakes cool completely and then wrap them well in plastic wrap. You could even frost and stack them and then wrap them. It just depends on what kind of storage you have.
Thanks so much for the fast reply! One more question…i’m making it RIGHT NOW and then traveling up to heber for the weekend and we won’t be eating it until Sunday night. i’m planning to frost it there. For travel safety would you suggest i cook, cool, wrap and freeze before we go? Or just cook,cool, wrap and travel? freezing sounds so much safer…but then i’d keep it frozen until Sunday morning i guess??
I would definitely freeze if you have time to do that. Yes, pull them out Sunday morning and stick them in the fridge. They will be easier to frost if they are coming from the refrigerator. After you frost it, stick it back in the fridge and pull it out about a half hour before serving. Enjoy!!
Yummy cake! Can the MOST PERFECT MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE be used when covered with fondant? Will it hold up? Thank you! 😊
Hi Lupe! I’m definitely not a fondant expert, but I’ve always heard that a cake recipe doesn’t need to be altered for fondant. I’m honestly not sure though!
Wow, just halved this recipe (small family) and made a single layer cake with a ganache instead of frosting, This cake is so moist and chocolatey! Thanks for this recipe!
Yay! Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed it!
Hey L what size pan did you use?
It works great in a 9×13!