The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (From Scratch)!
Updated Sep 27, 2026
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This is the best chocolate cake recipe ever! It is rich, chocolatey and moist with a perfect crumb! Topped with chocolate buttercream frosting it’s the ultimate chocolate birthday cake. Check out the step-by-step photos and watch the video to learn how to make this easy chocolate cake recipe and ditch boxed cake mixes once and for all!
I spent years testing and perfecting this chocolate cake recipe. With six kids, we celebrate a lot of birthdays around here, so I wanted to create a homemade chocolate cake that was rich, moist and chocolatey enough to replace the boxed cake mix I had used for years.
Before perfecting this recipe, I had made many others that didn’t meet my expectations. Ingredients like boiling water, hot coffee, buttermilk etc. tend to yield a chocolate cake that wasn’t moist or rich enough for our tastes. So you will find none of those ingredients in this easy chocolate cake recipe.
Instead, butter, sour cream, milk and more come together to make the most moist, rich chocolate cake ever. Frosted with my favorite chocolate buttercream recipe, it’s a chocolate-lover’s dream come true.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Super moist. Oil, sour cream and whole milk give this chocolate cake a rich, moist texture that stays that way for days.
- Rich & chocolatey. Cocoa powder, espresso powder mini chocolate chips make this cake so decadent.
- Easy to make. You don’t need a mixer to make the cake batter, and it’s made with simple ingredients.
- Made completely from scratch. This homemade chocolate cake tastes even better than a boxed cake mix.
- Perfect for birthdays. This has been our family’s go-to chocolate birthday cake for years.
- Tried and tested. I tested this recipe over years of family birthdays before it was perfect enough to share!
Wow, I quickly searched up a cake recipe cause I never made a cake from scratch but I knew I wanted some good chocolate cake. Man, super moist and tasted AMAZING. If you need a good cake recipe this is it!!
-Bre
Chocolate Cake Recipe: Ingredients and substitutions
Many people ask how to make a cake super moist. It’s all in the ingredients. I made sure to choose ingredients that would create a moist chocolate cake with a rich chocolate flavor that everyone raves about. So, let’s chat about the ingredients in this chocolate cake recipe, as well as possible substitutions. For the best results, I recommend making the recipe exactly as written.
- All-purpose flour. Cake flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour. I have not tried all-purpose gluten-free flour so if you do report back and let me know how it goes.
- Granulated sugar. There really isn’t a substitute for the sugar. I suggest regular white sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Choose your favorite variety. For an extra-dark cake use dark cocoa powder.
- Espresso powder. Espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor, but does not make the cake taste like coffee! I use it in so many of my chocolate cake recipes.
- Canola oil. Oil is liquid at room temperature, which helps this chocolate cake stay moist even after it has cooled. You can substitute equal amounts of melted butter or another neutral oil if desired, however canola oil will yield the best results. Or try my olive oil chocolate cake.
- Sour cream. Sour cream adds moisture and richness without making the batter too thin. Full-fat, plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream. I recommend using full-fat ingredients for the richest, most moist chocolate cake.
- Whole milk. Again, I am an advocate for using full-fat whole milk in this chocolate cake recipe. You could substitute 2% milk but nothing with a lower fat content. Half and half is also a good substitute.
- Vanilla extract. You can switch up the extract and use almond, peppermint, orange, etc. if you prefer a flavored chocolate cake.
- Mini chocolate chips. These are an absolute must. Regular-sized chocolate chips sink to the bottom of the cake while baking. Be sure to use mini chips for the best results.
How to Make Chocolate Cake from Scratch
This chocolate cake recipe is easy to make, but we’ll walk through the process step-by-step to ensure your success! Don’t forget to watch the video.
Prepare the Cake Pans
Line two 6” round cake pans with parchment paper and grease well, then set them aside. I like to line them by tracing the bottom of the cake pans onto parchment paper and then drawing “handles” out of opposite sides (see below). This makes it very easy to lift the cake out after baking.
Make the Chocolate Cake Batter
Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and espresso powder in a medium. bowl and set it aside to use later. This step is important to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed and that there are no lumps.
Next, in a large bowl whisk the canola oil, eggs, sour cream, milk and vanilla together until the mixture is smooth.
Once the wet ingredients are combined, add the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.
Stir in the mini chocolate chip until evenly distributed.
Bake the Chocolate Cake
Next, divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans. You can either eyeball it or actually measure. I like to put 1 cup of batter at a time into each cake pan.
Cake Pan Sizes
This recipe makes two, 6″ round chocolate cakes – I use it to make the best chocolate cake (frosting with this chocolate buttercream or vanilla frosting). With a 6″ cake, every member of my family of 8 enjoys at least two slices. Here are ways to use different size cake pans:
- Two 8″ cake pans. Double the recipe and bake in two 8″ cake pans.
- Two 9″ cake pans. Double the recipe and bake in two 9″ cake pans.
- One 8 or 9″ cake pan. Use a single recipe, you make need to increase baking time slightly.
- 9×13″ pan. double the recipe, bake in a 9×13″ pan.
- Sheet cake. Use my chocolate sheet cake recipe.
- Cupcakes. Make my chocolate cupcakes recipe.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Cool the Chocolate Cake
Put the cake pans on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature (takes about 30 minutes). Once cool, lift cakes out of the pans and remove parchment paper. Let cool completely on the wire cooling rack.
Frost & Decorate the Chocolate Cake
Once the cakes are completely cooled, frost or decorate them. I suggest using chocolate frosting, vanilla buttercream frosting, peanut butter frosting or this vanilla frosting! Don’t forget to do a crumb coat first – a thin base layer of frosting to keep crumbs from getting into your final design.
Freeze before decorating
Even if you plan on frosting the homemade chocolate cake the same day you bake it, I still recommend freezing it before frosting. Frosting a a cake when it’s frozen reduces the number of crumbs that make their way into the frosting.
Chill
If you decorate the cake with a design (like rosettes, etc.) I recommend chilling it in the refrigerator until the frosting hardens and the design sets.
How to Serve Chocolate Cake
If you decorated the cake and chilled it in the refrigerator, remove it from the fridge 1-2 hours before serving so it can come to room temperature. This is another reason why I typically bake the chocolate birthday cake in advance. Then I frost it the day before someone’s birthday so it has time to chill/set and then come to room temperature to eat.
We like eating cake with a side of ice cream, like this homemade vanilla ice cream or homemade chocolate ice cream. A dollop of homemade whipped cream also tastes amazing!
How to Store Chocolate Cake
Store chocolate cake in an airtight contianer at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze
I often bake this homemade chocolate cake recipe a few days before I need to frost it and store it in the freezer. Simply wrap each chocolate cake layer tightly with plastic wrap, put them in a ziplock bags and store in the freezer.
Or, you can freeze a decorated cake for up to 1 month. Let it freeze first, then cover with foil and store. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to room temperature before serving.
More Delicious Cake Recipes
If you love making cake from scratch, you need to try these recipes.
- This chocolate sheet cake is perfect for feeding a crowd.
- Raspberry chocolate cake is a show-stopping, decadent and delicious cake.
- Molten chocolate lava cakes are what I make if I’m having a dinner party and I want a fun and fudgy dessert that’s easy to prepare in advance.
- Chocolate bund cake is my son’s favorite cake, he requests it on every birthday!
- Moist yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting is a classic birthday cake flavor!
- My absolute favorite flourless chocolate cake – this is what I request on my birthday.
- Make these chocolate cupcakes if you want a single-serve dessert.
- The best coconut cake ever – it might be the only cake I’d choose over chocolate.
- Only carrot cake recipe you’ll ever need.
Chocolate Cake Recipe FAQs
Here are my answers to some commonly asked questions about making this homemade chocolate cake recipe.
Yes! This recipe is easily doubled and baked in two, 9″ round cake pans. This is a great option if you will be making the cake for a large crowd. When I make this recipe as written for my family of 7, everyone usually eats three servings (slices) before the cake is gone.
The key is using enough fat and moisture in the batter and, just as importantly, not overbaking the cake. This recipe uses oil and full-fat sour cream to create a rich, moist crumb.
I use either this chocolate buttercream frosting or homemade vanilla frosting to decorate this easy chocolate cake recipe. I use the following tools to decorate (after my kids choose their design):
Piping bags – I have both reusable and disposable piping bags and use them all the time.
Piping tips and couplers – I recommend a great starter tip and coupler set. However I always make this rosette style cake with a Wilton 1M tip and large coupler.
Pastry Scraper. I use this pastry scraper to make a smooth crumb coat. I love it so much!
Yes, you can freeze the entire cake or individual slices. I suggest flash-freezing the cake/slices, then wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and storing them in an airtight contianer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Yes! This chocolate cake recipe doesn’t require brewed coffee. It contains a small amount of espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor, but you can omit it if desired.
No, not at all. The small amount of espresso powder in this recipe enhances the flavor of the cocoa and makes the cake taste more chocolatey without giving it a noticeable coffee flavor.
I recommend a high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. You can use dark cocoa powder or even dutch-processed cocoa powder if you prefer an even deeper chocolate flavor.
Yes, you can substitute melted butter for the canola oil.
The most common causes of dry chocolate cake are adding too much flour or overbaking it. Measure the flour carefully and remove the cake from the oven when a tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Chocolate cake can sink if it is underbaked, if you didn’t measure the flour correctly and used too little, or if the leavening agents are expired.
Yes! I always bake the cake a few days before I want to decorate and serve it. I freeze the layers in an airtight contianer wrapped in plastic wrap.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Best Chocolate Cake Recipe From Scratch
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ cup canola oil (or melted butter)
- 2 eggs (large, room temperature)
- ½ cup sour cream (room temperature)
- ½ cup whole milk (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
- Line two 6” round cake pans with parchment paper and grease well. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and espresso powder. Set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together canola oil, eggs, sour cream, milk and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Add mini chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
- Divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
- Place cake pans on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature (takes about 30 minutes).
- Once cool, lift cakes out of the pans and remove parchment paper. Let cool completely on the wire cooling rack.
- Once cool, with chocolate frosting and serve.
Notes
- Two 8″ cake pans. Double the recipe and bake in two 8″ cake pans.
- Two 9″ cake pans. Double the recipe and bake in two 9″ cake pans.
- One 8 or 9″ cake pan. Use a single recipe, you make need to increase baking time slightly.
- 9×13″ pan. double the recipe, bake in a 9×13″ pan.
- Sheet cake. Use my chocolate sheet cake recipe.
- Cupcakes. Make my chocolate cupcakes recipe.
- All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour.
- Granulated sugar. I suggest regular white sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. For an extra-dark cake use dark cocoa powder.
- Espresso powder. It’s totally worth purchasing if you love baking. You can substitute instant coffee if you must.
- Canola oil. You can substitute equal amounts of melted butter or another neutral oil if desired, however canola oil will yield the best results.
- Sour cream. Full-fat, plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream. I recommend using full-fat ingredients for the richest, most moist chocolate cake.
- Whole milk. Again, I am an advocate for using full-fat whole milk in this chocolate cake recipe. You could substitute 2% milk but nothing with a lower fat content.
- Vanilla extract. You can switch up the extract and use almond, peppermint, orange, etc. if you prefer a flavored chocolate cake.
- Mini chocolate chips. These are an absolute must. Regular-sized chocolate chips sink to the bottom of the cake while baking. Be sure to use mini chips for the best results.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have only one word: Delicious !!!
Best word I could hope for! I’m so glad you love it!
This cake and frosting recipe look perfect for all of the many birthdays in my big family of children and grandchildren! I am very happy to have a recipe with real ingredients. I really enjoy your website!! God bless you and your family!
I made this and it’s AMAZING! It’s really delicious. I subbed chocolate syrup for the chocolate chips cause I didn’t have chips but it was good anyways. Easy recipe to make and tastes like a bakery cake. Thanks for sharing. A new family-favorite!!
Cam this cake be made with applesauce instead of eggs. My daughter is allergic to eggs. Also, will it make a big difference if I don’t use the expresso?
Hello. I made your original recipe (before you updated it) last October and forgot to save it. I came back and see that you have changed the recipe. Would it be possible to get the original please?
I updated the recipe but did not change it. What do you think has been changed?
Perfect Recipe for my chocolate birthday cake! Thanks for sharing.
I love this recipe soooo much.ch
Is this cake better the second day and do I store it in frig or counter if baked day before?
I have used this recipe twice, and today am making it a third time, for our daughter’s 30th birthday because it’s THAT GOOD and everyone keeps requesting it. It’s honestly the best chocolate cake recipe you’ll ever use!!!
I’ve been baking for many, many years and this is simply the best chocolate cake recipe! So glad I stumbled upon it.