Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake
This super simple Homemade Chocolate Cake with creamy vanilla frosting is so moist and delicious, you won’t believe it was made using just one bowl!
ONE BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE
I am no stranger to boxed cake mixes. I absolutely adore them and if you’ve followed my blog for a while – you know I love to play around with them and make new creations from them. Every now and then though, I get a hankering for some homemade chocolate cake but I still need it to be easy and not create a ton of dirty dishes to wash up.
Made this for my husband’s birthday since he loves chocolate cake but I am not the best baker but this was so easy! Came out amazing! He couldn’t stop raving! It was the best chocolate cake I think I have ever had and the frosting was perfection with this cake. Thank you so much!!
– Jessica
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Absolutely! It is key in this recipe to make it moist. Don’t use substitutions – at all! I know a lot of people suggest mixing milk with vinegar or lemon juice. Trust me, that won’t work properly here because you need the fat. Regular milk does not provide that. Only use that substitute if you have heavy cream. The fat content in real buttermilk makes all the difference! If you have some buttermilk leftover then you must make my Butter Dip Biscuits. They are so good!
You can to get a darker and deeper chocolate cake. For this recipe, we have found we like it just as it is with no coffee. If you want to use coffee, substitute the water with prepared coffee in this recipe. The hot water in the recipe also helps the cocoa tastes richer as well.
In chocolate cakes, this helps to dissolve the sugar and cocoa powder to create a smoother batter and helps make the cocoa taste richer.
Yes. Just substitute with a gluten free flour.
Yes! The key is making sure to wrap the cake vey well to protect against freezer burn. Usually wrapping in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil will work best.
Yes. Softened salted butter can be substituted. I like the creaminess the margarine provides but butter can. certainly be used.
Because of the cream cheese in the frosting, this cake should be kept refrigerated.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- all-purpose flour – you can use self-rising flour, just leave out the additional baking soda and salt in the recipe since self-rising flour already has it added.
- sugar – I have not made this with sugar substitutes so can’t say how that would turn out.
- baking soda – it’s very important your baking soda is fresh – old or expired baking soda will result in a cake that does not rise.
- salt – just regular table salt.
- unsweetened cocoa – I usually just purchase Hershey’s cocoa powder (just make sure it is the unsweetened kind).
- vegetable oil – this is going to add moistness to the cake.
- eggs – it’s best to have the eggs at room temperature – this helps to create a lighter and fluffier cake.
- real buttermilk – do not skimp on the buttermilk, the buttermilk adds not just flavor but fat and you need fat for this to come out super moist – do not add lemon juice to regular milk for this – it is not the same because adding lemon juice to regular milk is not adding fat, it’s just adding sourness (and you absolutely need the fat here).
- hot water – as I stated above in the FAQ, this helps to make the cocoa powder more rich.
- margarine – I have actually found that I love to use margarine in this frosting – it makes it so creamy but you could certainly use softened real butter.
- cream cheese – this needs to be at room temperature or your frosting will be lumpy and no amount of mixing will smooth it out.
- powdered sugar – sometimes called confectioner sugar.
- mini chocolate chips – this is optional but I think it makes it look nice.
HOW TO MAKE EASY HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE
Preheat oven to 350f degrees. Spray the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together all the cake ingredients (except the hot water). This part can be done by hand or with an electric/stand mixer.
Once combined, gently stir in hot water. This needs to be stirred by hand. If you use an electric or stand mixer, the water may slosh right out of the bowl.
Batter will be thin. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
Bake for about 35-45 minutes (until it bounces back to the touch or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.)
Allow to cool completely before making frosting. When ready, in a medium bowl, mix together all the frosting ingredients. This is easiest using an electric mixer.
Spread frosting onto cooled cake.
Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top.
Slice and serve! Cook’s Notes: This cake will need to be kept refrigerated.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- White Texas Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
- Homemade White Cake
- Homemade Yellow Cake
- Italian Cream Cake
- Grandma’s Texas Sheet Cake
- Coca-Cola Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Italian Love Cake
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Southern Caramel Cake
- Chocolate Pudding Bundt Cake
- Homemade Yellow Cake Mix
Originally published: January 2017
Updated photos and republished: February 2022
Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup hot water
For the frosting:
- ¼ cup margarine
- ½ block (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar (also called confectioners sugar)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- mini chocolate chips (for topping, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs and 1 cup buttermilk until combined well. This part can be done by hand or with an electric/stand mixer.
- Once combined, gently stir in 1 cup hot water. This needs to be stirred by hand. If you use an electric or stand mixer, the water may slosh right out of the bowl. Batter will be thin.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
- Bake for about 35-45 minutes (until it bounces back to the touch or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.)
- Allow to cool completely before making frosting.
- When cake is cooled, in a medium bowl, with an electric hand mixer, mix together 1/4 cup margarine, 1/2 block (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened to room temperature until smooth.
- Then slowly mix in 2 cups powdered sugar along with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and combined well.
- Spread frosting onto cake then sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips evenly on the top. Slice and serve! Keep cake refrigerated .
Video
Notes
- This cake will need to be kept refrigerated.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Made this for my husband’s birthday since he loves chocolate cake but I am not the best baker but this was so easy! Came out amazing! He couldn’t stop raving! It was the best chocolate cake I think I have ever had and the frosting was perfection with this cake. Thank you so much!!
So incredibly moist – I couldn’t believe it! Absolutely excellent recipe and a gorgeous cake!
Came out perfect. Followed directions exactly. I had to bake mine a few minutes longer but my oven doesn’t heat to full temperature properly. Not a problem. I just waited until an inserted toothpick came out clean. I think this is hands down the best homemade chocolate cake I have ever made. Everyone asked for the recipe!
My favorite chocolate cake. My wife started making this recipe from your site and it is our go-to chocolate cake recipe now. We’ve been making it for years and can attest to how well it turns out!
The only chocolate cake I will ever make again. I am not even that great at baking and even I couldn’t mess this up. Thank you!
I made this chocolatey cake after the first birthday cake was a bust. I figured simple is better. And it was!! Thank you for an easy to follow recipe that was fast and yummy. I liked the decorations that really had a nice celebration affect. I would bake again.
Thank you so much! I made it today and
The result was a fluffy and yummy cake :).
The only sore points were my frosting
Which looked so untidy and the chocolate chips
Which i purchased were giant ones!
At the end of the day, taste is the most important. 🙂 So glad you liked it!!
I would give this 10 stars if I could. I have always been intimidated in making a homemade cake since I always seem to mess them up but this was so, so easy! I thought it wouldn’t come out moist like a boxed cake mix but it definitely did. Everyone was impressed I made it from scratch. I came home with an empty dish!
Love it, looks great!
The recipe calls for 1/3 cup of cocoa but the information above it says 1/2. Which is it. Thank you. Sharon
Hi Sharon – it is 1/2 cup 🙂
This was so good, hubby can tell eat it fast enough and after 5 days it was still moist and delicious. A winner in my book.
Fantastic! I just made this today and it came out beautifully, even though my power shut off five minutes after I put the cake in the oven. Instead of cream cheese frosting, I made a more traditional butter cream, with one exception. I didn’t actually have any cream, but I did have some whipped cream, so I put some of that in and it worked SO well. It made for such a lovely light frosting! Anyway, thanks for the recipe!
Amazing! Made it with my grandsons and all I can say is if they can make it and it turn out great than ANYONE can make it – ha! So, so good. We all loved it and my husband (their Paw Paw) said we must keep this one in regular rotation!