Skip to Content

Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

I’ve tested a lot of chocolate cake recipes over the years, and this moist chocolate cake recipe is one of my favorites. It is incredibly moist, and turns out perfectly every time!

image of a slice of death by chocolate cake made with moist chocolate cake layers, decadent dark chocolate buttercream, and coated with mini chocolate chips on a plate

Simple Recipe from Scratch

I love this recipe for so many different reasons. The first one is that this moist chocolate cake recipe doesn’t require a hand mixer, which means less dishes to clean!!

All you really need is a whisk and a couple large bowls. You really just whisk together the wet and dry ingredients, then combine and you’re ready to bake your cake layers.

It also comes together incredibly quickly. It’s a modified version of Robyn’s chocolate cake recipe from Add A Pinch.

Leveling Optional

Another wonderful aspect of this recipe? It bakes pretty flat!

If I’m just making a cake for family and friends, I’ll usually just use a bit of extra buttercream to even everything out.

However, if you want perfectly level cake layers you can also trim the tops with a serrated knife.

image of a moist chocolate cake layer that's been leveled with a serrated knife to make the cake easier to stack

If you’re still getting comfortable trimming your cake layers, here is a great tutorial on how to level and trim your cake layers.

My Secret Ingredient: Espresso

I love to add espresso to my chocolate cake recipes!! It pairs so well with the cocoa powder, and really elevates the chocolate flavor of the cake layers!

If you’re not a fan of coffee, don’t worry! It isn’t a strong flavor in the cake, it simply enhances the overall flavor of the cake.

image of a death by chocolate cake made with moist chocolate cake layers, decadent dark chocolate buttercream, and coated with mini chocolate chips

Tip: Use Good Quality Baking Cocoa!

To make sure these cake layers taste as delicious as possible, I highly recommend using a good quality cocoa.

The quality of cocoa you use in this recipe is key, since it’s the main flavor of these cake layers!

I love to use Ghirardelli cocoa, because it gives the layers such a wonderful chocolate flavor.

Pair With Your Favorite Frosting

I love frosting this moist chocolate cake recipe with my chocolate frosting or peanut butter buttercream, but the options are really limitless!

Feel free to get creative, and make whatever combination floats your boat. 

image of a slice of death by chocolate cake made with moist chocolate cake layers, decadent dark chocolate buttercream, and coated with mini chocolate chips on a plate

The photo below shows a death by chocolate cake made with this cake base, which is one of my favorite chocolate cakes!

Substitutions & Swaps: Chocolate Cake Layers

While I love this moist chocolate cake just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all of these ingredients on hand.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:

  • All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with all purpose flour. However, you can swap in a good gluten free flour blend (like this) if needed. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the cake proper structure, and let the batter sit for about 20 minutes before baking it if you opt to make a gluten free version.
  • Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
  • Unsweetened Baking Cocoa – I like to use the Ghirardelli brand of baking cocoa, but you can use any brand of unsweetened cocoa powder. You can also use dark cocoa powder or black cocoa.
  • Instant Espresso – Instant coffee can be used if you don’t have instant espresso, or you can use 1 cup of strong coffee in place of the water and instant espresso in this recipe.
  • Buttermilk – You can also use full fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat).
  • Vegetable Oil – Any flavorless oil can be used in this recipe. Canola, vegetable, or even sunflower oil would all work great. I don’t recommend olive oil though, as it has a strong flavor and will change the taste of the cake.
  • Eggs – This recipe uses 2 large eggs. If you have an egg allergy you can try using a vegan egg replacer.

Substitutions & Swaps: Chocolate Buttercream

Below are some swaps and substitutions in this chocolate buttercream recipe.

  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
  • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – If you can’t find unsweetened cocoa powder or don’t have any on hand, you can use additional powdered sugar in its place.
  • Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) can also be used to make the frosting.
  • Chocolate Chips – You can use chocolate chips, baking chocolate, or good-quality chocolate bars to melt and add into the frosting. I like to use dark chocolate, but you can also use milk or semi-sweet chocolate if you have a strong preference.
image of silky smooth, decadent dark chocolate buttercream

Tips for Making the Best Moist Chocolate Cake

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure your cake flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • Mix your cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cake layers are tender and fluffy.
  • Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. Make sure each pan has the same amount of batter will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
  • Bang your cake pans on the counter before putting it in the oven. This brings any air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.
  • Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
  • Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake and before adding the simple syrup. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
image of chocolate cake batter being weighed on a scale to make sure all the pans have the same amount of batter

Making this Moist Chocolate Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

  • Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
  • Make your chocolate frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
  • This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again.
  • A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious!

Let Me Know What You Think

If you try this moist chocolate cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating below and a comment to let me know your thoughts.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Yield: 20

Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

image of a death by chocolate cake made with moist chocolate cake layers, decadent dark chocolate buttercream, and coated with mini chocolate chips

This moist chocolate cake recipe is just as delicious as it is easy to make!! It's a tried & true recipe I've been using for years.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (75g)
  • 2 tsp baking powder (8g)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda (9g)
  • 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
  • 1 cup warm water (240g)
  • 2 tsp instant espresso of coffee (5g)
  • 1 cup buttermilk (240g)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (110g)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature (112g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (8g)

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 2 cups (or 4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (452g)
  • 1 cup dark baking cocoa or unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (100g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (4g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar (625g)
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature (180g)
  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled (230g)

Recommended Tools

Instructions

Chocolate Cake Layers

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C. Line and grease three, eight-inch cake pans, or four, seven-inch pans.
  2. Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup baking cocoa, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp of salt in a large bowl. Whisk together until combined.
  3. In a separate, large bowl, add 1 cup of hot water and 2 tsp instant espresso or coffee. Stir until dissolved.
  4. Add in 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup oil, 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla extract into the instant espresso mixture. Give the mixture a quick stir to combine the ingredients.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix by hand until fully incorporated. The batter will be on the thin side, but that’s the consistency you're after!
  6. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans, and bake for about 24-27 minutes. I like to use a kitchen scale to weigh the pans. It makes sure each pan has the exact same amount of batter and helps the cake layers bake up to be the same height.
  7. Remove the cake layers from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Gently run an offset spatula around the rim of the cake pans to loosen them, then flip them onto wire racks to finish cooling.
  8. Once cooled, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer. If you make these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  1. Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth. 
  2. Add in the sifted dark cocoa, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
  3. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar. Halfway through, add in the heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
  4. Mix in the cooled, melted dark chocolate on a low speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. Then cover the frosting flush with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and set aside.

Assembling This Chocolate Cake

  1. Stack and frost the cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
  2. Add an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer with a large offset spatula.
  3. Spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake that fully covers the cake layers.
  4. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
  5. Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake and smooth using a bench scraper. Then decorate as desired and enjoy! I covered this cake with mini chocolate chips and piped buttercream swirls on top with a Wilton 1M frosting tip.

Notes

Recipe Variations

This recipe can be used to make different-sized cakes. You can also half or double the ingredients to make a half or double batch!

One batch of batter is about 1500g or 8 cups, so I add roughly 500g to each of my cake pans when using 3, 8-inch cake pans, or 375g to my cake pans when using 4, 7-inch cake pans.

You can make four 6" cake layers with one batch of batter. Bake the cake layers at 350 F / 175 C for 24-27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. The cake will end up being quite a bit taller than mine.

If you want to make a tiered cake with this recipe, check out my cake batter calculator to see how many batches of batter you'll need.

One batch of batter can also be used to make one 9×13-inch sheet cake. Bake it at 350 F / 175 C for 35-45 minutes and use flower nails or heating cores to help the cake bake evenly. It should end up being about 2 inches tall.

If you want to make cupcakes, I highly recommend using my chocolate cupcake recipe as a base and making a half batch of the frosting in this recipe! One batch makes 12 moist chocolate cupcakes.

Tips for Making the Best Moist Chocolate Cake

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure the flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • Mix the cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cake layers are tender and fluffy.
  • Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. Make sure each pan has the same amount of batter so that the cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
  • Level the room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
  • Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!

Making this Moist Chocolate Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make your chocolate frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious!

Nutrition Information

Yield

20

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 434Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 30mgSodium 354mgCarbohydrates 71gFiber 3gSugar 55gProtein 5g

Gavin Benn

Tuesday 11th of July 2023

Hi. Firstly WOW. This is the best recipe I have used for chocolate cake. So so moist and chocolatey. So glad I found it.

When I come to make the frosting I'm not sure what cocoa I need as it reads different to what is used in the cake. Is this correct? I'm in the UK so may be different to what you use in the states.

Many thanks

Gavin

Chelsweets

Sunday 16th of July 2023

So happy to hear that Gavin!!

And apologies for any confusion! You can use the same cocoa powder that you used the cake recipe, or you can use dark cocoa powder (similar to dutch-processed cocoa powder!) to give the frosting a deeper color and richer flavor. I've updated the recipe card to make this more clear for the future. Hope that helps, happy baking!

Laura

Friday 19th of May 2023

Hey! I wonder if you could help me with ratios please? I’m making my friends wedding cake in June and I’m following your wedding cake advice, doing three sponges for each tier. She wants her 10inch (bottom) cake tier to be chocolate. Would you recommend doubling this recipe to make three 10 inch sponges? Thank you!

Chelsweets

Sunday 21st of May 2023

Hi Laura,

This recipe makes about 8 cups of batter, so doubling the recipe should be perfect for making 3, 10-inch cake layers. For the future, I have a great cake batter calculator chart that helps a ton with questions like this, here's the link: https://chelsweets.com/how-much-cake-batter-per-pan/

Hope that helps, and that your friend's wedding cake turns out amazing :)

Debbie

Wednesday 5th of April 2023

Can you tell me how many cups of batter you yield? I love this cake, as well as your white cake recipe and they are my go to for decorated cakes. It's just been a while since I made either and I am thinking I used to yield more batter. I've made this 3 times today and am only yielding 6 cups. I've double and triple checked everything and the only thing I can think of is I may have used my mixer in the past.

Chelsweets

Friday 7th of April 2023

Hi Debbie,

My white cake recipe usually makes about 10 cups of batter, and this recipe usually makes a bit less than that. I haven't measured it in a long time, but I believe this recipe makes about 8 cups of batter. 6 cups of batter does seem low. I'm planning to make this recipe again in a couple weeks and will measure how much batter it makes and let you know what I end up with! Stay tuned!!

Elise

Thursday 26th of January 2023

Why us it that the middle of my cakes sometimes sink in??

Chelsweets

Sunday 29th of January 2023

Hi Elise,

A few different things can cause cake layers to sink. The most common is that the layers are slightly underbaked. If you don't think that's the reason, I have a whole post on the other things it could be that I've shared here: https://chelsweets.com/why-do-cakes-sink-in-the-middle/

Hope that helps, happy baking!

Jess

Sunday 1st of January 2023

Hi Chelsea, I really would love to make this for my dad's birthday but he absolutely HATES coffee, could I just use like a tsp of chocolate extract or something and skip the espresso? Would I still need to add the water?

Chelsweets

Sunday 8th of January 2023

Hi Jess,

Totally get that! You can just omit the instant espresso in that case. Still add the water though, otherwise the consistency of the batter will be thrown off. Hope that helps, and that your Dad's birthday cake turns out wonderfully!!

Skip to Recipe