If you’re looking for a rich, moist chocolate cake recipe that’s going to satisfy your sweet cravings, then this cake IS IT! The velvety soft chocolate cake layers are packed with chocolate flavor, and paired with an indulgent chocolate fudge frosting. I would go so far as to say that this is the best chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever had!
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Cake
There is SO MUCH to love about this chocolate cake, but here are a few notable mentions:
Rich in flavor: When it comes to chocolate cake, it should taste like chocolate, but in cake form! When developing this recipe, I really wanted to pack in as much rich chocolate flavor as possible. To do this, I decided to use a ‘mud cake’ style chocolate cake recipe that uses actual chocolate in the cake batter (not just cocoa powder). I find that using good quality semi-sweet chocolate in the cake batter really takes the flavor to another level.
Moist: Not only is this cake packed with chocolate flavor, it’s also soft and has a wonderfully moist crumb. This recipe uses both butter and oil to provide wonderful moisture to the cake. Oil in particularly is a fat that is liquid at room temperature, so it provides unmatched moisture when it comes to cakes. This is the main reason I use it in most of my cake recipes 🙂
Easy: This recipe doesn’t require any hand or stand mixer to make, and comes together really easily! If you have a few bowls and a whisk, you’re good to go!
The best frosting ever: The base chocolate cake layers are paired with an incredibly delicious chocolate fudge frosting, that takes this chocolate cake recipe as a whole to another level! The chocolate frosting is so decadent and has the most wonderful velvety texture. Just be careful though, you may end up eating too much of it with a spoon before you even get to frosting the cake! This frosting is a softer frosting and not ideal if you’re doing a lot of piping, in which case you may want to try my chocolate buttercream frosting with a twist (it’s a cream cheese frosting and tastes incredible!) or a firm chocolate ganache.
Loved by my ‘chocolate cake hating’ husband: Now here is how I REALLY knew this cake was good. My husband is not a huge cake person, and in particular despises chocolate cakes 😂. So when I gave him this cake to try, to my surprise he asked for seconds, and the next day he basically finished most of the cake! My husband is also super honest (sometimes a bit too honest – ha ha!), so when he said this cake was good, I knew it was next level good!
Updated Recipe
I’ve recently updated this recipe (April 2024), as some readers were having issues with the cake layers sinking in. I experimented with different ways to add a little more structure to the cake layers to help prevent this issue, and finally settled on an updated recipe that had additional structure, but still had the same great flavor and texture to the original.
The main changes to the original recipe include an additional egg and additional flour – both of which add more structure to the cake layers.
I know there are many of you who LOVE the original version, so I have kept the original quantities in the notes section of the recipe card (towards the bottom of the blog post). I want to assure you though, that the updated version (in my opinion) is even better than the original, so don’t be afraid to give it a go 😀
How to make chocolate cake
This cake comes together really easily, which is another reason why I love it so much!
Begin by preheating your oven to 180 °C (350°F) conventional (lower the temperature to 160C/320F if using a convection oven with a fan) and grease two 8-inch round cake pans. You also want to line the bottoms with parchment paper. This chocolate cake is fudgy and delicate, so you need to line the bottom of the cake tins with parchment paper just to make sure they come out in one piece!
In a bowl, sift together all purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder (use dutch process cocoa if you can), baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk, mix together until well combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl (make sure it’s microwave safe), add in butter and dark chocolate. I use 50% dark chocolate, but a good quality semi-sweet chocolate will work well. Melt in the microwave for 30 second bursts at a time, mixing in between each burst until fully melted.
Pour in cold milk and using a whisk, mix until well combined. This will help cool down your mixture.
Next add in sugar, coffee powder, vegetable oil, vanilla extract/essence and eggs. Using a whisk, mix until well combined.
Add in your pre-sifted dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Lastly, add in your hot water and mix until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.
Evenly distribute the batter into your prepared pans and bake for 38-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
Allow the cakes to cool in the cake tins for 30 minutes, before turning them out onto a wire rack to completely cool.
How to make chocolate fudge frosting
This chocolate fudge frosting is so easy to put together! It’s basically a double batch of my original fudge frosting recipe.
Place a saucepan or pot over a medium heat and add in whipping/heavy cream. Heat until you start to see little bubbles forming around the edges of the pan. The cream shouldn’t be boiling.
Turn the heat down to low and add in the remaining ingredients and continue to gently stir until all the solid ingredients are melted and you have a very smooth mixture.
Strain the mixture into a heat proof bowl to get rid of any lumps, and then cover the top with plastic wrap so that the cling wrap is directly touching the top of the frosting. This will prevent a skin from forming as it cools down.
Place the frosting into the refrigerator for 2 hours to allow it to set.
Decorating Chocolate Cake
Once your cake layers are cool and your frosting is at a spreadable consistency, you can decorate your cake however you like! I placed layers of frosting in between my cake layers, and then covered the outside in a thick layer of frosting too.
I then finished off by piping some frosting on the top of the cake using a 1M star piping tip.
Commonly Asked Questions:
How to store chocolate cake?
This chocolate cake can be left at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days, after which it should be placed into the fridge.
Can I use this recipe to make chocolate cupcakes?
You can totally use this recipe to make chocolate cupcakes, though I do have another chocolate cupcake recipe that is equally as delicious!
Rich Chocolate Cake Recipe
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1¾ cups (210 g) flour - regular all purpose
- ½ cup (50 g) cocoa powder - unsweetened, dutch process preferred
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups (200 g) dark chocolate - I use 50% dark but any good quality semi-sweet chocolate will work
- ⅓ cup (80 g) milk - cold
- 1½ cups (300 g) white granulated sugar
- 1½ tbsp instant coffee powder
- ⅓ cup (70 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 3 large eggs - room temperature
- ½ cup (110 g) hot water
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 1 cup (226 g) whipping/heavy cream
- 4 tsp cocoa powder - unsweetened, dutch process preferred
- 2½ cups (400 g) dark chocolate - I use 50% dark but any good quality semi-sweet chocolate will work
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 1⅓ cups (170 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners sugar
- ½ tsp instant coffee powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F conventional (see note 1 if using a convection oven with a fan) and grease the bottom and sides of two 8 inch cake tins (mine are 3 inch deep), and also line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper (see note 2).
- In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk, mix together until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, add in butter and dark chocolate. Melt in the microwave for 30 second bursts at a time, mixing in between each burst until fully melted.
- Add in cold milk and using a whisk, mix until well combined. This will help cool down your mixture.
- Next add in sugar, instant coffee powder, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs. Using a whisk, mix until well combined.
- Add in your pre-sifted dry ingredients and mix with a whisk until combined. Avoid over-mixing.
- Lastly, add in your hot water and mix until well combined. Avoid overmixing the batter.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cake tins and bake for 38-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. IMPORTANT: Do not open the oven door too early to check the cakes otherwise this can cause the cakes to sink in the middle.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the cake tins for 20 minutes, before turning them out onto a wire rack to completely cool (see note 3).
Chocolate fudge frosting
- Place a saucepan or pot over a medium heat and add in heavy cream. Heat until you start to see little bubbles forming around the edges of the pan. The cream shouldn't be boiling.
- Turn the heat down to low and add in the remaining ingredients and continue to gently stir until all the solid ingredients are melted and you have a very smooth mixture.
- Strain the mixture into a heat proof bowl to get rid of any lumps, and then cover the top with cling wrap so that the cling wrap is directly touching the top of the frosting. This will prevent a skin from forming as it cools down.
- Place the frosting into the fridge for 2 hours to allow it to set (see note 4).
- Once your cake layers are cool and your frosting is at a spreadable consistency, frost your cake (you can see how I did mine in the recipe video or blog post pictures above). Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
318 Comments
Hey can you tell from this recipe how many pounds will be made.
Hi Amna! 🙂 Unfortunately I don’t weigh my cakes so I’m not too sure sorry!
Hi mk is there anveggless chocolate cake recipe by you ??? Please let me know it’s urgent 🙏
Hi Ajitha! I am so sorry but not yet 🙁 been working on one and hope to get it right and share it soon!
Can I make the cake ahead and freeze them wrapped up? Or will it ruin the texture?
Hi Mai 🙂 I haven’t tried freezing this cake myself so I’m not too sure sorry! I think it would be okay if you perhaps put some simple syrup on the cakes while they are still warm and then wrap them up and freeze them, but again I can’t say for sure sorry!
Hi MK!
I’ve been following your recipes for a while now and all of them turned our delicious, I really like my sweets moist and somehow you have just the right amount :D. Thank you❤️.
I was tasked with baking this chocolate cake for a family gathering but was only given the square baking sheet. The taste of the finished cake was very much marvellous but the poor thing crumbled and could not stay in one piece. It was very moist and I was wondering if it could be becuase of that. Or perhaps it was simply the fault of the thin and square baking sheet? I also used black cocoa instead of brown cocoa, could the black cocoa powder have less absorbant qualitites towards moisture or cause the cake to fall apart?
I have many quiestions and it’s okay if you can’t answer none of them, it was neverthless a very delicious recipe and munching on it a few days later was still a rewarding treat ❤️.
Make sure you get a glass of water between all that baking MK. Thank you and have a nice day :].
Hi Berry! So happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipes 😀 in terms of the chocolate cake not really holding it’s shape, it could be due to a few reasons. Firstly the cake may have been undermixed so I would recommend mixing a little more to help develop a bit more of the gluten 🙂 secondly it could be because there was too much liquid in the batter. I would recommend using the gram measurements for accuracy if you didn’t already. Lastly, the black cocoa powder may have had an impact as black cocoa has almost no fat in it, so I wonder if this perhaps made the cake more crumbly? Hope these answers help in some way Berry 😀 and haha yep sometimes I forget and end up getting a sugar headache!
Yep that was it! The batter must’ve been undermixed because this time around it turned out just fine :D. It was for a my siste’rs birthday party and I combined it with some ermine frosting, hoping it’ll be good tasting tomorrow!
Thanks a lot for your help MK 😀
Idk if the celcius in Austrialia is different but my cake got burned and the inside is still completely raw. idk what I did wrong. i did exactly what it said.
Oh no! So sorry to hear that happened – that can be very frustrating! I would recommend checking the temp of your oven with an oven thermometer as it sounds like it runs hotter than it should which may mean you need to reduce the temp. Also ensure you’re using the right oven mode and that the cake is placed in the middle of the oven, not on the top rack as this can burn the top. Hope that helps!
Hi, I would like to bake a chocolate cake for my son’s 14th birthday. Unfortunately he hates dark chocolate in his cake. He has reminded me not to add any dark chocolate to the cake. Can I use baking milk chocolate for this recipe??
Hi Evelyn! So you could use milk chocolate, the only thing is the cake may be a little sweeter than the original because milk chocolate is sweeter. You could reduce the sugar in the recipe a little but I’m not sure by exactly how much as I haven’t tried it myself 🙂
I tried this cake a few days ago and oh my GOOOOODDD this is the most decadant cake ever !! Truly every choc lover’s dream. The frosting is really the star of the show !! I wish I could share a picture of my cake here or YouTube somehow, it looked really good too!
Only thing one of the cakes did sink a little in centre as you said which was not an issue untill you actually cut a slice and then that layer crumbles way quickly, is there any way to make these cakes not sink ? Can we use cake baking strips?
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Amna! 😀 When it comes to the sinking of the cakes, it should only sink ever so slightly, but to reduce this further you can add a little bit of extra flour and this will help support the structure of the cake. The only reason I didn’t do this is because it can affect the texture slightly, so if you do want to add more flour just be careful not to add too much (maybe just an extra 2 tbsp or so). For more tips on how to prevent the cakes from sinking more than they should, check out this blog post 🙂 https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/why-did-my-cake-sink-in-the-middle/
jazakAllah for you reply !! Really appreciate it, I will for sure the watch that video ! And I can’t tell you how grateful i feel for an amazing baker like you who shares her recipes with us !!! Lots and lots of thanks!! I am the biggest fan of your recipes. Next up on my list is your vanilla strawberry cake! 🙂 Bdw how can we share our baked goods’ pictures with you ?
Hi my name is Stella and I am eleven years old I just made this cake and Ooo my Godness it tasted amazing even better than the cakes you buy at the store thank you sooooooo much🤩😍😍😍😍😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Aww I am delighted to hear that Stella! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe 😀
Hi there Amna
I use cake strips on my tins and they NEVER sink!
I have a hack for cake tin strips which you may already know but I’ll add it here for those who may not know the benefits of using and making your own cake tin strips.
WHAT ARE CAKE TIN STRIPS?
A strip of fabric with a moisture retaining centre that is placed around the outside of your cake tin before the cake batter is put into the pan. Commercial cake tin strips use loops to tighten the strips around the outside of the tin. The longer length commercial strips will fit many different cake tin sizes.
BENEFITS TO USING CAKE TIN STRIPS
The wet strips around the outside of the tin stabilise the temperature of your cake batter while in the oven.
A couple of the benefits of using strips is the cake batter bakes level (no more sinking or doming etc) the strips help stop the outer edge from becoming overcooked & crispy by insulating the cake tin.
WHERE TO GET CAKE TIN STRIPS
Try Amazon, eBay or your local kitchen supply store. Google “cake tin strips” & you will find much more information than I have included here.
MAKE YOUR OWN CAKE TIN STRIPS
Google “diy cake tin strips” for detailed explanations.
Measure the circumference (total length of the outside of the tin) and add approx. 10cm to that length.
Tear off aluminium foil to fit using the circumference plus 10cm measurement.
Tear off kitchen paper towel to fit the length of your aluminium foil. Run the kitchen paper towel under the cold water tap until it is saturated & gently squeeze so the paper towel isn’t dripping.
Place this wet paper towel on top of the length of foil.
Depending on the height of your cake pan, fold the foil & paper to fit the height of your pan. Make sure the paper towel is completely enclosed by the foil.
Place the length of foil/paper around your cake tin and twist the ends to secure.
Make and bake your cake as per your recipe.
Apologies for this explanation being so long but I hope this helps someone.
Kind regards… Donna
Hello
I made this cake
For the cake itself I have used grams portions, the texture at the end was sooo dry and after baking it was dry.
PS: I haven’t used caster sugar at all
For the frosting, I have used the US Cup measurements. And I have got the butter and fat in general devolved from the rest of the chocolaty base!!
I have used 200g of chocolate in the frosting
Can you please help, I want to try it again and fix my errors
I wish if I could post the pictures so you can see and assess.
Many thanks
Hi Imene! So sorry to hear the cake didn’t quite turn out how you’d hoped – that can be very frustrating! For starters its good that you used the gram measurements for accuracy. Perhaps the type of chocolate you used had too high of a cocoa percentage? I would also recommend not using compound chocolate. The batter at the end should be relatively liquidy, so I’m not too sure why yours has come out dry. Are you sure you didn’t miss an ingredient like the hot water in the end? I would also recommend checking your scale to make sure it’s giving you the correct measurements. Lastly, double check the temperature of your oven – your oven may be running on the hotter side which can contribute to a drier cake due to it being overbaked. In terms of the frosting, the fat separating could be due to overheating the mixture. Only heat it until everything is just melted, and remember to keep it on a low heat after the cream has began gently bubbling. Hope these tips help for next time 🙂
Hello! Thank you so much for your delicious recipes, this chocolate cake was so delicious. Please, could you tell me if this cake is suitable for multi-tiered cakes?
Hello! Thank you very much for your delicious recipes! the chocolate cake was delicious. Please, can you tell me if this cake works for layer cakes?
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Katherine 😀 and yes you can use it for layer cakes up to about 4 layers per tier 🙂