Chocolate Cake (Print Page)

Rich, moist chocolate cake with silky cocoa frosting—simple steps and crowd-pleasing results for celebrations or everyday treats.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 2 cups granulated sugar
04 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
06 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
08 - 1 cup whole milk
09 - ½ cup vegetable oil
10 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
11 - 1 cup boiling water

→ Chocolate Frosting

12 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
14 - ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
15 - ¼ cup milk
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
02 - In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract to the dry mixture. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth.
04 - Pour in the boiling water and mix until combined. The batter will be thin.
05 - Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
06 - Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Sift in powdered sugar and cocoa powder, then add milk and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
09 - Spread frosting between the cake layers and over the top and sides.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The batter seems alarmingly thin when you pour it but that is exactly the secret to its incredibly moist, almost fudgy crumb.
  • You do not need a stand mixer or any fancy equipment, just a bowl, a whisk, and about twenty minutes before the oven takes over.
02 -
  • Do not open the oven door before the 25 minute mark because the drafts can cause the center to collapse and you will end up with a dip instead of a dome.
  • Swapping the boiling water for hot brewed coffee is a game changer that does not make the cake taste like coffee at all but instead deepens the chocolate flavor in ways you have to taste to believe.
03 -
  • Measure your flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling with a knife rather than scooping directly, because packed flour can add up to thirty extra grams and make the cake dry and dense.
  • The thinnest looking batter you have ever seen is the correct consistency, so trust the process and resist every urge to thicken it.

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