Chocolate Cake from Scratch
This amazing Chocolate Cake from Scratch is ultra moist and so rich and decadent!
We always get rave reviews from this chocolate cake recipe. It is one of our go-to chocolate cakes for all sorts of fillings and frostings (from Almond Joy Cake and Mint Chocolate Chip Cake to Chocolate Oreo Cake and more.)
Table of Contents
Why we Love It
There are so many reasons to love this amazing chocolate cake. Here are just a few:
- Velvety soft, moist texture
- Decadent and rich cake for chocolate lovers
- Makes plenty of batter for an impressive three layer cake
- Perfect go-to chocolate cake for birthdays and other special occasions
How to make a Scratch Chocolate Cake
*You can find the full, printable recipe for this rich chocolate layer cake further down in this post, but here is a quick rundown of how we made the cake!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour three 8 inch cake pans (We often line our pans with parchment paper as well)
- In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: sugar, all purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients for 1 minute to blend.
- Add softened butter a few pieces at a time while the mixer is on low speed. Mix until the dry ingredients look like coarse sand and the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, milk , oil and vanilla until blended.
- With the mixer on low speed, SLOWLY add about half of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 ½ minutes at medium speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating for 20 seconds after each pour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl.
- Next, slowly add the cup of hot coffee (prepared instant coffee or brewed) and mix another 30 seconds until blended. The chocolate cake batter will be very runny. Don't worry!
- Pour into 3 prepared 8" pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back to the touch or a small wooden pick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.The cake layers will pull away ever so slightly from the sides of the pan.
- Cool the cakes 10 minutes on a wire rack and then turn out of the pans.
- *Yields approximately 9 cups of batter, plenty for three 8 inch cake pans and a nice, tall cake!
Recipe FAQs
More Chocolate Cakes
Aside from today's rich chocolate cake, we have created many more Chocolate Cakes that we love!
Some of our most popular are: Marble Cake, Chocolate Velvet Cake, German Chocolate Cake, and Black Forest Cake.
Chocolate Cake from Scratch
This moist, decadent classic chocolate cake from scratch is the BEST! This cake recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method of mixing, creating an extra moist cake with a tight crumb and velvety texture.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 2 ¾ cup (322g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (82g) unsweetened cocoa (lightly spoon into cup then sift)
- 2 teaspoons (10g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (2g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2g) salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened (do not soften in microwave)
- ¼ cup (54g) vegetable oil (we use Canola oil)
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup (220g) milk
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (220g) hot coffee, it can be instant or brewed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Grease and flour THREE 8 inch cake pans
- In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk for 1 minute to blend.
- Add softened butter a few pieces at a time while the mixer is on low speed. Mix until the dry ingredients look like coarse sand and the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, milk , oil and vanilla until blended.
- Method is important when using the Reverse Creaming Method. With the mixer on low speed, SLOWLY add approximately ½ of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 ½ minutes at medium speed. Don't mix above medium speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating for 20 seconds after each pour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl.
- Slowly add the cup of hot coffee and mix another 30 seconds until blended. The batter will be very runny. Don't worry!
- Pour into 3 prepared 8" pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes 10 minutes on a rack and then turn out of the pans.
- *Yields approx 9 cups of batter.
- Making cupcakes? Check out our Classic Chocolate Cupcake Recipe (conventional method of mixing for fluffier cupcakes) Holds up well to fondant
Notes
- These cake layers can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil, and frozen for up to three months.
- Thaw at room temperature, removing the wrapping after 30-45 minutes.
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Hi Deborah, I'm sorry that your question was missed. Thanks for following up. We have not tried this cake recipe in a bundt pan although generally speaking it is usually a safe bet (although they often bake up slightly denser than the original version.)
I'm not sure why your cakes deflated...if you have not tried the Reverse Creaming Method of mixing before, you may want to watch our video as it takes a little getting used to. However, I would recommend trying the "conventional mixing" version of this chocolate cake recipe which you can see linked above under the name "Classic Chocolate Cupcakes". This may be the better choice anyway since you are baking in the bundt pan.
I've never had a cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes- but I did notice some copycat recipes floating around online. I'm guessing that you've tried those already. This chocolate cake recipe is our favorite, and one of our most popular on the site. Let us know how it goes!
Dear Melissa,
Thanks so much for your prompt reply. I haven't used the reverse creaming method before but I did watch the video and tried to follow all the times and methods exactly. I'll try again and see if I have a taller cake this time. I think the texture of the Nothing Bundt Cakes is very close to the texture of your cake with the reverse creaming method rather than the traditional method. It is very soft with a compact crumb rather than bigger holes and a more coarse look, and doesn't feel gummy or extra moist in your mouth when you chew it but very light. I will try the reverse creaming method in a bundt pan and see what happens. Thanks for all your specific directions and weights. Yes, I did try some of the copycat recipes and none of them are right, in my opinion. They are way too wet and moist.
I don't like coffee so is there something I can replace it with
Hi Sarah, You can add 1 cup of water without the instant coffee in it
Hi can you advise the amount of flour in this receipt is 322 g sifted or sifted 322g
Hi Mariam, The 322g of all purpose flour (plain) is not sifted. I hope you like the recipe.
Hi Melissa when making the chocolate cake from scratch, which method of mixing i.e. reverse mixing or classic, produces a higher rise, that will hold up to fondant?....I need a cake that will be 4" tall. Also have you made these cakes, using using one deep 3" or 4" cake pan?...I wonder whether it would cook in the middle ok, or might it sink?. Here in the UK, we tend to cook in one deep pan, then cut into layers. Many thanks for your help.
Hi Helena, The conventional mixing method will give you a slightly higher rise than the reverse creaming method. Melissa and I do not use 3 inch deep pans. We use 2 inch deep pans. It is a matter of personal preference but we feel we get better results using that depth pan. Sometimes the outer portion of the cake would be overdone while waiting for the center of the cake to be fully baked. If you have experience and success using deep pans it should work for you. Hope all goes well.
Hi Bebe thank you for your quick response. I might do a trial run using the classic way and then do a comparison. I did wondered whether that would be the case, of not cooking evenly in the centre, using the deeper pans. I have had some success cooking with deeper pans, but was not so keen on the recipe, the cake was rather dry, and as the chocolate recipe is so moist, I don't think I'll risk it, and stick to the 2" pans instead. Really love your website, so helpful and I've learnt so much.
Helena, thank you so much for your nice comments about the site.
I did not know, how to make a cake but with the help of this recipe I made it successfully. It’s taste was marvellous!!!!!!!! I would like to recommend this cake to all my friends.
This was the BEST chocolate cake I have ever eaten, let alone made. Thank you so much for this recipe, this website has made feel so much more confident baking cakes!