No word of a lie, this is THE BEST MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE recipe on the internet. If you've been looking for it, then look no further... THIS IS IT! It's so easy to make without a mixer and in one bowl, and it is incredibly chocolaty with the best chocolate fudge frosting. But WARNING: This post contains the word "moist" at least 10 times. You know when you make a whole cake for a household of two (that's 1, 2 people!) and the cake lasts maybe 4 days... and when I say "lasts" I mean against its will because we ate it all and not because it doesn't keep well. In fact this BEST Chocolate Cake is so moist that it keeps for over a week without drying out and actually improves with age! If you do prefer a smaller cake, try my smaller Ultimate Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- SO EASY to make - this cake can be made in one bowl with a whisk! You don't need a mixer, although I often use my electric hand mixer to make it.
- 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.
- 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!
- No buttermilk - buttermilk is a great ingredient, but it is also not a common ingredient and many people do not stock this in their refrigerator regularly. So, luckily you don't need buttermilk to make the best chocolate cake recipe!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST MOIST 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 - simple white sugar will keep this cake sweet and moist.
- Brown sugar - a bit of brown sugar will add a hint of molasses flavor for extra richness to enhance the chocolate taste.
- Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. Do not leave it out!
- Cocoa powder - you can make due with cheap flour, sour cream, milk and oil but you should get your hands on 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.

- 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 flavour 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 liquid at room temperature. Plus, with this intense chocolate flavour and the sour cream, you won't miss the butter.
- Hot coffee - this recipe is unique in that 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.
- Dark chocolate – you'll need pure dark chocolate to make the 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 BEST MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE: STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
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). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add both sugars and salt and whisk to blend well, pressing out any lumps of brown sugar.
- STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. Combine eggs, oil, sour cream and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well.
- STEP 3). 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 4). Mix in hot coffee. Add the hot coffee gradually in two stages to minimize clumps forming and beat until evenly combined and the batter smooth.
- STEP 5). 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.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR THE BEST MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Use a neutral tasting oil like 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.

RECIPE FAQ
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 tin foil. Place them in a resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
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.
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! and if you can't get sour cream where you live then you can substitute with fill fat Greek yogurt. Another suitable substitution is crème fraîche -- a type of fermented dairy product somewhere between yogurt and sour cream.
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.
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.
This recipe for chocolate frosting makes just enough to fill the cake and lightly coat the sides. I don't prefer a heavy coat of frosting, however if you prefer more you can easily double it or make 1.5x the recipe. The main change will be that it will take longer for it to thicken to a spreading consistency.
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 tin foil. Place them in a resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

I'd say it's Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake recipe from an old cookbook I have. Ina Garten's Beatty's Chocolate Cake is also quite popular, however this recipe is not to my taste due to the imbalance of chemical leavening (far too much baking soda) and high amount of sugar. My recipe has the right amount of baking soda that won't leave you with a soapy taste and creates nice lightly domed even layers. It's also just the right amount of sugar to make this cake moist without being too sweet or gummy.
Sugar and liquid will create a moist cake among several other things. Having the right proportions of wet and dry ingredients is important when creating a moist cake recipe. Sugar is hygroscopic which means that it strongly binds water and will hold moisture in. Being cautious to not over-mix will also ensure that the cake is soft.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHOCOLATE FROSTING
We haven't even discussed this frosting yet. Ohhhhh... this frosting. It, too, is made with sour cream and holy heaven! It is rich. I highly recommend you top this cake off with this recipe for the BEST Chocolate Frosting.
Happy Baking!
If you love cake, check out these recipes!
Ultimate Moist Chocolate Fudge CakeSticky Toffee Date CakeMoist Lemon Blueberry BreadOlive Oil Chocolate Bundt CakeBest Vanilla Cupcake Recipe with Chocolate Fudge FrostingChocolate Chip Banana Cake with Creamy Milk Chocolate FrostingBlueberry Peach Upside Down CakeThe BEST Moist Chocolate Cake recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup 250g all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup 56g cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup 200g granulated sugar
- ½ cup 110g packed light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup 120ml neutral oil
- ¾ cup 180ml sour cream
- 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup 240ml hot coffee
To make a single layer chocolate cake, try my ULTIMATE Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the base with parchment paper.
- Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add both sugars and salt and whisk to blend well, pressing out any lumps of brown sugar.
- 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 hand mixer on medium-low until blended. It will be thick and somewhat dry. Add the hot coffee gradually in two stages to minimize clumps forming and beat until evenly combined and the batter smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and 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 inverting onto the rack to cool completely.
- Once cakes are cooled, cover them with my BEST Chocolate Fudge Frosting!
Imani B
Loved the cake! I added good coloring and accessorized it…turned into a skull Halloween cake! Looked wonderful and started great!
christina.marsigliese
Omg how creative! Thanks for sharing Imani.
Dana
Where should I store the cake with the frosting?
(I think last time I made it I stored it in the fridge, but the frosting got hard and wasn't as good as a room temperature frosting).
christina.marsigliese
Hi Dana, this cake keeps well at room temperature for 3 days, covered. The frosting will harden over time since it is a ganache.
Charlene Clemens
Charlene : I just found you when I searched for Best Chocolate Cake .
Your recipe lived up to its title and I just took my first sample and it’s soo
Moist, Chocolatey, and a Beautiful presentation!
I look forward to jumping into your other recipes in the future.
Thank you for being willing to help others become better bakers!🥰
Kloe
Not overwhelmingly chocolatey! Perfect for a family gathering. I double the recipe & used water instead of coffee and did a three tier chocolate cake
Went down an absolute treat!!
Namrata
Thank you SO SO SO much for this recipe. It's always a hit, always turns out perfect and everyone always loves it...
Occasionally if sour cream is not available what's the best replacement?
Tasha
Perfectly moist, easy to make, clean taste and keeps well.
Mohamed
naturally like your web-site however you need to take a look at the spelling on several of your posts.
Many of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it
very troublesome to inform the truth on the other hand I'll certainly come
back again.
Nora
Best chocolate cake in the whole world. Everyone needs to make it.
Yourprivateproxy
Hello! This post could not be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
Ingrid Wuilmet
I made this for a layered birthday cake and it was absolutely amazing!! From now on my go-to chocolate cake recipe!!!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Ingrid, I saw your reel on IG! It looked amazing! Thank you.
QINISO MASONDO
Will the cake come out fine if I only use white sugar?
christina.marsigliese
Yes it will still work.
Ritu Majmudar
Hi,
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful yet easy to follow recipe . One question though, can i replace eggs? What can be used in place?
Rachel
I cannot wait to try this cake! I have been on the lookout for a great chocolate cake. I tend to like sweeter chocolate. Can I replace the dark chocolate with semi-sweet chocolate? If so, do I need to change the proportion of cream?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Rachel, yes semi-sweet chocolate will work in the frosting. Enjoy!
Gugapriya
Hii mam,how to prepare sour cream!!! Pls reply gotta bake for my niece birthday this week🥲🥲
Karen
I love this recipe, it is one of my favorites. It's not too sweet, it's perfect.
The cake and the ganache 5 ☆
Lillian Miller
Absolutely love this cake! So moist. It tastes like the goofy slab cakes if you know what i mean
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Lillian!
Mikana
Hello,
Is there any alternative for sour cream?
christina.marsigliese
HI Mikana, yes the substitution recommendations are in the FAQ section in the article 🙂
Mallory
This is the most perfect chocolate cake! It is extremely moist and not too sweet. I made no changes and it turned out perfect.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Mallory!
Selina
Hi what if I only have brown sugar? Will that still work
christina.marsigliese
He Selina, yes it will work.
Joni
I made it a few times and it is fab! It's easy and very moist. Love it. Thanks!
Ella
I was planning on making this amazing cake for a baby shower.
*Would you recommend on double the recipe/making it in a smaller pan for it to be higher? Or do you think one cake should be enough? (~10 people)
*I was thinking of making white (vanilla) frosting instead of chocolate frosting, do you have a recipe for that?
Thank you so much!!!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Ella, I would recommend making this recipe twice (doubling it) and making a 4-layer 8 inch round cake to serve 10 people if you want a bigger presentation. Otherwise this cake serves a modest 10 people. There are vanilla frosting recipes in my cookbooks too.
Palak
Can you tell a substitute for eggs ?
Jane
What altitude do you live at? Just wondering if I'll need to make adjustments for my altitude
christina.marsigliese
Hi Jane, I'm at ground level 🙂
Cheryl-Anne
I made this for my son's birthday party and I was nervous to make a cake from scratch but it was so easy and it came out perfectly moist and very delicious. Thanks for helping me make his birthday celebration a success!
Beverly
This was absolutely delicious and hit all the right notes, moist, not too sweet tender crumb, it truly made for a show stopping dessert. The frosting was amazing and very easy to work it. Though, I have made Ina's famous chocolate several times, it's never been soapy but a bit too sweet. I love that your cake does not use extra large eggs. Additionally, your frosting doesn't require a raw egg which can be dangerous is summer and to those with compromised immune systems.
Claire
Still my go to recipe for chocolate cake. I’ve tried many others and this one is the best.. no need for silly ingredients like mayonnaise.
Nidhi
Hey Christina 🙂 have always been your fan . Was going to try out this one . Can I use flax eggs instead of normal eggs ? Anything else I can go to make it eggless ? Thanks so much for your advice .
Betsy
Absolutely delicious & easy to make! Can I make this into a bundt cake? If so, how long would I bake it for?
Super Sue
What an amazing cake! Made this for my adult daughters birthday. She is allergic to vanilla, so we substituted with maple syrup. Kept everything else as per the recipe. What a winner! Everybody loved it, including my husband, who “hates chocolate cake”!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Sue! I'm so happy your daughter enjoyed the cake!
Noor
Hi, Can i use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar?
Thank you
christina.marsigliese
Hi Noor, yes you can
Musarret Shar
Quick easy and oh so delicious. Definitely saving this 1!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Musarret!
Noor
Hi, Can i use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar?
Thank you
Lisette Kuus
I want to make this for a birthday but how many ounces of batter is this or how big round pan for two layers of this?
Thank you!!
Ashley
I don't know how this is going to come out..I am a little frightened. I weighed everything and measured everything else correctly, but the batter seems more like a soup than a batter. I am baking it right now so I am hoping it comes out right because I don't have time to bake another.
christina.marsigliese
Hi Ashley, that's correct - this is a very runny batter. Don't stress!
Saima
Hello your recipe turned out amazing but I like less sweetness in cakes can less the suger qunttity???
christina.marsigliese
Hi Saima, sugar makes cakes moist so if you reduce the sugar it will also affect the texture.
Anonymous
My grandson aged5 says "the best cake ever"- an accolade!
christina.marsigliese
Awww - I love it! Thank you.
Makeup
It抯 actually a nice and helpful piece of information. I am satisfied that you shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
Winnie
Substitute for sour cream?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Winnie, yes I have substitution recommendations in the article 🙂
Deborah
Thank you so much Christina for a wonderful Chocolate Cake recipe. As you said this cake is so moist and full of chocolate flavor. My Black Forest Cake turned out so delicious! This recipe is a keeper.
christina.marsigliese
I love that you turned it into a black forest cake. Thank you Deborah!
RDbaker
I had high expectations for this cake and it totally delivered. It's so easy and has the softest texture with such little effort. I'll make it again for my Dad's birthday!
Andi