This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Our easy chocolate cake recipe is topped with a delicious chocolate frosting and is made with pantry staples.
The Easiest Chocolate Cake
This is our FAVORITE chocolate cake recipe!!!
We love dessert, and especially cake! There are a few kids who choose chocolate cake for their birthday treat every year (who can blame them?). We’ve tried several made-from-scratch chocolate cake recipes over the years, and we finally found a winner that is the tastiest and easiest of all!
This easy chocolate cake recipe is a family favorite that is so soft, delicious, and MOIST. If you love chocolate cake too, you’ll also love our Chocolate Sheet Cake. Serve it with homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, and you’ll be in heaven!
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Pantry staples. This easy chocolate cake calls for simple ingredients that we always have on hand so it can easily be made without a trip to the store!
- Best chocolate cake. It is fudgy and moist – just the way a chocolate cake should be!
- Party perfect. You can’t beat a slice served with Ice Cream!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
COOL TIME: 10 minutes
Cake Layers
- 2 cups all-purpose flour – or cake flour for a silkier crumb, see How to Measure Flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder – Since the recipe also uses baking powder, you can use natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil – or canola oil
- 2 large eggs – room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Chocolate Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder – natural or Dutch process cocoa
- 4 cups powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) – sifted to remove clumps
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 6-8 tablespoons half and half – or whole milk
- optional decorations – sprinkles and birthday candles, frosting flowers, a worded message, beautiful berries, or sliced almonds or chopped walnuts
How to make Easy chocolate cake
- PREP. Grease two 9″ round pans, line with parchment paper, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- BATTER. Whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, ¾ cup cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk in 1 cup milk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
- Pour in 1 cup of boiling water and stir everything together.
- BAKE. The cake batter will be thin. Pour the batter into greased 9-inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.
- COOL. Let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto wire racks. Cool completely, level the top of the cakes, and frost with chocolate frosting.
Make It Into Cupcakes
Add cupcake liners to a muffin tin and fill to about ⅔ full. Bake for 17-19 minutes. Makes about 24-30 cupcakes.
The Frosting
- BEAT. Beat ½ cup softened butter, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 pinch salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Add 6-8 tablespoons half and half to get it to be the frosting consistency you desire.
- FROST. Spread this delicious frosting over your cake and add any sprinkles before it sets.
PRO TIP: Add A Crumb Coat
Add a thin layer to coat the crumbs. Let it set and then add a thicker layer of frosting without worry that the crumbs will get caught up in it.
Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Chocolate Frosting
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 6-8 tablespoons half and half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch round pans with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk in the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla till smooth. Stir in the boiling water, mixing until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then invert onto cooling racks. Cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat all ingredients in a bowl until smooth, adding enough half and half to get a spreadable consistency.
- Place one cake on a cake stand or serving tray. Spread about one cup of frosting on the top. Place the other cake on top. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Serve immediately or cover and let sit overnight.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Tightly wrap in plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc bag on the kitchen counter for up to 3-4 days or in the wrap again with foil and in the freezer for 6-8 weeks.
Cover and store the cake on the counter for 4-5 days. Once cut, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the exposed cake, or cover it with more frosting to prevent drying out. Store for 3-4 days at room temperature.
Place the frosted cake in the freezer for 4-5 hours, or until the frosting is solid. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and then again with aluminum foil for 4-6 weeks. Unwrap the plastic wrap, recover it lightly with the foil, and allow the cake to thaw.
I love this recipe. I made it one night for a dessert after Dinner and it was gone the next night and there were only 3 people eating it except for the first night Ihere was a couple extra people we had over for supper that had 2 pieces for dessert.
It goes fast! Thank you for trying it & for letting me know!
Hi, I have 2 questions:
1. Can I use a 10 inch roubd pan instead? Or is there any conversion recipe for 10inch pan?
2. Is vanilla same as vanilla essence?
Thank you
You sure could use a 10in pan & I think the difference between the two is how they are made. Not sure about the taste, but they are very similar.
Is it noRmal for the batter to be runny or am i missing something?
The batter is thin, yes. Hope you like it!
May I know if I can use 10 inch round pan instead? Or is there any recipe for 10 inch pan?
Is vanilla the same as vanilla essence?
Did you use unsweetened cocoa? I have ghirardelli sweet ground cocoa. On package says to cut sugar by half cUp if Recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa.
Yes, I used unsweetened cocoa powder, so I guess you’d need to cut the sugar.
So good!! I used Boiling coffee rather than water. This RECIPE was so simple, probably the best home made caje i have ever made.
I am happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing what you did 🙂
I ran out of baking soda can it just work with only baking powder. Rescue me
Sorry, to just get back to you. How did it turn out? I haven’t left it out, it needs that baking soda..not sure how it turns out, without it.
Hi…would love to try your recipe But i have a 8×8 pan…can i half the amount of batter?
Thank you
Yes, I would probably half it. I haven’t tried in that size of a pan, but if you are only using the one 8×8, I would half it. Good luck!!
Yes, I would probably half it. I haven’t tried in that size of a pan, but if you are only using the one 8×8, I would half it. Good luck!
The cake was so MOIST and the icing so creamy! It was super easy to make!!
Happy you liked it! Thank you!
I’m MID-bake right now. First, this appears to be taking longer than 35 min. Also, the photo doesn’t show the parchment paper. My RECTANGULAR piece of parchment paper is all bunched up along the sides of my round pan. I feel like I’m doing this wrong. I’m a novice baker.
This recipe is from a contributor, but when I have to line round pans, I will cut the parchment into strips then lay one inside & the other one going the other way. Does that make sense? I am sure you aren’t doing anything wrong 🙂 How did it turn out?
Sheila,
There are places that sell the round parchment sheets, but I’m not that fancy. I turn a round pan upside down on the parchment paper, trace the pan with a pencil, and cut a round piece of parchment to lay in that pan. It works fine here.
Can i use olive oil or avocad oil for this recipe?
I personally have not tried, but I am sure that wouldn’t be an issue 🙂
I used AVOCADO Oil and javr made this cake 4 times now! Its amazing!!!!
Can this be done in a 9×13 pan?
Definitely 🙂 Enjoy!!