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 Michelle, You have made our day with you nice comments!! Thank you!
Do both methods result in a cake that can stand up to fondant or just the reverse creaming method?
Yes, both methods will hold up to fondant.
Hi Melissa,
I would like to bake a 9×13' sheet cake pan. Can i use the Classic Chocolate Cake from Sratch recipe? Do I need to increass the ingredients or I shall just follow the original recipe for that size of pan?
Thank you and appreciate your respond.
Hi Evelyn, yes, this recipe can be baked in a 9 x 13 pan, just follow the original recipe. This recipe makes 9 cups of batter. Below are links to two Cake Batter Amounts and Baking Times that we often use. I think you will find them helpful. One chart suggest using 7 cups of batter and the other 10 cups of batter, so you will be fine using 9. Bake at 350, if the cake is not done at 40 minutes, I would cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil so it will not become too dark.
http://www.wilton.com/cake-serving-guide/cms-baking-serving-guide.html
thank you Bebe for your reply. And sorry for the wrong name! Can I substitute coffee for other ingredient? I am baking a soccer field cake for my son 8th birthday party. I m trying to avoid caffeine for young kids.
Thank again .
Hi Evelyn, The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor but it will still be good without it. Use 1 cup hot water instead of 1 cup coffee. Use hot water because it helps to dissolve the cocoa powder more easily into the batter.
The texture and flavor of this cake was perfect! I made four, 6 inch cakes and froze them as recommended, and was very happy with how moist they were. Will freezing the individual layers increase the moistness for all types of cakes (conventional vs. reverse creaming, butter only vs. butter and oil)? Thanks!
Hi Jean, Yes, freezing will help increase the moistness of cake layers in all the types you mentioned in your post. Even if you can freeze for only a couple of hours will help. I'm so happy the recipe worked well for you.
Could you do anything similar with cupcakes (freezing)? Maybe put them in a Ziplock bag, or would you have to wrap them individually? Thanks again!!
Hi Jean, We let cupcakes cool before freezing because of the condensation that can form, some brands of cupcake liners pull away from the cupcake. We often put our cupcakes on a cake cardboard (sheet cake size), wrap in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Some members have told us they have success using an airtight plastic container. If the plastic container is deep you could place parchment paper over the first layer of cupcakes and stack another layer of cupcakes on top. The plastic container would give the cupcakes more protection from getting dented while in the freezer.
Hi,
I tried this chocolate cake recipe and I must say... It is THEE BEST chocolate cake I have ever tasted!!!
My family has tried it and they are hooked!!!!
Thanking you all the way from South Africa!!!
Your website is awesome!!!