I’m giving you the best moist chocolate cake recipe you ever tasted, plus so much more. It is easy and quick to make, using simple ingredients, and you can whip it quickly in one bowl; no need for a stand mixer. This chocolate cake stays moist for a long time, and I promise that your family will love this decadent, moist chocolate cake frosted with creamy, delicious chocolate frosting. Bake it today!
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Most rich chocolate cakes are butter based; oil-based cakes are moist but lack that buttery flavor. In this recipe, you get to have the best of both worlds. I didn’t use buttermilk and replaced it with another ingredient to enhance its flavor and richness. I used to sell this chocolate cake for special occasions, and my clients swear by it. Today, I am sharing with you a better bakery cake recipe so you can impress your family and guests, who will enjoy every bite of this moist chocolate cake. I thought of giving this beauty a tree log shape, but it’s a great birthday cake, and you can frost it any way you like.
WHY YOU SHOULD TRY THIS CAKE RECIPE
Easy and quick: You will use simple ingredients available in any household. Preparing the batter will take 5 minutes if you use a hand mixer and 8 minutes if you are whisking with a whisk. All the mixing will be in one bowl.
Moist crumb texture: Unlike other chocolate cake recipes, this cake stays moist for longer. The crumbs are so tender that every slice will look picture-perfect.
Luxurious chocolate flavor: You will get a perfectly balanced chocolate flavor, not bitter or mild, but enough chocolate to make you enjoy every bite.
"About 45 percent of women in the U.S. report that they have chocolate cravings, with a whopping 91 percent of female college students reporting regular cravings for it. hopkinsmedicine.org "
🧾 INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE
As promised, you will not need anything fancy for this cake recipe. Detailed ingredients are listed in the recipe card below.
All-purpose flour – You won’t need cake flour to have excellent tender crumbs. All-purpose flour will work great. What you should avoid is wrongly measuring the flour. Use the fluff and scoop method. Fluff the flour, scoop it into the measuring cup, and level it with a butter knife.
Unsweetened cocoa powder – I went with regular cocoa powder, but if you like dark chocolate cake, go for special dark cocoa powder. Pick a good brand. It will make a huge difference.
Sour cream – I have mentioned an ingredient that will enhance the flavor and the texture, and this is it; sour cream works magic in cake recipes.
Butter and Oil – Yes, I have used both to provide a moist cake with a rich flavor.
Eggs – We will need two and keep them at room temperature; this will help the batter come together quickly, and the cake will bake evenly.
Baking powder and baking soda – Baking powder helps the cake to rise, and baking soda improves the color and texture.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE (STEP BY STEP)
Making this cake is super easy, and you can prepare using one bowl and a whisk. Let me quickly show you the steps.
Step 1
Prepare the oven and baking pans – Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Grease and flour three 8” cake pans or line them with parchment paper.
Step 2
Sif the dry ingredients except for the sugar. Keep the flour mixture aside.
Step 3
In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil, vanilla, and sugar until well combined. Add the egg one at a time while beating. Pour in the milk, add the sour cream, and mix until combined.
Step 4
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently, do not over-mix. Pour in the boiling water and mix for a few seconds.
Step 5
Pour the batter equally into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Step 6
Frost the cake – Remove it from the oven but keep it in the pan for 7 to 10 minutes. Place it on a cooling rack. When completely cool, frost the cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.
💭 BAKING TIPS FOR THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE
- Mix one teaspoon of coffee powder with milk. It enhances the flavor of chocolate.
- Do not use flavored oil. Use cooking oil that has no flavor or odor in this recipe.
- It is difficult to tell when a chocolate cake is ready since the top is dark, so keep an on the cake while in the oven.
- Use the best quality branch for butter and cocoa powder.
- Do not over-mix after adding the dry ingredients, or the cake will become dense.
- The cocoa powder should be for baking, not for making hot chocolate.
- Do not open the oven door unless 10 minutes have passed from baking.
MORE CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPES
FAQ
Yes. Coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate. People use instant espresso powder in chocolate cake recipes, but you can use brewed coffee too. The flavor will be more robust.
Buttermilk has different consistencies according to the countries I have visited. It can be thick, and sometimes it’s thin like water, and the different consistencies might affect the cake's texture. My suggestion is to go for thin buttermilk.
I wouldn’t do so in this recipe because the boiling water will melt most of it, and the cake texture will be fudge-like. Not that the cake will taste bad, but you won’t get a moist chocolate cake. Plus, the sweetness of the cake will increase.
The best substitute is whole-fat Greek yogurt. If you have regular yogurt, place it in a cheesecloth in a colander for an hour and then use it. The regular yogurt will get thicker in texture and will work fine in the recipe.
Of course, the baking time will be longer, and to layer the cake, you must cut it even while you get even cake layers using three pans. I prefer regular 8” round baking pans because the cake takes less time in the oven, and the chances of the cake sinking or sticking to the pan are minimal.
Use unsweetened natural cocoa powder for baking. If you have Dutch-process cocoa powder, it will work too.
Yes. The baking time will be less, and since the batter will be liquid, it's best to use two cupcake liners instead of one to hold the batter.
🌡️ STORING THE CAKE
If you plan to frost the cake the next day and your kitchen is cool, wrap it in plastic and place it on the counter. If your kitchen is warm, place the wrapped cake in the refrigerator.
To freeze the cake, do not frost it; wrap it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then place it in a freezer bag and freeze it for up to three months.
To thaw the frozen cake, place it wrapped in plastic in the fridge overnight and then frost it the next day.
📖 Recipe
The Best Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe Ever
Ingredients
THE CAKE
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 cups sifted confectioners sugar
- 5 tablespoon milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
MAKING THE CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Grease and flour three 8” pans or line them with parchment paper.
- Sift all the dry ingredients together except the sugar. Keep it aside.
- Add the butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl, and beat for 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until fluffy. Add the milk and sour cream and beat for two minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Pour the boiling water into the batter and mix until you get a smooth batter. (Do not over-mix here.)
- Pour an equal amount of the batter into the baking pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven, and while in the pan, place them on a cooling rack for 9 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
MAKING THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- In a bowl, add the butter. Stir in the cocoa powder until combined. Add half the sugar and half the milk and beat for 1 minute. Add the rest of the sugar and milk and beat for 5 minutes until the frosting is creamy.
Notes
- You can use hot brewed coffee instead of boiling water.
- Do not over-mix the cake batter.
- The frosting covers three layers of 8” cakes or 24 cupcakes.
- Instead of sour cream, you can go for Greek yogurt.
- Instead of regular milk, you can go for coconut milk.
- The calories calculated include the frosting.
Su Halfwerk
Muna,
Thanks so much for creating the signature cake for Hellbound. You're right, even the devil couldn't bear to look at it or resist it...you choose which is applicable.
Tracey Hayes
This is the first made from scratch recipe that I have ever made. Your directions were so easy to follow. Wow what a cake it is positively sinful. I can't wait to read the book now.
This is definitely going to be a cake that I will bake often.I can see that I will have to increase my pants size. Thank you for sharing this delicious masterpiece
Jenny Twist
I've read the book, I've seen the cake. All I need to do now is try it!
If the cake is half as good as the book I'm in for a real treat!
Su Halfwerk
Oww, Jenny! You should try Choco Diavolo, it is so delicious, you'll lose yourself in it. Thanks for your kind words and for stopping by <3
Only Fish Recipes
absolutely delicious cake...loved it !!!
Munatycooking
Thanks for the kind words guys, I enjoyed every bite of this cake and hope you do too!
Marta @ I love breakfast
I'll try to find the book and I'll definitely try to bake this cake. If it will explode with a chocolate in my mouth, it's definitely worth a try.
Sandra M.
Wow....Muna this cake looks really sinful! Love that you took a book as a inspiration. Sounds like a great book! Thanks sweetie for sharing and have a lovely day!!