Classic Chocolate Cake
Updated: June 6, 2024, By Swasthi
This Classic Chocolate Cake is light, moist, rich and delicious that any chocolate lover is going to love it. If you are a beginner, learning to bake, my step by step photo guide and video will help you whip up an easy cake at home. Plus a bonus! I also share an easy buttercream frosting recipe that’s perfectly sweet, light and fluffy.
About Classic Chocolate Cake
You will be surprised to know this is a one bowl and one egg cake that just needs a whisk, no mixer needed except for the frosting. This is our family favorite and makes for a two layered – 6 inch cake that serves 4 to 6 people. Alternately you can make a single layer – 7 or 8 inch cake. It is stable enough to decorate for occasions and celebrations.
This tried and tested recipe is adapted from Hershey’s “perfectly chocolate” chocolate cake but scaled down to make for a 6 inch cake. During my early years of learning, I was in search of a perfect recipe that did not call for expert level skills to bake a basic cake. I tried out so many recipes but none yielded me as best as this.
It’s been so many years and I have not looked back for any other Classic chocolate cake because this is deeply chocolatey and satisfying with a perfect moist texture. More importantly, it is easy enough and can say it has only 2 steps. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix with the wet! I have also made cupcakes using the same and they are just mind-blowing and vanish in no time.
Ingredients you need
- Flour – You will need all-purpose flour. I use organic or unbleached flour. The recipe works with fine wheat flour or pastry flour too. If using wheat flour, you will need additional liquid.
- Cocoa powder – Use high quality unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao. Just note that cacao can taste more bitter than cocoa. I avoid using Dutch processed cocoa here because it requires adjusting the amounts of leavening agents.
- Leavening agents – This recipe requires both baking powder and baking soda. They cannot be interchanged/ used one for the other. Avoid using baking powder with aluminum.
- Vanilla Extract is used for flavor. You may replace it with a few drops of essence and it is important to note that essence and extract do not make 1:1 substitution. If using essence, use only a few drops. For additional flavor you may use ground cinnamon.
- Sugar – Use organic cane sugar.
- Egg – Use a large egg.
- Milk – Use full fat milk
- Oil – I use extra virgin organic coconut oil but any neutral oil should work the same way.
- Boiling hot water – yes you read it right! We need boiling water to make the cake batter.
- To Frost – Unsalted Butter, confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar, Cocoa powder, Milk and Vanilla Extract are required for buttercream frosting.
You may like these similar recipes
Banana Cake
Butter Cake
Chocolate Sponge Cake
Biscuit Cake
Photo Guide
Step by step Photo Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 175 C or 350 F for at least 15 mins. Grease and line 2 – 6 inch cake pans. You can also make a single layer cake in a 7 or 8 inch pan. You can also just grease and dust with some flour or cocoa.
2. Place a sieve over a mixing bowl. Add flour.
3. Add the rest of the dry ingredients – cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sieve them all.
4. Next add sugar.
5. Mix everything very well until uniform. Make a well in the center.
6. Heat half cup water in a pot. (Don’t add the water here). Meanwhile pour milk, egg, oil and vanilla to the dry ingredients.
8. Whisk the wet ingredients first. Then whisk together wet and dry ingredients just until combined. Do not over mix.
9. You will have a slightly thick batter at this stage.
10. Quickly pour the hot water to the batter. The water must be very hot.
11. Immediately whisk the batter just until the water is absorbed and the batter looks uniform. Batter is very runny at this stage.
12. Pour this to the pans. Tap the pan to the counter 2 to 3 times.
13. Bake for 28 to 30 mins or until the tester comes out clean. Please adjust the timing depending on the oven and pan sizes. If baking in a 7 inch pan you may need to bake up to 35 to 38 mins. Cool the pans on a wire rack for 10 mins.
14. Then invert to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting chocolate cake
15. Please follow the recipe card to make the frosting. I have shared below quick tips on how to frost the cake.
16. Spread a tsp of frosting in the center of the cake board or cake stand. Place 4 parchment papers on all 4 sides such that they don’t touch the frosting. Place the cake on the parchment paper. The center of the cake has to be on the frosting that was spread. Begin to spread the frosting with a spatula. Even out for smooth surface. Place another cake and repeat the frosting. Then frost on the sides. Smoothen the sides as well with the spatula.
17. I just used some Choco chips and sprinkles on top. Then remove the parchment paper gently.
Slice the classic chocolate cake.
The following tips will help you to adapt the recipe to different pan sizes.
Expert Tips
- I have baked this cake in two 6 inch round pans as I do not prefer to cut my cake to layers. If you do not have 2 pans then you can bake it in a single 7 or 8 inch round pan. To make it a layered cake you will have to cut the cake to 2 layers and then frost.
- This recipe cannot be halved but can be doubled to make a 2 or 3 layers 8 inch cake.
- The recipe can be used to make 12 cupcakes.
- Do adjust the baking time depending on the pan size used.
- I have made chocolate buttercream frosting which needs a stand or hand mixer. If you do not have one, you can also beat the mixture using a whisk but it is a bit of arm work.
- You can also make a simple chocolate ganache instead of buttercream frosting or spread some melted chocolate over the cake. This needs no mixer & you can bake the entire batter in a single pan.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Classic Chocolate Cake
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp flour (112 grams) (all-purpose flour or wheat flour)
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder (34 grams) (6 tbsps)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup sugar (organic)
Wet ingredients
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup oil (4 tbsps) (I used virgin coconut oil)
- 1 to 2 tsp vanilla extract or powder as needed
- ½ cup boiling hot water
For chocolate buttercream frosting (optional)
- ½ cup butter unsalted (soft but cold)
- 1¾ cup powdered sugar or confectioners sugar
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1½ tbsp milk or whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Grease and line 2 – 6 inch cake pans or 1 – 7 or 8 inch pan. Preheat the oven to 350 F – 175 C for at least 15 mins.
- Sieve together flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda to a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and mix until well combined.
- Make a well in the center of the bowl. Pour egg, oil, vanilla extract & milk. Whisk together all the wet ingredients. Then mix wet and dry together until just combined and no lumps appear.
- Pour boiling hot water and whisk until all the water is absorbed by the batter. The batter is runny at this stage. Pour this to the cake pans. Tap the pans gently twice to the counter.
- Bake for 28 to 30 mins or until the tester inserted comes out clean. Please adjust the timing as it varies from oven to oven.
- Cool the cake in the pans on a wire rack for 10 mins. Invert to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.
Making chocolate buttercream frosting
- Ensure butter is soft yet cold. Beat it until light & creamy for 2 mins. Then add the rest of the ingredients except milk. Beat until smooth, light and creamy. If the frosting is too thick add milk and beat. If it becomes runny, just add more powdered sugar.
- Refrigerate for a while and spread on the cake. For more details watch the video. Refrigerate and use up the chocolate cake with in a week.
Notes
Recipe source : Hersheys
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
About Swasthi
Iโm Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthiโs Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
Follow Swasthi’s Recipes
Comments
I loved it . The recipe is so short and precise which makes it easy for anyone to understand. The ingridients are also easy to find and how to measure.And now i know i should always preheat the oven.
I have tried u recipe is superb cake turned out very soft and sponge and rich chocolaty too good. Can you make recipe of brownie but without egg and chocolate but with weikfield cocoa powder
I Have questions why there is difference in ingredients like 1 cup flour should be 120 gram but in my cup 3/4 cup is 120 gram
And same with other dry ingredients like sugar internet says 1 cup sugar 200 GM but in my cup it is 230 or 240
What is the reason can u explain or make some notes and post it will help everyone
Hi Gaurav,
Thanks for trying. It looks like the cups you are using are larger and this is the reason for the difference. I will try to post the recipe for eggless brownie.
I am using 240 ml cup which cup you are using 200 ml?
I use a 240 ml cup. I know that if you don’t fluff up the flour with a fork before measuring it can weigh more. Also sometimes it is the moisture in your flour but still it shouldn’t make so much difference. Whole wheat flour with plenty of bran (atta) weighs more than all-purpose flour.
I never felt confident enough to bake cakes. But I simply thought of making a chocolate cake for my mother’s birthday. Followed your recipe and it came out soo well. Such an amazing cake it was. Thanks a lot Swasthi for sharing this foolproof recipe.
Thanks for trying Asha
Super and tasty but you didn’t mention how to make butter cream
Thanks Sa. I will update it
Thank you so much Swathi! I made this cake for my friend’s birthday and it came out so well. The cake wasn’t too sweet and so the sweetness of the frosting nicely balanced things. I trust your recipes blindly. I
I’ve used this recipe few times and it always comes out delicious, thank you!
Hi Swasthi, I came across this recipe and was excited to try it. Got stopped in my tracks when I started to put the ingredients together.
At the top of your ingredients column you state โ(1 cup=240ml)
This is fine for liquid ingredients.
What I could not understand was whether you are using this 240ml cup as the cup for the dry ingredients as well. ( flour,sugar cocoa powder).
If I could get this answered I am longing to try this recipe.
Thank you
Erna
Hi Erna,
Yes you are going to use the same cup
Tried it with my kid. But our cake got sunk in the middle. Any idea why it happened?
Hi, What kind of oven are you using? If the oven size is small, like example – a otg, you need to bake at lower temperature. In smaller ovens, the cake can rise too fast at the mentioned temperature and collapse in the center. Even in a fan forced oven, it requires less temperature – 165 C. Other reasons could be overmixing the batter or opening the oven door too often. Hope you used the same pan size mentioned in the recipe. I have a video of the same at the end of the post. Please check that, it may help.
hi.if i am using self raising flour,can i skip the baking powder and baking soda?
This is the best chocolate cake recipe I have ever come across. I get so many compliments from people when I make this chocolate cake. Thanks a ton.
Thank you Ishani. So glad to know you all like it.
Can u share recipe for chocolate ganache?for truffle cake
Hi Manu,
I am currently on a vacation and won’t be able to share new recipes
Can we use whipped cream with added cocoa instead of butterfrosting?which one gives bakery like taste?
Hi am trying to buy an OTG just for baking purpose as I already have microwave oven and toaster.
Since I only follow your recipes to the T itโll be easy to follow it if you tell me which OTG you use so I can buy the same and there wonโt be any difference in baking time and all that. Please let me know.
Hi, The oven I use is not available in India. I don’t have much idea about ovens in India. I have heard from a lot of people that Morphy Richards is good. Hope this helps
Oh thank you I was thinking of buying the same too gives me more confidence to buy it now !
Hi swasti, I purchased new morphs Richards otg 30 ltrs. It has two modes one is with fan other is without fan but both top and bottom heating elements will be on in both modes. So for all your recipes which would you advice I use.
Also in most of cake recipes you have mentioned coconut oil in all of them can I use extra virgin coconut oil instead of plain coconut oil?
Hi,
Congrats! It depends on the recipe. Suppose you are baking a cake, then use the mode with no fan (both the rods on). If you are making crispy cookies, potato wedges or French fries etc you can use the mode with fan. Basically fan dries out the moisture in foods so you can choose based on that.
Yes I use organic virgin coconut oil. For some reason it has no flavor so it works out well. You can use it. Hope this helps.
Hi Swasthi,
The cake turned out great taste wise. I would just like to share my experience as a word of caution to other amateur bakers like me. I didn’t have the regular cake tin, only a springform one. Though the recipe says the batter will be runny, I decided to go ahead out of the confidence that I’ve previously managed to bake runny batter cakes in it successfully. But this one was too thin and started leaking right out after i poured it in (mostly because of the boiling water that made it extra thin). Anyway all wasn’t lost as i quickly managed to pour it into cupcake liners, baked at 175ยฐC for about 18min, turned out great?
Hi Dhanya
Glad to know! Yes as you said I should mention that. I will update the post with a note on this.
Thanks for letting me know
How much morde choclate has to be used instead of cocoa powder??
Megha
I haven’t tried this with chocolate
Hey Swathi,
I followed all the steps in the recipe but my cake rose and kind of had a crack in the middle part. What could be the reason?
Hi Sreeya
Did you use a 7 or 8 inch pan? If there is lot of batter in the cake pan, the top will crack. Try using a slightly larger pan.
Do I have use sugar powder.
I use fine sugar (not powdered)
I was looking for a simple chocolate cake recipe that my 10 years old daughter could make by herself and I came across your page.
This recipe is simple, easy, doesn’t require any electrical machine and has common ingredients.
And the cake turned out to be great! Thankyou.
Forgot to rate earlier
You are Welcome!
Glad to know! Thank you
Hi Swasthi
This post of mine is not related to chocolate cake but your profound knowledge of baking. I know that youโre not into Bengali cooking. Still thought of asking you as youโre an expert baker.
We bengalees use a sun dried lentil dumpling (bori) in lots of or dishes. Itโs made of urad daal paste and dried under sun. In Bangalore we really donโt get those and need to depend on parents coming this side. With the outbreak of the pandemic that way is closed.
Now I have tried making in microwave oven but not with that success. I have searched in google for the recipe….lot are there but sun dried variations mostly. Hence could not set the correct temperature in the oven..
Do you have any idea how to bake those lentil dumpling in the microwave oven?
Itโs really impossible to cook without โboriโ
Hi Tanu,
Even we make the urad dal bori and the recipe is the same as the Bengali version. I haven’t tried it personally. Sorry dear I couldn’t help you
๐
No issues. You have already rendered immense help to all of us.
Will wait for the Sun God to shine.
Hello Swasthi
Is it ok to use butter in place of coconut oil?
Hi Marilyn
Yes you can use melted butter
Hi,
Can you please let me know , if I want to bake it as a vanilla cake?what should I add insted of cocoa powder,also any additional ingredient is needed for vanilla cake .
Thank you !
Hi Arun,
This cake recipe cannot be altered. You may check this vanilla butter cake