Making chocolate cake just got easier! I've turned my most popular Moist Chocolate Cake recipe into a homemade chocolate cake mix so you can have it ready and waiting for any time you're in the mood to bake. It is also great for gifting during the holidays. As a Food Scientist I worked in Australia for 3 years developing boxed cake mix formulas for a popular brand called White Wings. I spent countless days in a cake mix factory supervising tons of flour, sugar and cocoa mixing in giant vats. I used this knowledge to create this cake mix so now you can literally dump in the bag of mix, add oil, eggs and other liquids, mix and bake. With this magic mix on hand, you'll be able to make delicious and super moist chocolate cake in no time at all!
My recipe is already so quick and easy to make, and now you can make it even faster - literally as fast as a box mix, except it contains only simple pantry ingredients. It actually takes under 5 minutes and the cakes bake in under 30, so you can be on birthday, anniversary, or any occasion dessert duty on the fly. I always have a batch in the pantry because my family requests this cake for every special occasion, and even on a Friday night in. We make it at least once a month. My secret is out, and I can't wait for you to have this time-saving mix at the ready for when that chocolate craving strikes. If you prefer a smaller cake, try my single layer Ultimate Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake and you can also check out this One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Simple ingredients - stop buying boxed cake mix that is often lacking chocolate flavor. When you make homemade cake mix, you can control the quality of your ingredients.
- SO EASY to make - just like store-bought box mix, this cake can be made all in one bowl with a whisk! You don't need a stand mixer, although sometimes I use my electric hand mixer to make it. Either way it works just as well!
- Moist chocolate cake - the cake is SO super moist! It has the softest texture and stays moist for days without drying out.
- Perfect crumb texture - the crumb structure on this cake is so even that it looks like a store-bought cake that is full of emulsifiers, except this is homemade with real, simple ingredients!
- Rich chocolate flavor - you will love the smooth and rich chocolate taste that shines through these cake layers. The flavor gets even better by the second and third day.
- Fudgy chocolate frosting - I use a rich chocolate ganache made with sour cream for the frosting. It is so easy to make and you don't need softened butter nor icing sugar. It's simple and so decadent and fudgy! Many people have told me this is the best frosting they've ever made!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE
Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- All purpose flour - you do not need specialty cake flour to make a wonderful chocolate cake. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour is the most common mistake and leads to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off. This batter is meant to be quite runny so refrain from adding more flour to make it thicker.
- Granulated sugar - my original Best Moist Chocolate Cake recipe uses white sugar and brown sugar. However, to transform it into a shelf stable dry mix, I have omitted the brown sugar due to its moisture content. The moisture in molasses can cause the baking powder to react during storage, so in order to preserve the quality of the mix, it is important to eliminate sources of moisture.
- Cocoa powder - you can make due with basic quality flour, sour cream, milk and oil but you should get your hands on some good quality cocoa powder! It's the main flavor and you want it to shine so use the best you can find. I love to use this Dutch Process cocoa powder for this recipe. Make sure you use unsweetened cocoa powder and not cocoa mix.
- Baking powder - use a double acting baking powder. This means it will react and produce gas upon hydration when you mix in the wet ingredients to make the batter, and it will react again when exposed to heat in the oven during baking.
- Baking soda - sodium bicarbonate is a pure, standard ingredient so any form will work.
- Salt - salt is one of the most important ingredients to enhance the flavor of chocolate cake, so be sure to use the right amount.
- Eggs - two whole eggs will set the structure of this cake and help emulsify the batter.
- Sour cream - one of the secrets to the best moist chocolate cake recipe is sour cream! And a lot of it. Sour cream contributes the dairy undertones, rich flavor and body (thanks to its high protein and fat content) that oil-based cakes lack. Full fat sour cream adds richness and dairy notes to this cake in the absence of butter.
- Oil - this is an oil-based cake. Although I LOVE BUTTER, oil makes cakes ultra moist since it is an unsaturated fat that is liquid at room temperature. Plus, with this intense chocolate flavor and the sour cream, you won't miss the butter.
- Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is not in the mix as it is a liquid ingredient, so you will add it with the other wet ingredients.
- Hot coffee or water - my original recipe uses hot coffee in the batter. The hot liquid dissolves the sugar and activates the leavening agents so that the cake begins to rise and set instantly. It is also the reason why this cake is so moist. Coffee adds subtle roasted flavors that complement the chocolate (it will not taste like coffee), but you can also just use hot water.
- Dark chocolate - you'll need pure dark chocolate to make this frosting. Anything between 50 and 70% cocoa solids will work, but I highly recommend dark chocolate with 60% cocoa solids. You can blend semisweet chocolate with my favorite bittersweet chocolate callets which are very convenient.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE FROM HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX
This recipe is SO EASY and you can make it all with a bowl and a whisk - no mixer required if you don't have one!
- STEP 1). Make the dry cake mix. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl.
- STEP 2). Blend in sugar and salt. Add sugar and salt and whisk to blend very well. You can use a stand mixer and mix on low speed for 2 minutes so all of the ingredients are evenly blended, or you can put all of the ingredients into a sealed bag and shake it up so all ingredients are evenly dispersed.
- STEP 3). Make the batter. Combine wet ingredients. Combine eggs, oil, sour cream and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well, then add to the dry ingredients. In a pinch you can also add these ingredients directly to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- STEP 4). Mix wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk or an electric hand mixer on medium-low until blended. It will be thick and somewhat dry.
- STEP 5). Mix in hot coffee or water. Add the hot coffee or water gradually in two stages to minimize clumps forming and beat until evenly combined and the batter smooth.
- STEP 6). Bake. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30-33 minutes until cakes spring back when pressed gently and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto the rack to cool completely.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS (watch the recipe video at the bottom of the page for a full tutorial)
Add oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Whisk until mostly combined.
When the batter gets thick, begin to add hot coffee or hot water.
Whisk in the coffee until batter is completely smooth.
Divide batter evenly into prepared cake pans.
BAKING SCIENCE
This cake is almost like magic because the batter is so fluid that you will be nervous that it won't work, but trust the process! There's science behind the proportions.
- Sugar:flour ratio - there is more sugar by weight compared to flour in this recipe which is what allows it to be so moist. Sugar is hygroscopic which means that it strongly binds water and will hold onto all the liquid in this batter. Mixing sugar into the flour breaks up the flour particles interferes with gluten development. That's because sugar competes for water and will pull moisture away from flour to prevent gluten network formation during the mixing stage.
- Cocoa particles - cocoa powder has some starch and does contribute some function of flour to provide structure to the cake, however it does not contain gluten proteins. When the cocoa is dispersed into the flour, it helps to break up the flour particles and also interferes with gluten development.
- Low moisture mix - removing the brown sugar from my original recipe allows this to be a shelf stable cake mix. Brown sugar has some inherent moisture from the molasses and over time this moisture can enable reactions that can affect the quality of the cake.
- Water:sugar ratio - there is a lot of moisture in the prepared cake batter and that wouldn't work if there was less sugar in the mix. The sugar binds the water to prevent it from evaporating out, and during baking the starches in the flour and cocoa powder slowly hydrate and swell. They eventually set into a gel network to create the soft moist crumb structure.
WHAT CAUSES TUNNELING IN CAKES AND WHY ARE THERE HOLES IN MY CAKE?
Large holes through the baked cake crumb can form for several reasons. This is called "tunneling" and it is often caused by too much chemical leavening, uneven distribution of leavening agents and/or over-mixing which creates tunnels through cakes. In this recipe, it is important to mix the baking powder and baking soda into the dry ingredients very evenly so there are no lumps and the particles are uniformly incorporated into the flour to ensure the cake rises evenly. It is also important not to over-mix the batter after the hot coffee or water is added. You can read all about what causes tunneling and learn how to prevent tunneling in cake in this article.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DUTCH COCOA POWDER AND NATURAL COCOA POWDER?
Dutch cocoa powder is cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkalizing agent (a basic ingredient) such as potassium carbonate or sodium carbonate. This treatment, combined with certain parameters of pressure and temperature will increase the pH (decrease the acidity) of the cocoa powder to give it a less sour taste, darken the color and help it become more dispersible in water. My preferences for Dutch cocoa powder ones with a higher fat content and they are this Cacao Barry Extra Brute, Ghirardelli Majestic and Green & Blacks Organic.
Natural cocoa has not been alkalized and is 100% cocoa powder. It has a lighter color and has a very lovely fruity flavor with some pleasant acidity and slight bitterness that is inherent to the cocoa bean. My preferences for natural cocoa are Ghirardelli 100% Cocoa and Hershey's Unsweetened.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Sift the ingredients. It is important to evenly distribute the ingredients to ensure the proportions are correct when you are making this cake mix. I use a fine mesh sieve to sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. This removes lumps and separates the particles as well as distributes the leavening agents. Add the sugar and salt after if they don't pass through the sieve.
- Blend the ingredients thoroughly to make a uniform mix. You can use a stand mixer on low speed with the paddle attachment and mix for 4-5 minutes to ensure the mixture is blended evenly. Or, you can place all of the ingredients in a large bag, tie the bag closed leaving a big headspace at the top (i.e. keeping a lot of air in the bag), then tumble and shake up the bag to blend the ingredients like you are a human laundry machine.
- Use a neutral tasting oil like vegetable, canola or pure sunflower oil for the cleanest flavor to let the chocolate taste stand out.
- Do not reduce the sugar. The right amount of sugar will make cake moist because it binds water so that it stays tightly in the batter and doesn't evaporate excessively during baking.
- Keep an eye on the baking time. Set a timer for the first time stated in the recipe and check with a skewer - it should come out clean.
- Make cupcakes too! You can also use this recipe to make cupcakes. It makes about 18 cupcakes that will take 15-20 minutes to bake.
- Use a kitchen scale. For best results, weigh your ingredients according to the measurements in the recipe card below using a kitchen scale. This is especially important when you are making a larger batch.
RECIPE FAQ
Firstly - use a fresh oil! Do not use anything that's been opened for a long time and when you store oil, it should be in a cool dark place. Light and heat accelerate oxidation reactions that can make the flavor turn rancid. My oil of choice for baking is sunflower oil for its clean and neutral taste, but any other oil such as canola or safflower will do. You can even use olive oil, but keep in mind that it will add the taste of olive oil to the cake.
This recipe works with both Dutch process and natural cocoa powder. For a darker color like in this photo, I use high fat Dutch cocoa powder. My preference is this one and this one. Natural cocoa has a wonderful fruity flavor and I like to use it as well. You can use Hershey's natural cocoa or this one that I love.
Sour cream really makes this cake delicious, but if sour cream is not available to you where you live, you can also make this recipe using an equal amount of full fat Greek yogurt. I have tested this and it worked well! Another suitable substitution is crème fraîche which is a type of fermented dairy product somewhere between yogurt and sour cream.
The coffee or hot water should be very hot. If you brew fresh coffee, then use it immediately when you make the batter sot it is hot and if you use hot water, then bring a kettle to the boil, measure it out and then start making the batter. It's fine if it cools for 2-3 minutes. If you're making instant coffee, do the same as just mentioned and prepare the coffee fresh off the boil and then start preparing the batter.
Yes! You can use hot water if you cannot drink caffeine. Or, you can use decaf coffee. You can also make instant coffee instead of brewing a fresh pot, and for this I suggest using 1-2 teaspoons of instant coffee for 1 cup of hot water.
This batter is supposed to be quite fluid from the hot coffee or hot water that is added in. It will bake up to create a wonderfully moist crumb.
It's not more fat! Moisture comes from liquid, not fat. So you can add more butter and more oil, but it will really just make the cake more dense and more tender by shortening the texture. Fat will not make a cake moist as only liquids can add moisture. This cake is moist because of the amount of liquid.
I normally scoff at a cake recipe that uses only oil and no butter since butter is superior for its flavor. However, oil makes the texture very soft and in turn gives the perception of "moistness". That's because oil is made up of mostly unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature. Butter contains more saturated fats that are solid at room temperature, therefore the texture of a butter cake will be more crumbly and firm.
If your cakes baked up flat, it may be that your raising agents are no longer active, so be sure to use fresh baking soda and fresh baking powder. It may also happen if you let the batter sit out for too long before baking. In this case the leavening agents will react in the batter and release gases before the batter sets and the gas will escape through the surface of the batter instead of being trapped as air bubbles in the cake crumb structure.
If you prefer to use a 9x13-inch pan, then try my One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe! It is so fluffy, moist and fudgy with a dark chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Yes you can! It works great. In this case, bake them for 18-20 minutes.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
Store this dry mix in a resealable bag and then place the bag in an airtight container for storage in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Do not store it someplace hot as the heat will accelerate chemical reactions from the leavening agents.
This chocolate cake mix will keep for up to 3 months when stored correctly.
Store this cake at room temperature, covered or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also store it in the fridge for up to 1 week and bring it to room temperature before serving.
Yes! I often make the cake layers in advance and freeze them for when I need them. To do this, let the cake layers cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and then wrap them in aluminum foil. Place them in a resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Ohhhhh... this frosting. It, too, is made with sour cream and holy heaven! It is smooth, dense, fudgy and not too sweet. You can make it with just a bowl and a whisk - no mixer required. I highly recommend you top this cake off with this recipe for the BEST Chocolate Frosting.
If you love cake, check out these recipes!
Ultimate Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Lemon Pistachio Cake Sticky Toffee Date Cake Moist Lemon Blueberry Bread Olive Oil Chocolate Bundt Cake Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe with Chocolate Fudge Frosting Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting Blueberry Peach Upside Down CakeFor the love of chocolate
Looking for more decadent chocolate recipes? Try these:
Chocolate cake love
Here are more delicious cakes to try:
Video
Best Moist Chocolate Cake MIX
Ingredients
NOTE: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients for the most accuracy. This recipe makes a total of approximately 1260g (+/- 5g) of dry mix which is enough to make two batches of my Best Moist Chocolate Cake.
Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix:
- 3 ½ cups (500g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅓ cups (112g) cocoa powder (I prefer this Dutch cocoa or this one)
- 2 teaspoon (9g) baking powder
- 2 teaspoon (11g) baking soda
- 3 cups plus 1 ½ tbsp (620g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon (9g) salt
Ingredients to prepare the batter:
- 3 ½ cups minus 1 tbsp (630g) Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix*
- ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil (I prefer sunflower oil)
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cups (180ml) full fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (237ml) hot coffee or water
1 x Recipe for The BEST Chocolate Frosting
*I recommend using a scale to weigh out 630g of cake mix. If you use cup measures, then level off 3 ½ cups and remove 1 tablespoon. For reference, 1 cup of Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix is equivalent to 183g.
Instructions
- Make the cake mix. Use a fine mesh sieve to sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt and whisk to blend very well so the ingredients are evenly combined. Preferably, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 2 minutes to evenly blend all ingredients. You can also place all the ingredients in a resealable plastic bag and shake it up very well for 30 seconds to distribute the dry ingredients evenly. You will need 630g of this mix to make one batch of cake (one two layer 8-inch cake).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans, dust lightly with flour and line the base with rounds of parchment paper.
- First prepare the coffee and keep it hot. If you are using instant coffee, add 1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules or 2 teaspoons of espresso powder to 1 cup of just boiled water and set it aside while you prepare the batter.
- Combine eggs, oil, sour cream and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well. Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with an electric handheld mixer on medium-low until blended. You can also mix by hand with a wire whisk. It will be thick and somewhat dry. Add the hot coffee gradually in two stages to minimize clumps forming and mix until evenly combined and the batter is smooth. The batter will be quite thin.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and tap the pans on the countertop to allow any large air bubbles to surface and pop. Bake for 30-33 minutes until cakes spring back when pressed gently and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before running a knife or offset spatula around the sides and inverting the cakes onto the rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes are cooling, prepare my BEST Chocolate Fudge Frosting.
- Assemble the cake. Once cakes are cooled, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Use a large offset spatula to spread about ¾ cup of frosting over the top, spreading it out to the edges. Place the other cake layer on top so it aligns with the sides of the bottom layer. Cover the entire cake with frosting and use the offset spatula to even out the sides and make swooshes and swirls on the top layer. Enjoy!
Geetika Reddy
Hi
The premix I made was total weight of 1414 grams. Made 2 batches of 630g( amazing texture)and 154g is left.
How to work with the remaining can u help
christina.marsigliese
Hi Geetika! The premix should have had a total weight of 1261g. Not sure why you have additional cake mix. I would add it to another total mixture of scaled down to 1107g to make a total of 1261g.
Donna
Hi, just made the cake mix, and it's quite thick, not quite thin..like brownie batter. Is this a typo? Or is it because I used 500 g of sifted flour? Haha
How can I save this ?
Thanks for any help!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Donna! No that is not a typo. As indicated, the recipe for the mix is for two batches of Best Moist Chocolate Cake (i.e. 4 x 8-inch rounds). Did you scale out 630g of the cake mix as indicated for 1 batch?