This Best Ever Easy Chocolate Cake is a family favourite recipe that’s perfectly moist and tender, ultra chocolatey, and easy to make with basic pantry ingredients! Perfect for beginners!
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There’s almost nothing I love more than going back to old, time-tested family recipes that never disappoint. This Best Ever Easy Chocolate Cake is a recipe that’s been in my family for years and years, and it’s my dad’s favourite chocolate cake of all time. It’s the perfect chocolate cake recipe for beginners to baking, and I just know you’re going to make it again and again, just like I do!
The Secret to the BEST Easy Chocolate Cake
There’s one thing that makes this easy chocolate cake stand out from all the others – coffee! Adding hot coffee to the batter intensifies the chocolate flavour (don’t worry…if you don’t like coffee you won’t be able to taste it!) and helps create that rich, dark, chocolate colour. And adding hot coffee makes for a very liquid-y batter, creating an ultra-moist cake. Trust me – if you aren’t adding hot coffee to your chocolate cake batter, you should be! 
No Fail Tips for the PERFECT Easy Chocolate Cake
Follow these tips for the perfect chocolate cake every single time!
- Add hot water or coffee. Adding coffee intensifies the chocolate flavour, and the hot liquid adds SO much moisture.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. Mixing the wet ingredients together and the dry ingredients together and then combining them will give your cake the perfect texture since all the ingredients will be evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Grease your pan well, and line it with parchment paper. Grease your pan generously for easy removal. A circle of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan will make removing the cake SO easy!
- Bake immediately after mixing. The leavening agents are activated as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together so for a fluffy and tender cake, bake it as soon as you can!
- Let it cool before slicing or frosting. Cakes continue to bake on the inside after you remove them from the oven, so be sure to let the cake cool in its pan for about 15 minutes before removing it from the pan to cool completely before frosting or slicing.
EASY NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE RECIPES & TIPS
Get my easy no bake cheesecakes e-cookbook!
Looking for more recipes? Try my Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake, my One Bowl Chocolate Cake and my “From Scratch” Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe.
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I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite easy dessert recipe? I’d love to know!
KITCHEN PRODUCTS I RECOMMEND:
Looking for even more deliciously decadent desserts? Before you grab this recipe check out these recipes!!
- Best Ever Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Tart
- Best Ever No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
- Easy No Bake Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
- Easy No Bake After Eight Cheesecake
- Classic No Bake Cheesecake
- Easy No Bake Oreo Cheesecake
- Easy No Bake Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake
- Easy No Bake Snickers Cheesecake
- No Bake Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Looking for more?
EASY NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE RECIPES & TIPS
Get my easy no bake cheesecakes e-cookbook!
Click here to learn more!
EASY NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE RECIPES & TIPS
Get my easy no bake cheesecakes e-cookbook!
RECIPE VIDEO
Watch the video below to see exactly how I make this recipe. You can find more delicious recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
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Best Ever Easy Chocolate Cake
Recipe: Equipment
- 8-inch spring form pan OR 8-inch round or square cake pan with high sides
Recipe: Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup hot coffee (or use boiling water)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup milk (or use almond milk, soy milk, etc.)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 1/2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (approximately 100 grams)
- 1 tablespoon milk
- a pinch of salt
Recipe: Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease an 8-inch spring form pan with butter, and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl add the cocoa powder and butter, and pour the hot coffee over them, whisking as the butter melts and the cocoa dissolves in the liquid.
- Whisk in the brown sugar, milk and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine them until the mixture is smooth and no streaks of flour remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
For the frosting:
- While the cake cools, add the butter and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl and mix them together until smooth with a hand mixer.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl, on 50% powder for 30-second increments just until the chocolate is melted.
- Let the chocolate cool for a few minutes before drizzling it into the butter and powdered sugar mixture while the mixer is running.
- Continue mixing on medium-high speed as the frosting becomes fluffy, adding the milk as you mix.
Assembly:
- When the cake has cooled completely (remove it from the pan after about 10 minutes to a wire rack to cool completely), place it on a plate and spread the frosting over the top of the cake.
- Slice and serve.
Recipe: Notes
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
How would I convert the baking process to make in a pressure cooker?
Hi Deb! You can try my Easy Instant Pot Chocolate Cake: https://thebusybaker.ca/easy-instant-pot-chocolate-cake/
I’ve made this cake twice in an 8″ spring form pan and I have had to cook it for at least 15 minutes longer. It seems to sink in the center too. The cake is awesome and I will try it once more in an 8″/9″ square pan. Frosting is a little sweet and makes a lot. I cut back on the confectionery sugar this time and it’s much better.
You can use an oven thermometer to check if your oven temp is true to setting if your cake is not baking in time.
Hello
There is no egg listed in the ingredients. Is this correct or a mistake. Thank you kindly.
It’s correct, this recipe calls for no eggs!
This Chocolate cake is really good!!
We’re happy you enjoyed it 💛
This cake is SOOOO good. It landed in my inbox yesterday and I made it because it looked so yummy and I had all ingredients on hand. It’s even better today. I think it will be a go-to recipe. Perfect size and tastes amazing.
We’re so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback.