This recipe makes for a super moist, rich, and fudgy cake! It’s also a super easy chocolate cake to make, and you only need to get one bowl dirty to make the batter.
Happy Mother’s day to all the fantastic mothers out there! If you want to make a Mother’s day cake at home, then this recipe is a great choice.
This recipe goes out to all of my fellow chocolate lovers! This chocolate cake recipe produces one of the most moist, fudgy, dense, and decadent cakes around. And on top of that, you only need to get one bowl dirty to make the batter!
This is a add-everything-into-one-bowl-and-mix kind of chocolate cake. If you ask me, that makes it the best chocolate cake because it means that you can get to enjoying it so much quicker.
Little disclaimer: I am NOT a cake decorator. So please ignore the decor and enjoy the recipe!
I love this cake recipe because it’s a very forgiving cake batter. After you finish adding all of your ingredients, you end up with a super fluid batter, almost watery, which helps keep the cake from drying out if slightly over-baked.
Quick Look: How to make chocolate cake:
- Prepare your cake pans. Grease 2 (9 inch) round or square cake pans and line with parchment paper. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F while you work on the cake batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Create a well in the center.
- Add eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract to the center. Whisk everything together until you get a dense, thick batter.
- Gradually add boiling water to the batter. Add in about 2 or 3 additions, whisking well after each addition. You should then be left with a very thin batter.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dishes. Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Watch: How to make chocolate cake:
One bowl chocolate cake in different pans:
Make a 9×13 inch Chocolate Cake: This chocolate cake batter can be stretched out into a 9×13 inch, single layer cake. Bake time for this cake will be around 25 to 30 minutes in the center of a 350°F oven.
Make One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes: This recipe can also be used to make 16 regular sized cupcakes. Divide batter evenly across a 16 muffin baking pan and bake in the center of a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
I find that this recipe does not really suit a bundt pan or a loaf pan because it can be a bit difficult to cook it all the way through without having the outside burn. Plus it’s very rich and dense, so I find thinner layers to be better.
How To Store Chocolate Cake:
For the cake itself (without frosting), it will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week and in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To store, keep your cake in an airtight container to help keep it fresh for longer.
Frosted cake should be stored in the fridge. Since frosting does cause cake to moisten over time, after frosting, the cake will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge after being frosted.
This chocolate cake also freezes beautifully if you wanted to make this far in advance.
How To Freeze Chocolate Cake:
This cake holds it’s shape very well, so you can freeze it before or after frosting.
When I make this recipe in 2 (9 or 8 inch) cake pans, I prefer to freeze the cakes without the pan. Here, you would let the cakes cool for 10 to 15 minutes in their pans, then turn them out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Then, wrap the cakes individually with a generous amount of plastic wrap, taking care not to leave any holes for air to get in. Finally, wrap each cake with a layer of aluminum foil, again trying not to leave any holes for air. The plastic wrap combined with the foil help prevent freezer burn on your cake, so it will last longer in the freezer.
If you made your cake in a 9×13 inch baking dish, I find it easiest to bake my cake in a pan that’s both oven and freezer safe, let it cool, seal, and freeze the cake in the pan. The best way to seal the cake is by tightly wrapping with plastic wrap and then covering it with a layer of aluminum foil.
If you made this cake into cupcakes, let the cupcakes cool completely to room temperature. Place them on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze solid (about 1 hour). Then, transfer them over to a freezer bag. Push as much air as possible out of the bag and seal well. Store in the freezer.
All of these shapes will freeze well for up to 3 months. To serve, if you’ve frozen your cake without frosting, let your cake or cupcakes sit at room temperature for a few hours to defrost. Unwrap your cakes, frost (if desired), and serve normally.
If you froze the cake after frosting, let the cake defrost in the fridge overnight before serving to prevent having the frosting soften too much.
Chocolate Cake Add-Ins:
Since this is such a liquid cake batter, there aren’t many things you can add to the batter itself, just because most additions would just sink to the bottom. I like to customize this cake with what I add to the middle of the layers or the top when decorating.
My favorite things to add to the middle and top of the cake are fruits (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries), nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts), and/or grated chocolate (dark, semi-sweet, milk, white).
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
For the chocolate buttercream frosting:
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup milk or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease 2 (9 inch) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Whisk to combine.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add your milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Beat together until everything is incorporated, and you’re left with a thick batter.
- Slowly incorporate the boiling water into the cake batter (in 2 or 3 additions), beating well after each addition. The batter will be very fluid.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes in the center of a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes for 15 minutes in the cake pans, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature before decorating.
- Make the chocolate buttercream frosting: In a large bowl, beat your butter using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip on medium-high speed for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the butter lightens in color and becomes fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar gradually (in 2 or 3 additions), beating well after each addition. continue to beat the frosting for another minute on medium-high speed to aerate.
- Add cocoa powder and salt, and gently mix into the butter/sugar mix, until you have a slightly crumbly mixture. Add milk and vanilla extract. Whip everything together on high speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture lightens in color and just under doubles in size.
- Place one layer of cake on the bottom of your serving board. Add about 1/3 of the buttercream frosting to the top. Place your second layer of cake on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Top with your preferred decorations. Chill for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving to allow frosting to set so the cake slices cleanly (do as I say, not as I do).
Enjoy!
I would love to hear any tips you’d like to add to this post and how your chocolate cake turned out in the comments below!
Have any questions? Any ideas to improve this recipe? Feel free to comment for that as well.
Is there a recipe you want to see us make? Comment below and let us know!
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