This Best Ever One Bowl Chocolate Cake is, hands down, the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. As an avid home baker I’ve tried many from-scratch cake recipes and this one is by far the best one yet! It’s super simple to make, so it’s great for beginners in the kitchen, and it’s perfectly moist and delicious with an unlikely secret ingredient that creates the perfect texture!
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It would be a very hard thing for me to have to name my favourite recipe of all time, but if I ever have to pick just one favourite recipe I think it would be this Best Ever One Bowl Chocolate Cake. I know that sounds a little crazy – after all, it’s just a chocolate cake – but of all the recipes I’ve ever made this one is the one I come back to time after time and it never, ever fails me.
You know those ‘holy grail’ recipes that are so simply amazing you make them over and over and over again? Those recipes that, when you pull the tattered and stained recipe card out of your recipe box for the thousandth time your heart smiles a little because you already know how the recipe will turn out? Those recipes that you’ve made so many times for family and friends and yet you’re met with more and more requests for them because they’re just THAT good? This. This chocolate cake is one of THOSE recipes.
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Looking for more delicious cakes? You’ll love my Chocolate Layer Cake or this delicious Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting!!
This Best Ever One Bowl Chocolate Cake is the recipe I reach for when I don’t know what else to bake. It’s the recipe I reach for when I only have an hour before we have to be somewhere and I forgot I had said I’d bring dessert. It’s our family’s favourite birthday cake and it’s the cake I make when company comes over. And the reason it’s my go-to chocolate cake is simple: it has never, ever failed me. I’ve made this recipe at different altitudes, on different continents, and even once without measuring the ingredients (true story!) and it has always turned out perfectly: soft and tender, with the perfect amount of sweetness and a deep chocolate flavour, and yet just a little bit dense and fudgy at the same time. It’s truly chocolate cake perfection.
Looking for even more delicious desserts? You’ll LOVE my Perfect Pavlova or this Black Forest Icebox Cake!
It’s strong enough to stand as a chocolate layer cake, it can be made into cupcakes, and it even works out perfectly when made in a bundt pan. I’ve been baking for about 20 years and never have I ever come across a cake recipe that’s so versatile, and yet so perfectly delicious. It’s truly the ‘holy grail’ of chocolate cake recipes and I’m so glad to be sharing this sheet cake version with you today. Trust me, you NEED this recipe in your life!
Looking for more delicious cakes? You’ll love my Chocolate Layer Cake or this delicious Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting!!
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Looking for even more deliciously sweet recipes? Try these ones I’ve linked below!
These Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies are SO easy to make, and they’re to die for!!
Satisfy your donut craving with this Glazed Chocolate Donut Bundt Cake!
This Gingerbread Spice Cake with Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting is delicious during the fall or the holiday season!
LOOKING FOR MORE DELICIOUS SUMMER DESSERT IDEAS?
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Best Ever One Bowl Chocolate Cake
Recipe: Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk (optional to thin out the frosting if necessary)
Recipe: Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
- Add the eggs, the milk, the vegetable oil and the vanilla, and whisk these ingredients into the dry ingredients until the mixture is smooth.
- Slowly add the boiling water, whisking constantly until the cake batter is runny and smooth.
- Pour the cake batter into a greased 9-inch by 13-inch rectangular pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack while you make the frosting.
- For the frosting, whip the butter on high speed using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer until the butter is pale and smooth. Add the cocoa powder and the powdered sugar and continue to whip until everything is combined and smooth.
- If necessary, add the milk a few drops at a time to loosen up the frosting until it reaches a consistency that is spreadable. This step may not be necessary depending on the temperature of the butter you used for the frosting.
- When the cake has cooled completely, spread the frosting over the cake.
- Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour to allow the frosting to set before serving, or serve immediately if you desire.
Recipe: Notes
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Hello there! I am beyond thrilled to have known about a fellow Winnipeg food blogger. I am very much inspired by your recipes here especially this one bowl chocolate cake. My daughter loves chocolate cakes and this is a great addition to our list.
Regards to you !
Hey! So fun to “meet” a fellow Winnipegger! I actually don’t live in Winnipeg anymore (just moved overseas last year) but I’ve lived in Winnipeg most of my life 🙂
This cake is crazy good
So tender and rich in flavour,
YoUll want to eat more than one piece for sure
Make some, like right NOW !
I din’t know, how to make cake but with the help of this recipe I made it easily. It’s taste was very amazing.
Thank you so much for your feedback!! I’m so happy to hear that you liked it so much🙂
The recipe sounds amazing. Can we replace eggs with flaxseeds and would it give the same result?
I’m sorry, I can’t really say because I’ve never done that before. You could try, although I doubt the result would be as tender and rise as well.
This is wonderful! You have done an excellent job explaining the reasons to do the little things I’ve always wondered why. Thank you!
Thanks so much!!
Fantastic chocolate birthday cake! Fast and Easy!! Frosting was also yummy!! Love it in Ontario!!
Thanks! So glad you loved it!
Does this cake freeze well?
Yes, it absolutely does. I’d recommend freezing it un-frosted first and then thawing before frosting.
This recipe looks great- is it caster sugar or granulated?
Thanks
Granulated sugar 🙂
can you bake this cake in a 8” round mold?
Are you referring to a bundt pan? Yes, you can bake it in a bundt pan, although I’d recommend a 9-inch. This batter rises quite a lot when it bakes.
This recipe looks great, just wondering though, it looks like you baked it in a glass dish. I’ve read that you need to adjust temperature or time in this case, is that right?
For me, the dish doesn’t make that big a difference for this recipe – maybe add one or two minutes to baking time for a glass dish. But always use the toothpick test to check the doneness! 🙂
Just tried this easy recipe and the best part is even your kids can help and feel happy they made a cake. Love this one pan recipe.
I baked in a glass dish, served in the same.
SO glad you loved it! 🙂
Thanks much for this delicious chocolate cake recipe
Thank you! So glad you liked it!!
Can you make it in a round cake pan or do does it need to be in a rectangular pan or bundt pan?
You can make it in 2 round 9-inch pans 🙂
The cake is cooling and the buttercream is made! The only thing I did different was add about 1/4 or so tsp of salt to the buttercream. It was a bit flat without it. The cake smells and looks scrumptious!!☺️👍
Thanks Deborah! Glad it turned out so perfect!!🙂
Hi does this need to be made in two 9 inch round pans if doing it in a round pan? Can it be stored in an airtight container or does it need to be kept in the fridge?
Yes! For making this into a round cake, check out this recipe https://thebusybaker.ca/chocolate-layer-cake/. It can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days without being refrigerated. Happy baking!
I doubled this recipe and made a 9×13 layer cake. It was the most amazing chocolate cake ever!!! Everyone loved it and this is now the only chocolate cake recipe I will ever use!!
Thanks so much for your feedback Susan!!🙂
I’d love to try this recipe, could I get the quantities in metric, I live in the U.K.
Thanks
There’s a grey button that says “metric” right under the ingredient list. If you click on that, the measurements will automatically convert to metric for you!