Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe (2024)

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This deliciously easy chocolate cake recipe is topped with homemade chocolate frosting. This 2-layer cake is simple and decadent!

If you love chocolate cake, you’ll also love our Classic Chocolate Sheet Cake and Flourless Chocolate Cake.

We Love This chocolate cake!

I’ve tried several made-from-scratch chocolate cake recipes over the years, and I finally found a winner!

This easy chocolate cake recipe is a family-favorite that is so soft, delicious and MOIST. Yes, I just said the “m” word, but for good reason. 😉

More reasons why we love it:

• Easy. This easy chocolate cake calls for simple ingredients that I always have on hand so it can easily be made without a trip to the store!
• Delicious. This homemade easy chocolate cake was perfectly fudgy and moist.
• Party perfect. You can’t beat a slice of easy chocolate cake served with Ice Cream.

We love dessert, and especially cake, which is why we have so many cake recipes here on the site (have you tried our Cream Puff Cake and Favorite Sheet Cake recipes?!)

IngredientS

• all purpose flour – or cake flour for a silkier crumb
• whitesugar
• unsweetened cocoa powder – since the recipe also uses baking powder, you can use natural or Dutch processed cocoa powder.
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• milk
• vegetable oil
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• boiling water
• butter
• powdered sugar
• half and half

How to make chocolate cake

1. PREP. Grease two 9″ round pans, line with parchment paper, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. DRY INGREDIENTS. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. ADD WET INGREDIENTS. Whisk in milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4. COMBINE. To finish it off, pour in a cup of boiling water and stir everything together.
5. BAKE. The cake batter will be thin. Pour the batter into greased 9″ round cake pans that have been lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.
6. COOL. Let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto wire racks. Cool completely and frost with chocolate frosting.

The Frosting

It’s hard for us not to make a delicious Chocolate Buttercream frosting for this best chocolate cake.

1. BEAT. The frosting is best when the butter is already softened. Once it is, beat all the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Add or take away half and half to get it to be the frosting consistency you desire.
2. FROST. Spread this delicious frosting over your cake and add any sprinkles before it sets up.

Storing cake

• Bake ahead of time. Bake a cake 2-3 weeks ahead of time and store it in the freezer until ready to frost it. Allow the cake to cool and wrap each layer with plastic wrap and again with foil before freezing.
• STORE. Keep frosted cake stored, uncut on the counter for 4-5 days. Cover it with a cake keeper or a large bowl to protect the cake from dust.
  • Unfrosted cake is best stored tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed in a Ziploc bag on the kitchen counter for up to 3-4 days or in the fridge for en extra day.
  • Once the cake has been 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.
• FREEZE. 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. Freeze unfrosted layers if using later than 5-6 days.