Homemade Chocolate Cake - In The Kitchen With Matt (2024)

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Let them eat cake! I love chocolate and I love cake, so naturally, I enjoy eating chocolate cake. This moist homemade chocolate cake is really easy to make and tastes so yummy.

Frost the homemade chocolate cake with some homemade chocolate buttercream frosting and you are left with a chocolate cake to die for. If I can do it you can do it, let’s get baking!

For more chocolate recipes go here.

Step 1: Gather the ingredients and tools

Let’s gather together all of the ingredients and tools first. For this homemade chocolate cake you will need the following:

Chocolate Cake Batter

• Cake flour or all-purpose flour. Using cake flour results in a more tender texture as well as a finer crumb, and cakes made with cake flour often rise easier. With that said all-purpose or plain four works just fine too.
• White granulated sugar. Of course, we want our chocolate cake to be sweet, so we will add some sugar. Sugar also serves other purposes while baking.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder. I generally use the Hershey’s brand of unsweetened cocoa powder but you can use whatever brand you can get ahold of. Don’t confuse this with any chocolate powder, like the kind used to make chocolate milk, they are different.
• Baking powder. The baking powder helps the cake rise and it will help to lighten the texture of the cake.
• Baking soda. The baking soda will also help the cake to rise and result in a more tender crumb.
• Salt. Salt is used to enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
• Milk. I generally use 2% milk but you can use a variety of milks from whole milk to skim to even almond milk. The milk helps to make the cake moist and tender and adds a bit of flavor.
• Oil. I usually use canola oil but vegetable oil and other oils like coconut will work too. Some oils will alter the flavor of the cake slightly so just be aware of that.
• Eggs. Eggs also act as a leavening agent in the cake as well as help to add texture and flavor.
• Vanilla Extract. Vanilla extract is added to enhance the flavor of the cake.
• Very hot water. The hot water helps to bloom the cocoa powder which helps to unlock the cocoa powder’s flavor. It also helps to make the chocolate cake moister. Also used filtered water unless your tap water tastes really good. Here in Phoenix, Arizona the tap water is horrible tasting.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

For the homemade chocolate buttercream frosting you will need the following:

• Unsalted butter. You may use salted butter too if you like. The butter will add flavor, texture, and body to your frosting.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder. The cocoa powder is what gives it the chocolate taste, mmm chocolate.
• Powdered Sugar/Confectioner’s Sugar. The powdered sugar, also known as confectioner’s or icing sugar, is the main sweetness element for the frosting.
• Milk. Again we will add milk to give our frosting the consistency that we want. Use your favorite kind of milk.
• Vanilla Extract. Again as with the cake, the vanilla will add flavor to the frosting.

Tools

For the tools you will need:

• 29-inch cake pans. Although you can also use a 9×13 inch pan too if you like.
• Cake spatula. Spatulas that are designed for cakes are very handy for frosting cakes.
• Whisk
• Bowls
• Cooling rack
• Spatula
• Hand mixer or wooden spoon
• Parchment paper
• Pedestal. Pedestals that rotate make frosting cakes so much easier and they are a great way to showcase that awesome cake.

Step 2: How to make homemade chocolate cake from scratch

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. or 176 C. Then mix together in a large bowl the cake batter dry ingredients with awhiskor a sifter. You want to make sure to break up any cocoa powder clumps that might be in there.

Now add your milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Switch to a wooden spoon or a hand mixer to mix the ingredients. The batter will be very thick at this point.

Lastly, add in your very hot water slowly, while the mixer is on low until it is all incorporated, your batter will be kind of runny which is good. Use a spatula to scrape the sides.

The hot water will “bloom” the cocoa powder which will result in a chocolate flavor that is more rich and tasty.

And just like that, the homemade chocolate cake batter is ready to go. Pretty easy, right?

Step 3: Prepare pans and bake that moist homemade chocolate cake

Now take a couple of9-inch cake pansand take some butter or shortening and using your fingers push it all around the pan coating it, then take about a tablespoon of flour and place that in the pan, move and tap your pan around until the flour coats the pan, then tap out the excess flour.

The pans are ready to go. You don’t want your cakes to stick, so don’t skip this step, even if you have a nice non-stick pan, it is still a good idea to prep the pans. If you desire, you can also cut out a round piece of parchment paper and put it on the bottom of the pan.

Next using a cup, distribute the cake batter evenly between both pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 F (176 C) until when you poke the center with a toothpick it comes out clean.

Now let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes. Then using yourcake spatula, move around the edges of the cake, to help release it. Then turn the pan over and let the cake come out.

Let the cake cool on the racks for another 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 4: Make the chocolate butter cream frosting

Now time to make the yummy chocolate buttercream frosting to go with your moist homemade chocolate cake. First in a large bowl cream together your softened butter with your cocoa powder, using a mixer.

Then add your vanilla extract, next add about 1 cup of your powdered sugar at a time, then mix, then add the sugar, etc. until it is all incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Now add about 1/3 of the milk, and see what kind of consistency you want.

If you want the frosting thicker, leave it like this, if you want it a bit thinner, add another 1/3 of the milk. You may not need all of the milk. It just depends on how you want your frosting. 🙂

All right the frosting is ready to go.

Step 5: Frost that cake

Time to frost the homemade chocolate cake now using acake spatula, or butter knife, etc. A little trick I learned on how to keep your cake board or cake pedestal from getting messy near the base of the cake is you add four strips of parchment paper, set in them in such a way that you have an open square in the middle.

Then place a dollop of frosting there, this will act like glue and hold your bottom layer of cake in place. Add the first layer of cake, then frost the top, add the next layer and cover the whole thing. 🙂

You may want to wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and chill them in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before making the frosting and frosting them. They tend to turn out nicer when you do that.

Remove the parchment paper by gently pulling them away. At this point you may want to chill the cake in the fridge, to let the frosting set, but it isn’t necessary, you can serve right away if you want. Time to enjoy your homemade chocolate cake.

Do you love cake like me? You can find more cake recipes here.

How long does homemade moist chocolate cake last?

Freshly baked homemade chocolate cake will last for about 7 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also wrap it with foil or plastic wrap which will help prevent it from drying out. Or you can store unfrosted cake that way as well.

What is the best way to freeze this chocolate cake?

Homemade chocolate cake can be frozen as well. The best way is to take your frosted cake and place it on a freezer-safe pant, unwrapped and uncovered in the freezer for 4 to 5 hours. Once frozen place it in a freezer bag or wrap it with plastic wrap really well. It will last up to 12 months in the freezer.

Can I make cupcakes from this homemade chocolate cake recipe?

Sure! This will make about 24 cupcakes. Follow the recipe as directed. Spray the cupcake pan with cooking spray or use paper cups. Fill each cup two thirds full. Bake at the same temp, 350 F/176C for 18 to 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.

Here are a few other recipes you may like:

Easy 3-Ingredient Fudge

Soft Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Homemade Restaurant Quality French Fries

Chocolate Cookies

Classic French Macarons

Do you like the recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it.If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.

Check out my other website101 Creative Datesfor fun date ideas. Food and dating go hand in hand!

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122 Comments

1. Paul

   May 12, 2024 at 10:56 pm·Reply

   
   Thank you for the great recipe. I made this for my wife today for Mother’s Day and she loved it. I went with a cream cheese frosting instead of chocolate and it worked out great. Your cake recipe is now my go to for chocolate cake.

   • Matt Taylor

     May 13, 2024 at 9:06 am·Reply

     That is awesome, Paul! So glad you tried this chocolate cake and liked it. You are very welcome! And props to you for baking a cake for your wife. Good man!

2. Elizabeth

   April 12, 2024 at 7:18 am·Reply

   
   My Family and I love this cake this is all I make now no more box cakes for me.

   • Matt Taylor

     April 12, 2024 at 9:32 am·Reply

     So happy you tried this chocolate cake recipe and like it!

3. Sabrina

   March 12, 2024 at 9:34 am·Reply

   
   I always bake cakes from scratch and this is by far the best chocolate cake recipe ever!! 😋

   • Matt Taylor

     March 12, 2024 at 11:05 am·Reply

     So glad you tried it and liked it!! 🙂

4. Lisa

   October 29, 2023 at 4:56 pm·Reply

   Best I have made! Loved it👍

   • Matt Taylor

     October 30, 2023 at 12:06 pm·Reply

     Thank you, Lisa! Glad you made this homemade chocolate cake and loved it!

5. Labeebah Dhikrullah

   September 5, 2023 at 10:07 am·Reply

   
   I love this. Very Succint✌️

   • Matt Taylor

     September 5, 2023 at 11:24 am·Reply

     See Also

     Easy and Fast Cinnamon Twist Loaf

     Thank you!!

6. Jeanette

   February 25, 2023 at 6:01 pm·Reply

   
   Best moist cake recipe I have and I made a not too sweet cream cheese for the frosting.
   Excellent recipe!

   • Matt Taylor

     February 25, 2023 at 10:52 pm·Reply

     So glad you tried it and liked it!! 🙂 🙂

7. Shannon

   December 30, 2022 at 10:51 am·Reply

   
   This cake is stupid good. Just make it and eat it. I made the cake as a birthday cake, it was gone in 10 minutes. I made no substitutes or changes and it came out perfectly. Thanks for the fantastical recipe. I found on TikTok.

   • Matt Taylor

     December 30, 2022 at 10:54 am·Reply

     So glad you made it and liked it, Shannon!! 🙂 And glad you came over here from TikTok.

8. Tiffany

   December 4, 2022 at 3:41 pm·Reply

   I have made this recipe several times and it’s super delicious my only problem that keep having is everyone I take it out of the freezer to frost it, it’s super sticky and it crumbles on me, is there something I’m doing wrong or is that how it’s supposed to be?

   • Matt Taylor

     December 5, 2022 at 9:08 am·Reply

     How are you freezing the layers? Wrap each cake layer with plastic wrap. When ready thaw in the plastic wrap on the counter not all the way, then remove the plastic wrap right when you want to frost them. That may help. Is there a reason why you are freezing them? Usually, people just do that for long-term storage, or to chill it a bit so they frost easier. If you bake the cake and are going to frost it the same day, no need to put it in the freezer, just wrap them and put them in the fridge for 30 minutes or so and that will get them cold and firm enough to frost as well. 🙂 Also the stiffness of your frosting may be an issue too.

9. Nakayi

   October 31, 2022 at 12:05 am·Reply

   Trying to wait and trust the process , i reread recipe 10x step 2 after adding wet ingredients my batter was runny not THICK then i slowly added the hot water 🙁 not its watery. I jus put in oven into cupcake pans crossing my fingers but everyone elses looked delicious

   • Matt Taylor

     October 31, 2022 at 7:47 am·Reply

     Hi there, yes the cake batter is supposed to be runny. 🙂 It is NOT supposed to be Thick.

10. Jill

    February 21, 2022 at 6:36 am·Reply

    
    Best and easiest moist chocolate cake ever

    • Matt Taylor

      February 21, 2022 at 7:45 am·Reply

      So happy you tried it and liked it!! 🙂 🙂

11. Jerry Jack

    February 5, 2022 at 3:15 pm·Reply

    
    Great recipe and very rich in chocolate i love old fashion 😋 doughnuts 🍩

    • Matt Taylor

      February 5, 2022 at 3:49 pm·Reply

      Thank you so much! I appreciate it. 🙂

12. Butz M Pelobello

    January 11, 2022 at 2:19 am·Reply

    I’ve been using this recipe since last year and it became my family’s favorite. So glad I found it. Anyway, I am planning to make it in mini cupcakes. Please advise.

    • Matt Taylor

      January 11, 2022 at 8:20 am·Reply

      Hi there, glad you found it! For mini-cupcakes use the mini cupcake pan and paper cups and bake at 350 F/176C for 10 to 15 minutes. Until a toothpick comes out clean when poked.

13. Norma Swartout

    November 9, 2021 at 2:31 pm·Reply

    
    Printed out and planning to make this for Thanksgiving Dinner at a friend’s home .. some picky eaters, so no doubt this will win them ALL over ;(). Thank you !

    • Matt Taylor

      November 9, 2021 at 3:48 pm·Reply

      You are very welcome, Norma!! Let me know how it turns out, and how the picky eaters like it. 🙂

14. Mandie

    June 9, 2021 at 11:21 pm·Reply

    
    Best chocolate cake recipe hands down! Came out absolutely perfect! Yes I was sketched after I added the hot water it made it super runny! But it came out amazing! Thanks for the awesome recipe!

    • Matt Taylor

      June 10, 2021 at 7:22 am·Reply

      So happy you tried it, Mandie, and liked it! You are so very welcome. 🙂

    • Angel R

      September 15, 2021 at 2:27 pm·Reply

      
      Easily 5 stars
      I made this a few days ago for my mom’s birthday. it was the best homemade cake recipe I ever made. Even the frosting was delicious. Usually with other cakes we scrape the frosting off but this made you want to clean your plate. And its not even too sweet like most cakes. Its moist, chocolatey and delicious. The napkin trick was a success too. I was able to decorate the cake without being messy. Even my dad who tends to stay away from sweets for health reasons couldn’t help himself when it came to this cake, every one loved it. I doubled the cake recipe and got 3 layers and 1 dozen cupcakes. I left the frosting recipe as the same and it was enough for everything.

      This is now my go-to recipe

      • Matt Taylor

        September 15, 2021 at 2:41 pm·Reply

        Thank you so much, Angel! I am glad you made it and liked it. 🙂 🙂

15. Indra Joseph

    June 8, 2021 at 9:08 pm·Reply

    Great receipe

    • Matt Taylor

      June 9, 2021 at 7:45 am·Reply

      Thank you!!

16. Janet N

    February 16, 2021 at 7:55 am·Reply

    
    This was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had, hands down!! It was so moist it didn’t even need the frosting. Thanks!!

    • Matt Taylor

      February 16, 2021 at 7:55 am·Reply

      Thank you so much, Janet! I am so glad you made it and liked it. 🙂 🙂

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