Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe in the world. This moist, rich chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is one of the most popular recipes on Modern Honey. Everyone loves it...just read the reviews! This chocolate cake recipe has a 5-star rating for good reason!
I have been on a baking quest for years....trying out every single chocolate cake recipe that I can get my hands on. It's my duty as a baker to ensure that I test them all, right?
My sister-in-law owns her own cake business and is the baking goddess. Years ago, she decided that every Sunday she was going to test out a different chocolate cake recipe. She did this for months on end and through her exhaustive research, she found her favorite.
This Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake is an adaption of her ultimate cake and it's everything a perfect chocolate cake should be - rich, moist, fudgy, and the best chocolate cake you will ever eat. We've done the research for you so you don't have to. This is a 5-star rated moist chocolate cake.
I have been baking ever since I can remember with my Mom and Grandma. They have taught me so much over the years about baking and I will be sharing all of the tips and tricks I have learned to make a perfect homemade chocolate cake. There are tricks of the trade to make sure the cake easily comes out of the pan and how to frost the cake so the frosting comes out smooth. Baking is all about ratios and you have to find that perfect balance. Here are some of the most important things I have learned about the art of baking cakes.
How to make the PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE:
- Oil works best in chocolate cakes (in my humble opinion). Even though I am the biggest butter fan, adding oil to a chocolate cake batter creates a moist texture. I have used both canola and coconut oils and both turn out beautifully. When I use melted coconut oil, there is surprisingly no coconut oil taste in the cake. My favorite baking appliance when making cakes and cookies is my KITCHENAID MIXER. You can find all types of colors and sizes by clicking HERE.
- Cake flour does make a difference in the tender crumb of the cake but you can substitute all-purpose flour.
- A high-quality cocoa powder can change the depth of chocolate flavor. I use Callebaut Cocoa (which I find in the bulk section at Winco. It is so inexpensive when you buy it from the bulk bins. You can buy as little or as much as you need).
- Using both baking soda and baking powder gives it the best rise. Homemade cakes don't puff up as much in the middle as boxed cake mixes do so don't be surprised when they are a tad flatter. It makes them so much easier to stack and frost.
- Buttermilk is a must because it gives it the melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Don't overbake your cake. You want that moist, tender crumb so watch it carefully.
- My favorite baking pans are these ones -- Wilton 8 Inch Round Pan and USA Round Cake Pan, 9 inch. A flat spatula to frost a cake is essential and is only around 5 bucks -- Wilton Angled Icing Spatula.
- Spray the pans with non-stick cooking spray. After baking, let the cakes cool for about 15 minutes before removing from pans. If you want to make them extra easy to frost, stick them in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. Remove from freezer when ready to frost.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting called a "crumb coat" all over the cake. This helps to smooth out the crumbs to prepare for the final coating of frosting. It is like a primer for a cake.
Every Valentine's Day, I make my husband his very own chocolate cake. The problem is that he goes to work, leaving me at home staring at a triple layer chocolate layer cake that is begging to be eaten....by me. Oh, the torture. But I always say that if I am going to eat the calories, make it worth it. This cake is worth every single calorie, I promise.
This is also our most requested birthday cake. This chocolate birthday cake with chocolate frosting is always a crowd-pleaser!
So what's with the name -- Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake?
I was fresh out of high school and about ready to embark on my freshman year in college when I met HIM. You know the guy that stops you in your tracks and makes your jaw drop to the floor. He was sipping water out of the drinking fountain at a college dance and my friend grabbed me and said, "did you just see the eyes on that guy?"
I looked over to see this tall, dark, and handsome guy with piercing blue eyes walking down the hallway. My friend, who felt that she just found her soulmate, ran after him to ask him to dance. I tried to play it a little bit cool even though my heart was beating out of my chest at first glance.
As we walked outside to the dance, the music was starting to fade as a slow song begun. I was standing in a large group of friends when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around to see "him." He was even better looking close up and I didn't think that was even possible. He asked if I wanted to dance and of course, I answered a resounding "yes" as he grabbed my hand to guide me to the dance floor.
The connection was instant and undeniable and I thought to myself that I didn't want it to end. Lucky for me, before the end of the night he asked for my phone number and I was one giddy girl all the way home.
So that "love at first sight" encounter actually turned into real life, true, unconditional love. This guy eventually got down on one knee in a small fishing boat in the middle of the lake, surrounded by candlelight to ask me to marry him.
I was a young 20-year old who had a lot of life to figure out but we decided that we were ready to grow together - to learn, to make mistakes, and to eventually start a family together. We will hit our 20 year anniversary this November (woo hoo!) and I love him so much more now than the day we got married.
Let's get back to this Love at First Sight Cake because I am falling in love with this more and more by the minute. This is seriously the BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe.
What cake pans should I use?
To make this homemade chocolate cake, I usually use three 8-inch cake pans to make three thin layers. You can also use two 9-inch thicker layers, if you prefer. To see which brand is my favorite, you can find the links above. This chocolate cake recipe makes at least 12-24 slices of cake, depending on how you slice it. It is the perfect chocolate birthday cake to feed a crowd!
Watch this video to see how EASY it is to make the perfect homemade chocolate cake from scratch:
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The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe in the World. This decadent chocolate cake is rich, moist, and will cure your chocolate cravings.
- 1 3/4 cup Flour
- 1 3/4 cup Sugar
- 3/4 cup Cocoa high quality
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Oil canola or coconut oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 1 cup Hot Water
- 1 1/2 cups Butter softened
- 1 cup Cocoa
- 5 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/3 cup Cream Half n Half or Milk
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. If you have a flour sifter, sift all dry ingredients.
- In mixing bowl, beat oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla for 1 minute. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Pour in hot water and mix together. The batter will be liquidy but that's a good thing -- it will create a moist cake.
- Spray two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. You can also use three 8-inch cake pans for this recipe. Pour batter evenly into each pan. Bake at 22-27 minutes. Place toothpick or cake tester in the center of the cake to check if it comes out clean.
- Let cool before frosting.
- In mixing bowl, cream together Butter, Cocoa, Powdered Sugar, and Cream until light and fluffy. You may want to add more cream or milk depending on consistency. Once the cake has cooled and has been removed from pans, frost each layer with frosting.
- Top with chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, sprinkles, M & M's or whatever your heart desires.
*This recipe makes three 8-inch thin layers to two 9-inch thick layers. If you would like to make a thick triple layer cake, 1 1/2 times the recipe and use three 9-inch cake pans.
This is one baked good that gets even better the next day if covered.
Go get a fork, a plate, and dig into the best chocolate cake on the planet.
Happy Baking!
I will be making this my go to for now on!!
Thank you
Right, this cake is the best ever chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten in my life. I just wish I knew what kind of chocolate she uses.
She says Callebaut cocoa
Hi, this is by far the best chocolate cake ever!!! It’s always a crowd pleaser!
If I use 6 inch pans how long should I cook the cakes for?
This is by far the best chocolate cake I ever had. I had an old standby recipe I always used and not sure why I decided to try this one, but I am glad I did. It is the best. I did not try the frosting, since I like white frosting on chocolate cake. Thanks for the recipe. Can't wait to try some of your other recipes. I am new to your site.
Hi,
Do you use salted or unsalted butter in the frosting?
I use unsalted but still add a pinch of Kosher salt as needed
Best chocolate cake I've ever eaten, let alone made myself. I intend to use this recipe for the rest of my life!! Thank you 😀
Hi, I'm making a two-tier cake for a friend, based on how much you made, should I double it? Thanks
Haven't tried the best chocolate cake yet - but soon. However, just wanted to say that I loved your love story even as I wonder what happened to the other girl. I wish all loves at first sight had the endurance you and you husband's has had. My best wishes for at least another happy twenty together, and hopefully another happy twenty after that!!!!!!
I used this recipe to make a wedding cake for a friend and it was a big hit!!! I made layers of blackberry mousse and chocolate fudge rather than icing and a scraped white icing around the sides and top.
Hi, did you double the recipe? I'm planning to make a relatively simple two-tier birthday cake for a friend, and I was wondering how many layers the recipe made. Thanks!
Yes I made 2 cakes. I find it best not to double a recipe but made it x 2 😊
Did you stack them? How did they hold up? In the past cake recipes I've tried tend to be so fragile, but a friend wants one for her birthday cake.
I have an arrangement to make this formula at my home as right on time as could be expected under the circumstances. It looks delightful and yummy. A debt of gratitude is in order for imparting the formula to us.
Made this several times. My husband loves it. So does my granddaughter.
Great cake, made it for my son's birthday again today. Buttermilk is the secret to a good most cake.
Maybe it's just me, but there is way more frosting than you need for a two 9 inch cake. So I now have extra for a pan of brownies later this week.
The frosting on this Cale recipe was excellent. I don’t know if I made the cake it self correctly. I hade a spongy consistency I wasn’t thrilled with. Overall though everyone loved it. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. I will try it again when we call for another chocolate cake and see if I can get the cake part down.
Hi there! Would this cake be sturdy enough to support fondant figures on top or would it sink? Thanks
Looks delicious! Do you think it would make much of a difference if I use warm milk instead of water in this recipe? I have some extra milk that needs to be used up soon 😉
What can I substitute for the buttermilk?
Do you use AP flour or cake flour in this recipe?
What about using gluten free flour? Do you think it would work for this cake?
I used Blends by Orly Sydney blend and worked wonderfully!!
I don't leave comments on recipes but this one really deserves it. I tested alot of chocolate cake recipe but this one is the best. I won't ever go back to my old recipe. This will be my go to recipe. The cake is so moist and that crumb is to die for. My family love it and can't stop talking about this cake. And this is super easy to make too. ❤️❤️
Did you use cake flour or all purpose flour?
Can't wait to try it! How did you find out that the cocoa powder in the bulk bins at WinCo is Callebaut? I always buy it and wonder what I'm buying lol
OMG!!!!! I've never made a recipe and sent a comment. This is my first. I'm 82yrs old, i can't tell you the last time I even made a boxed cake. I had a very traumatic thing happen and was in a bad depression. Then i started cooking again for three neighbor's I never knew before. All single men, all younger. One man was just dying to have a chocolate cake with buttercreme frosting. Well i came across your recipe. Everyone ate a large peice. They will be back again. What a wonderful cake. THANK YOU.
Does anyone know how tall the final cake is in inches (when you make it using 3 8inch pans)? I'm going to have to bring this over to my mother's in a cake box, trying to figure out what size to get. Thanks!
This cake is amazing, I’ve used the recipe more than a couple times. I’d like to know how much batter I would need for a 16x2 cake using this recipe?
I used AP and Hershey cocoa still this cake was delicious. Made it for a family get together and everyone raved. It is so moist and tender. Even those who aren't chocolate fans loved it. Thank you!
I was going to try cupcakes with recipe. What do you think? Thanks
I want to try cupcakes too! Did it work out?
Hi there,
I made this cake but my cake has little holes through it, whereas your cake looks like it has a nice tight crumb. Any ideas as to why this may be? Thanks
I bang my filled pans on the counter just before I put them in the oven to pop any air bubbles. You don't have to do it very hard and two or three times does the trick.
What % cocoa should I use for the cake?
Hi, can I use this for carved cakes? Or can it be covered in fondant?
Thanks
OMG!!.. This is now my go choc cake, I made 1 change, instead of 1 cup buttermilk I used 1 cup of milk and plain mayo combined. So moist and great choc flavour.
How much plain milk and how much mayo did you use?
what kind of flour is used in this recipe? is it cake flour or APF. thanks
Magnificent. Only adjustment I made was I used 1C of hot coffee instead of water. Fantastic.
Yes, substitute coffee for the water, it will give the cake a wonderful flavor and you won't taste the coffee. 😉
Such a lovely cake and so easy to make. I made this for my sons 2nd birthday at the weekend and everyone raved about it. I made 3 x 9 inch cakes as I felt 2 x 9 inch looked too thin when stacked.
Best chocolate cake I’ve ever made!
Such a great recipe, I keep it bookmarked for cake occasions.
Thanks Modern Honey!
I tested this recipe last Christmas and it came out really good using Ghirardelli sunrise cocoa.
Do you have a vanilla version of this? I’ve tried a lot of vanilla cake recipes using butter and it will always become dense and dry in the refrigerator. This chocolate cake does not so I’m wondering if you have a vanilla version using oil instead of butter?
Thanks
Made the cake yesterday, it is so good and very moist! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hi! If I wanted to make this with 3 layers using 6 inch pans, how would I modify the recipy? Thank you!
This was undoubtedly the best chocolate cake ever! I do have a question, however. If I wanted to make cupcakes, would the recipe change at all? I'm still a novice baker so I don't know if changes need to be made for this. Thanks!
Hello! I absolutely love this recipe! I have a question and I feel dumb for asking, but if I wanted to make white icing, could I use the same icing recipe and just not add the chocolate? I'm just wondering if it would taste okay or too buttery...
Thank you!!!!😊
Hi , it’s indeed a very good recipe. Just tried it today. Icing also tastes amazing. But just a question, as to why the Sides of the cake break when I cut it into half.Where did I go wrong? It was very delicate luckily the whole thing didn’t break. Should I have let it cooled down enough before cutting into half.
Nice recipe.
Are you using sweetens coco or unsweetened? Please reply!
Thank you😁
Ive always used unsweetened cocoa in this recipe. My go to chocolate cake recipe always!!
Best chocolate cake EVER!!!
I absolutely LOVE love this cake! I have made it several times and everyone raves about it! Now...I have a ladies meeting at church and I want to make cupcakes with this recipe. Can I do that??????
Ive made cupcakes with this recipe twice without issue (two tier cakes more often)! I pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup full, dont recall if how many cupcakes it yielded though! Roughly two dozen?
Hi did you use this recipe to make a two-tiered cake? Did it hold up? Worried that this cake is too moist to stack for a wedding cake.
Does the recipe call for cake flour or ap? It just says flour so was wondering if it’s the correct measurement if I use cake flour!
This IS the best chocolate cake recipe. Ive used it for so many birthday cakes and it's always a hit. If you use coconut oil you have to make sure you don't waste time mixing the wet and dry ingredients together, the first time I made it I let my coconut oil harden in the bowl with the cold milk, which resulted in the oil all rising to the top of each cake. However the coconut oil adds such a nice flavor!! This is the cake I will always come back to.
I really appreciate, you written well and helpful blog for those regarding cakes. I will follow and share these cake related blogs.In this blog cakes’ pictures are looking very awesome.
I love chocolate cake and this recipe looks delicious, an easy cake to make. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I made this cake into cupcakes, they took 15 minutes to bake. When I took them out of the oven most of them had sunk in the middle. I was disappointed and doubtful that I would like them. But I let them cool and tried one, or two. They are the best tasting chocolate cake ever!!! For me they were not love at first sight but, love at first bite. I used ghirardelli cocoa and again they were mind blowing good!
Awww love to hear this...thank you so much! They sound fabulous!
Just made this cake and it was a huge hit! This will be a recipe I’ll hang onto and pass on. Thank you for all the tips! I am going to try subbing the water for hot coffee next time.
This is the first Chocolate Cake recipe that made my eyes flow with tears. Your love story that you included is wonderful! I only wish you had a recipe for a time machine and I could go back and save her before cancer got to her. :'( It WAS love at first sight! I look forward to making this delicious Love at First Sight cake!
This cake is scrumptious! Most definitely a crowd-pleaser.
I made it to use as a wedding cake. 3 8 inch round pans, a total of three batches so I could choose the best and have a couple of extras.
Flavor is on point. the crumb is very very crumbly so it is best to work with it when it is frozen. It defrosts quickly. If you do not use a soft buttercream, the frosting will pull/fall off the edges of the cake full of crumbs. So use buttercream, do your crumb coat, refreeze it, then ice the cake.
It is so soft that it needs to be supported if it is a tiered cake.
This was my bottom tier and though I put 5 thin straws in it to hold up the top tier, I should have put more or used thick bubble tea straws because it bulged out on one side.
Also, the cake does not cut clean because of how tender it is. Neither the caterer nor I could get a clean cut on this cake at room temperature. That being said, I loved using this recipe. The only thing I might change is making it a touch denser for stability.
Would highly recommend!
Hi Anna,
I’m making my own wedding cake and thought about trying this one. How would you suggest making it denser? The other recipes I’ve used (in trial) have been to dense and not at all moist. I’d love a moist cake but know I’ll need it to also be dense to hold up my tiers.
Thank you!
If you want to bake a chocolate cake that will make you go, “Oh my god,” and which will then melt in your mouth, this is the one. I made this yesterday, and the amount of adoration given to this cake is no joke. I found Melissa’s site because in the middle of the night a few weeks ago I suddenly got a craving for orange chicken, of all things, and her orange chicken recipe came up, which is absolutely amazing by the way. I have so many cookbooks, but I keep returning to Melissa’s recipes because they are so over the top delicious.