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–+ servings
chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and covered in colorful sprinkles.
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4.53 from 61 votes

BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe

This is the only chocolate cake recipe you need! Skip the box and make my Best Chocolate Cake recipe. This cake recipe makes a layer cake, a sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes!
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 664kcal
Author: Dorothy Kern
Cost: $8

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar  (350g)
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (60g)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (304g)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (119 ml)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup hot water (237ml)
  • 1 cup buttermilk (237ml)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)

For the Fudgy Chocolate Frosting:

  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (85g)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar (565g)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted (227g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons milk (75ml), use regular milk for best results

Instructions

Make the Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake pans with liners or grease and flour cake pan(s).
  • Whisk together sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Whisk oil, eggs, water, buttermilk, and vanilla in a large measuring cup or bowl.
  • Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Batter will be thin.
  • Pour into prepared pans and bake as directed, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Cool completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting right before using:

  • Add powdered sugar and cocoa to a very large bowl. Whisk to combine and get out any lumps.
  • Pour in unsalted butter and mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer until crumbly, then add vanilla and salt.
  • Add milk and mix until frosting is smooth and the desired consistency. Use immediately.
  • Bake Time:
    24 cupcakes: 13-16 minutes
    Two 9-inch rounds: 28-35 minutes
    9x13-inch pan: 35-40 minutes

Video

Notes

  • Use Unsweetened Cocoa or Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa but NOT Dutch Process
  • Substitute 1:1 gluten free AP flour to make these gluten-free
  • For the buttermilk, you can substitute milk or non-dairy milk by adding 1tsp vinegar or lemon juice to the wet ingredients.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 664kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 566mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 73g