Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

There’s nothing quite like the rich, indulgent taste of this moist chocolate cake recipe.

Its luscious chocolate flavor and tender crumb will make you crave it for days. 

As it bakes, the aroma of chocolate fills the air. And its soft, velvety texture melts in your mouth. 

Treat yourself and your loved ones to the ultimate chocolate indulgence with this moist chocolate cake recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Moist Chocolate Cake

One Bowl Wonder: Everything goes into one bowl, saving you time and energy on clean-up.

Super Moist Sponge: Thanks to the blend of oil, milk, and boiling water, this cake is insanely tender – and it stays that way for days!

Decadent Chocolate Flavor: The coffee in the cake really draws out the richness of the chocolate taste. Plus, the frosting included cocoa and melted chocolate, so it’s super indulgent

Perfect for Parties: This cake comes together so quickly, but it looks bakery-worthy. So it’s ideal for any occasion or celebration.

Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of any cake recipe. There is no need for fancy flour here; just some good old all-purpose flour does wonders.

• Granulated Sugar: To sweeten the cake and help with moisture.

• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This is where the cake gets its primary flavor, so be sure to use premium-quality cocoa powder.

• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: To help the batter rise.

• Espresso Powder: This is the secret ingredient that makes this cake ridiculously chocolatey! You can also use instant coffee granules.

• Salt & Vanilla Extract: To balance out the sweetness and bring out the chocolate flavor even more.

• Eggs: For binding the ingredients and adding richness.

• Buttermilk: For moisture and to help create a tender crumb.

• Vegetable Oil: The key ingredient that makes this chocolate cake incredibly moist. 

• Boiling Water: Helps dissolve the sugar and any lumps in the batter. More importantly, it activates the baking powder and baking soda, helping the cake rise right away.

• Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: A simple blend of butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and semi-sweet chocolate.

How to Make Moist Chocolate Cake

No matter the occasion, I can’t recommend this cake enough.

It’s super soft and deliciously chocolatey. Plus, you can easily jazz it up with fillings or decorations.

We’ll get to all that in the next section. For now, here’s how to make it:

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.

2. WHISK the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt in a large bowl.

3. MIX the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla in the center of the dry ingredients. Gradually add the hot water, whisking until smooth.

4. DIVIDE the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

5. COOL the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. BEAT the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Mix in the melted chocolate until smooth.

7. FROST the top of one cake with 1/3 of the frosting. Stack the second cake on top, and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

8. CHILL the cake before serving. Slice and enjoy!

Tips for the Best Chocolate Cake

If you’ve never made a chocolate cake or you’re nervous about the one-bowl method, don’t worry! I have a bunch of handy tips below!

• Measure the flour accurately. Fluff it with a fork, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. If you scoop it from the bag, you’ll pack in too much.

• Use room temperature ingredients. This ensures easy, smooth mixing.

• Don’t skip the espresso powder. It significantly enhances the chocolate’s flavor. Don’t worry, it won’t make your cake taste like coffee.

• Don’t swap the oil for butter. I know it’s richer in flavor, but you’ll lose most of that butter taste behind the chocolate. And oil is the key to incredibly moist chocolate cake.

• Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until no streaks of flour are visible or your cake will be dense and dry.

• Line the cake pan with parchment. It makes it so much easier to remove them later.

• Check the bake after 20 minutes. The cake is ready when the toothpick comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs. But some ovens run hot/cold.

Variations

I like to add a layer of something special in the middle of this cake.

Sometimes it’s Nutella and sometimes it’s peanut butter or fruit jelly. That added flavor helps cut through all that chocolate so well.

Here are a few other variations to try:

• Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake – Use an equal amount of gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose. 

• Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake – Use either almond milk or coconut milk instead of regular milk.

• Egg-Free Chocolate Cake – Use 2/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce instead of eggs.

• Chocolate Cupcakes – Ladle batter into lined muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Citrus Chocolate Cake – Add 1 tablespoon of orange zest to the batter for a nice hint of citrus.

• Try a Different Frosting – To me, nothing beats chocolate buttercream, but feel free to experiment with other frostings like chocolate whipped cream and cream cheese frosting.

How to Store

To Store: Place the cake in a cake carrier and store it at room temperature for up to 5 days or refrigerate for up to a week.

To Freeze: Double-wrap the unfrosted cakes with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place them in freezer-safe containers and freeze them for up to 3 months. 

Thaw them in the fridge overnight or for 1-2 hours on the counter before frosting.

More Chocolate Recipes You’ll Love

Chocolate Cake Shake
Chocolate Glaze
Chocolate Kahlua Cake
Chocolate Coffee
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries