The BEST Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

Published: Sep 21, 2020 · Modified: Sep 11, 2023 by christina.marsigliese · 434 Comments

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

Can I freeze chocolate cake?

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.

What type of oil is best for chocolate cake?

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.

What is a substitute for sour cream?

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.

Can I make this recipe without coffee?

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.

What is the secret to super moist cake and how do I make my cake more moist?

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.

How do you add moisture to a chocolate cake?

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.

Why are my cakes flat?

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.

Can I make this chocolate cake recipe with a 9x13-inch pan?

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.

Can I use this recipe to make cupcakes?

Yes you can! It works great. In this case, bake them for 18-20 minutes.

Can I double the chocolate frosting?

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.

Can I freeze chocolate cake?

What is the most famous chocolate cake in the world?

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.

What causes a cake to be moist?

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 Cake