Every recipe box needs a staple chocolate cake recipe! This chocolate cake recipe is my go-to for a rich, dense, moist cake that is perfect on it's own or slathered in frosting!
As with a lot of my favourite cakes, this one is super simple and takes very little time to prepare. All the ingredients are whisked together in one bowl (no electric mixer required!).
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- Milk + Vinegar: milk and vinegar can be combined to create a faux buttermilk which helps make the cake moist. The acidic vinegar will slightly curdle the milk and the mixture will become a little bit thicker.
- Any variety of mildly flavoured vinegar will work (apple cider, malt) or even lemon or lime juice.
- Instead of combining milk and vinegar, you can use 1 cup of buttermilk.
- Canola oil: using oil instead of butter keeps the cake fresher and moister for longer. You can use any flavourless vegetable oil or cooking oil (safflower, rice bran, sunflower etc.). Don't use olive oil or coconut oil as they will change the flavour of the cake.
- Eggs
- Brown sugar + caster sugar (superfine sugar): This combination of sugars will both give the cake structure (with caster sugar) and make it rich and moist (with brown sugar). Light or dark brown sugar will work.
- Can I replace the brown sugar with more caster sugar? Yes however this will make the cake less moist and more fluffy and 'cakey.'
- Can I use all brown sugar? I don't recommend using all brown sugar or the cake may sink and have a denser texture.
- Plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: use a good quality unsweetened cocoa powder which is designed for baking. Avoid Dutch-processed 'cacao' powder as this tends to be much more bitter.
- Baking powder (NOT baking soda): make sure it is not expired! Expired baking powder is one of the most common causes of sunken cakes.
- Salt
- Boiling coffee OR boiling water: coffee enhances the chocolate flavour in the cake. The cake will NOT taste like coffee. Make sure you use fresh, strongly brewed black coffee: I like to combine 1/2 tsp of instant coffee granules with 1/2 cup of boiling water, but you can make the coffee using your preferred method (French press, drip coffee, pods, coffee bags etc.).
- If you're using a coffee machine or pod machine, select the "long black" option.
How to Make Moist Chocolate Cake
1. Whisk together the milk and vinegar and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is slightly curdled and thickened.
2. Add the oil, eggs, and sugars.
3. Whisk until the mixture is well combined (there should be minimal 'strands' of eggs).
4. Sift over flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
5. Whisk together until well combined.
6. The batter will still be quite thick at this point.
7. Pour in the strongly brewed black coffee.
8. Whisk in well. The batter will be much thinner now!
9. Grease and line a 20 cm (8 inch) circular cake tin. TIP! If you are using a springform pan, make sure it is VERY secure as the batter is thin and will leak through any cracks!
10. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Don't open the oven door earlier than the 45 minute mark or the cake may sink in the middle. Check if the cake is cooked by inserting a clean skewer in the centre of the cake-- if it is cooked, there will be just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter). Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely (or as long as you can resist!!).
FAQ + Top Tips
- Why is my chocolate cake dry and crumbly?
- You are measuring your dry ingredients incorrectly. to measure dry goods such as flour, you should spoon the flour into your measuring cup until it is piled up high, then level off the pile with the back of a flat-bladed butter knife.
- You have overcooked the cake. make sure you oven is at the correct temperature (you should regularly check your oven's temperature accuracy with an oven thermometer). If the cake still hasn't baked in the 55-60 minute timeframe, you should be checking again every 5 minutes. If the cake is burning around the edges, cover the top of the cake tin with foil and continue to bake until cooked through.
- Why is my chocolate cake dense and/or sinking in the middle?
- You over-whisked the batter. over-whisking the batter will cause the gluten strands to over-develop and give you a dense, tough cake. It can also add too much air into the batter which causes it to collapse in the oven. The batter for this cake is very thin and forgiving. Once you add the dry ingredients, however, you should make sure to only whisk as much as necessary to combine the ingredients well.
- Your rising agent (baking powder) is expired. Always double check whether your rising agent (in this case, baking powder) is within the best-before date. If the cake cannot rise effectively, it will be flatter and denser, or may sink in the middle.
- You opened the oven door too early. Make sure not to open the oven door until at least the 45 minute mark. Opening the oven while the cake is quite undercooked can destabilise the oven temperature and cause the centre of the cake to sink or cave in.
- How do I know when my cake is cooked?
- Insert a clean skewer into the centre of the chocolate cake. When you remove it, it should be mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If there is wet batter on the skewer, the cake is not cooked through yet.
How long can I keep my chocolate cake for?
- You can keep this cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It may become a bit dry after the third day.
- To freeze the cake: wrap the cake in a layer of cling wrap and then in a layer of foil. Keep frozen for up to 6 months. Defrost at room temperature for 6 hours or overnight before serving.
One Bowl Moist Chocolate Cake
Yield:
8 Servings
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour
Total Time:
1 hour 15 minutes
It doesn't get much better than this ultra moist and rich chocolate cake! This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe for birthdays, dinner parties or just to enjoy. This cake only needs one bowl and no electric mixer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) milk
- 1 tbsp (20 mL) white vinegar
- ¾ cup (190 mL) canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (120 g) caster sugar
- 1 cup (150 g) plain flour / all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp (16 g) baking powder
- 1 (6 g) tsp salt
- ½ cup (125 mL) boiling coffee or water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan/convection) or 180°C / 355°F (standard). Grease and line a 20 cm (8 inch) circular cake tin with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk and vinegar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until thickened. Whisk in oil, eggs, brown sugar and caster sugar.
- Sift over flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk together until well combined. Whisk in boiling coffee (or water).
- Pour into prepared tin and place in the lower half of the oven. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean (don't open the oven until at least the 45 minute mark). The top may crack slightly but it will sink back down once the cake cools. Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage
- You can keep the cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Substitutions & Tips
- Vinegar: the vinegar reacts with the milk to create a homemade buttermilk substitute. You can use any type of vinegar (apple cider, brown, malt etc.) or the same amount of lemon juice. You can also substitute both the milk and vinegar with 1 cup of buttermilk.
- Oil: you can use any flavourless cooking oil or vegetable oil. I don't recommend using strongly flavoured oils like olive oil as these can give the cake an odd flavour.
- Caster sugar: you can substitute caster sugar with white sugar. The cake may have a crispier crust if you do.
- Will the cake taste like coffee? No. Coffee just emphasises the chocolate flavour. I use 1 tsp of instant coffee and combine it with half a cup of boiling water.
- Why did my cake sink in the middle? This means that you have opened the oven door too early. Make sure to wait until at least the 45 minute mark before opening the oven door. Try to avoid moving the cake around too much before it has finished cooking. If worst comes to worst, you can cover any sunken parts with frosting!
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/8th of the CakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 443Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 2.9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 46.3mgSodium: 501.2mgCarbohydrates: 58.3gFiber: 3.4gSugar: 41.1gProtein: 5.8g
Sonia says
I’m planning on making this cake today - what size pan did u use? I only have two 8 inch round pans that are short to make a double layer.
Chloe says
Hi Sonia! I use a single 20 cm (8 inch) circular pan for this cake. You can also use my Devil's Food Cake recipe if you like (https://bakingenvy.com/devils-food-cake), which is designed to be an 8-inch two layer cake 🙂
Hope you enjoy!
Joanne Schumacher says
Hi Chloe!
Cake looks amazingly delicious!!
I don't drink coffee. What kind of Instant Coffee did you use for this cake recipe?
I would love to make this!
Thanks!
Joanne
Chloe says
Hi Joanne! Thank you for your lovely words 🙂 I use Moccona Instant Coffee granules (but you can use any instant coffee granules) and combine half a teaspoon with a 1/2 cup of boiling water, then stir until the granules dissolve. Of course, you can leave the coffee out if you like and just use boiling water. The coffee just brings out the chocolate flavour a bit more! Hope that helps!
Diksha says
Hi .
Could you please help me with the brand of coco powder. I am always confused while choosing brands.
Thanks
Chloe says
Hi Diksha! I'm in Australia, and I use either the Coles homebrand Cocoa Powder or the Nestle Baking Cocoa. To clarify, these are unsweetened, bitter chocolate powders which are made for baking. It's not hot cocoa powder. If you're in the US or Canada, you can use Hersheys 100% Natural Unsweetened Cocoa (Cacao) Powder. Hope that helps!
Courtney says
THIS LOOKS AMAZING! I only have a 9 inch pan, could that work? Would I have to adjust cooking times?
Chloe says
Hi Courtney! Thank you so much! 🙂 You can definitely use a 9 inch pan. I don't believe it would reduce the cooking time that much, but start with 45 minutes and see how it looks and/or test with a skewer. Hope you enjoy!
Jiahn says
I just made this! Wow the texture is amazing, and it looks perfect. My only problem is, it tastes a little sour? Not like usual chocolate cake. I was wondering why this may be, and if there is anything I can do to fix. Otherwise this is an amazing recipe!
Chloe says
Hi Jiahn! I'm so so glad you liked the cake for the most part! Hmmm... it definitely shouldn't have a sour taste to the cake, even with the addition of vinegar. Firstly, check to see that all your ingredients are not expired, particularly your baking powder and your milk! If not, then the only other reason I can think of is the type of baking powder you used. Make sure it's baking powder and NOT baking soda as baking soda is very bitter in large quantities. If your brand of baking powder contains sodium aluminum sulfate, this can also make the cake more bitter, so try and find a brand that is aluminium free! I hope that helps 🙂
:) says
Hey there!
I've found this recipe on Pinterest and I can't wait to try it out. Before tryin it out, I wanna ask somethin. How much time does this cake take in a standard oven?
Regards
🙂
Chloe says
Hi! This cake will take the same amount of time to bake in a standard oven (55-60 minutes) at 180 C / 355 F. Hope that helps 🙂
Esther says
I was wondering if it is possible to make cupcakes out of the batter? Your food is soo good. Thank you!!
Chloe says
Hi Esther! This recipe will make approx. 16-18 cupcakes. As the batter is thin rises a lot, make sure not to fill your cupcake tins more than half way or they will overflow. This recipe also makes quite flat-topped cupcakes, rather than a dome, but of course still extremely rich and delicious. I would bake for 18-20 mins at 160C/320F (fan-forced/convection) or 180C/355F (standard) and see how you go. I can also recommend checking out my moist chocolate cupcake recipe which produces a similar result but is better designed for cupcakes: https://bakingenvy.com/moist-chocolate-cupcakes/
Hope that helps 🙂
analiza dabu says
Hi good day, i want to try this cake,but i will ask you the baking powder,is this a 1 tablespoon or 1 tsp...thank you.merry christmas..
Chloe says
Hi Analiza, it is 1 tablespoon of baking powder. Hope that helps 🙂
Max says
I have followed this recipe twice and both times were a wash. First, whisking milk and vinegar and allowing to sit for 5 minutes (or even 10) will never produce a thickened product. Next, whisking in boiling coffee or water creates a soup that refuses to bake for well over an hour. After 90-minutes, it’s still liquid with no rise in a standard 8-inch baking pan in 355 degree oven.
Chloe says
Hi Max, I'm sorry that this recipe didn't work for you! This cake definitely should not turn out like soup. Although the batter is thin, it should have enough subsistence to bake at a temperature between 320-355. I would recommend setting up an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is sitting at 355 F. Also make sure to bake the cake in the top half of your oven where it is hotter. Lastly, make sure to double check that you are using unsweetened cocoa powder, rather than hot cocoa powder. In regards to the term 'thickening,' this refers to the process of the milk curdling with the acid to make a faux buttermilk, rather than actually becoming a viscous product. It should just be a little bit lumpy after 10 minutes. I hope this helps! 🙂
Max says
Chloe, the third time was a charm! Your recipe worked perfectly and everyone loved the cake. Thank you!
Chloe says
That's absolute wonderful to hear Max! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how it went. I'm so glad you all enjoyed 🙂
Vivien Somborn says
Vivien Somborn Hello, I am happy to have found you and your site.What does a cup full mean? Sure, it makes it easier once you get the proportions. Cannes you help? Greetings from Berlin. 😘
Chloe says
Hi Vivien, cups are a measure of volume commonly used in the US and Australia. We have standardised measuring cups which are equivalent to 250 mL (hence a 1/2 cup is 125 mL etc.). However, since they measure volume and not weight, 1 cup of flour will weigh a lot less than 1 cup of rice. If you want to cook without cups, you can google '1 cup of flour to grams' or '1/2 cup sugar to grams' to get the amount of grams required for each ingredient. Otherwise, I highly recommend you purchase metric measuring cups (either eBay or Amazon will have these) to make baking easier. I hope that helps! 🙂
Stephanie says
I would like to try this recipe as cupcakes. Any pointers?
Chloe says
Hi Stephanie! This recipe does make nice moist cupcakes (approx 16-18). As the batter is thin rises a lot, make sure not to fill your cupcake tins more than half way. Otherwise the thin batter will overflow. This recipe also makes quite flat-topped cupcakes, rather than a dome, but of course still extremely rich and delicious. I would bake for 18-20 mins at 160C/320F (fan-forced/convection) or 180C/355F (standard) and see how you go. I can also recommend checking out my moist chocolate cupcake recipe which produces a similar result but is better designed for cupcakes: https://bakingenvy.com/moist-chocolate-cupcakes/
Hope that helps 🙂
Marg Campeau says
Hi
Can I make this recipe with 1 - 1 gluten free flour? In other words 1 cup of gluten free flour for 1 cup regular flour?
Chloe says
Hi Marg, unfortunately I haven't tried this cake with gluten free flour so I can't advise you on how it would work out! Since it is a moist and rich cake, I can only assume 1-1 flour to gluten free flour will work fine. Let me know how it goes if you do try it!
Lisa Grant says
Hi,
I just made your cake for my mother's birthday but her birthday but it's not until 3 days away will it last longer if I keep it in the refrigerator?
Can't wait to try it.
Thanks
Lisa
Chloe says
Hi Lisa, apologies for the late reply. It should last just fine for 3 days in the refrigerator, although you may want to try and eat most of it on your mother's birthday! Hope you all enjoy 🙂
Robyn Tanchum says
Hi,I
I really want to make this into a two layer cake .... have seen your suggestion to use your Devil’s Food Cake recipe, but this is the one I’d like to bake. How would I modify the baking time if I use 2 nine inch pans instead? I’m afraid to bake a single layer as per the recipe and cut in in half to make 2 layers because I don’t want it to break apart on me! Thanks for your help.
Chloe says
Hi Robyn! If you use two 9 inch pans for the cake, please note that the layers will each be very thin as I have used an 8 inch pan in this recipe. If you do split the batter between two 9 inch tins, I would start with 25-30 minutes baking time and test with a skewer in the centre of the cake to see if the layers are cooked through. Hope that helps 🙂
Gisselle says
Hello! ☀️
I really want to make this recipe but Im having some trouble converting the quantities. Can you provide me the exact amounts for the dry ingredients in Grams (Plain Flour, Brown and Caster Sugar, Cocoa Powder) and for the liquid ones in MLS please (Milk, Canola Oil, Water)??!
Chloe says
Hi Gisselle, I'm aiming to update my recipes with weight/grams over the next couple of months. Sorry I don't have them available at the moment! For now, I recommend Googling the weight conversion for each ingredient. Enjoy 🙂
Darlene says
Can you use regular coffee that is already made?
Chloe says
Yes, no problems! Just make sure it is boiling if possible as this helps to make the batter moist.
Brie Joe says
Hi Chloe,
I wanted to use this recipe (not the devils food cake one you suggested) , but make a 2 layer 8 inch cake out of it. I see that your recipe makes 1, 8 inch cake... would doubling the recipe be the right idea if I want 2 layers the same thickness as you? (As opposed to splitting the layer into 2) Would I also need to modify the baking time?
Chloe says
Hi Brie! If you wanted to make a tall layer cake, I would definitely double this recipe instead of splitting one quantity it into two tins. If you are baking both cakes in the same oven at the same time, you might find you need to add 10-15 mins to the total bake time and also you may need to rotate the pans for even cooking! If you are only baking one at a time, however, you can just bake as normal. Hope that helps! 🙂
Neli says
Hi. I only have an 8 inch square pan. Will that do? And if I substitute white sugar from the caster sugar, will it still be okay if its a little crusty? Thank you
Kat says
This went so horribly wrong for me. I don’t even know where to begin. My batter was a soupy mess. I knew it didn’t look right but went with it anyway. The whole bottom half of the cake was a solid thick jelly after baking and the middle was sunken in. I did not even open the oven until 55m to check for doneness. I’m pretty sure I did everything exactly, but I had to have messed up somewhere. I keep re-reading the recipe but can’t find my mistake. I really want to try this recipe again but don’t want to make the same mistake twice. If you think you know where I went wrong please let me know!
Chloe says
Hi Kat, I'm so sorry this recipe didn't work out for you. The batter is definitely a thin batter, which is why I recommend using a very tightly sealed spring-form pan or just a regular cake tin with no gaps. Did you happen to place the cake tin on a baking tray while baking it? A tray absorbs a great deal of heat which increases the baking time, and also directs the heat to the base of the cake- hence the bottom half overcooking while the top remains under-baked. This can also happen if you placed the cake tin directly on the bottom of the oven. If you didn't do this, then the only other reason I could think of is perhaps you left the batter standing too long on the counter? Batter which sits for more than an hour can reduce the effectiveness of the baking powder. It is also worth checking the baking powder is in-date as expired rising agents often lead to issues with cakes. I hope this helps and good luck with your second attempt! Let me know if I can be of any more help.
Avi says
Hi! Thanks for the recipe!
The cake didnt rise well though. Kindly advise.
Chloe says
Hi Avi, you're most welcome for the recipe! I'm sorry it didn't rise well. I would firstly double check your baking powder's expiry date. This is a common cause of flat cakes. I would also advise not to over-beat the batter and this can add too much air into the batter which causes it to collapse later. Lastly, did you potentially bake the cake directly on a tray? This cake re-direct the heat from the oven to the bottom of the cake, which can cause it to fall flat. I hope this helps!
Diane Sadler says
How many Weight Watcher point on the blue plan?
Chloe says
Hi Diane, apologies but I am unfamiliar with the Weight Watcher point system. If it helps, calories (and other nutrition info) is listed below the recipe.
Anne says
Hello!
I was going to make this cake but reduce the quantity by half for a much smaller cake in a 6” cake tin. I was just wondering if that would work? And if so, how long would I need to bake it for (as well, it mentions not to open oven before 45 mins)? Thanks.
Chloe says
Hi Anne! Yes, that should be fine 🙂 I would start with baking the cake for 25-30 minutes at the 160°C / 320°F (fan/convection) or 180°C / 355°F (standard) and test with a skewer to make sure it is cooked through. Please note that even in a 6 inch tin, a half-batch of the batter would still produce quite a short cake (but still delicious!). Hope you enjoy!
Sonia says
Hi
Did it....so easy. I have a air fry range and I baked it on lower rack at 320f.
Did not open the door for 45 m and it came out perfectly baked!
Thanks
Sonia
Chloe says
So glad to hear this cake worked for you Sonia! Thank you for the lovely feedback!
Daphne says
Hi! Can I follow the recipe the same if I want to try it as cupcakes? I’m sure they’ll take less time but would there be any difference?? Thank you!
Chloe says
Hi Daphne! This recipe should work out just fine as cupcakes. Make sure to fill the cupcake cases only 1/2 way up as this batter will rise quite high. Start by baking for 20 mins at 160c/320f (fan/convection) or 180c/355f (standard) then test with a skewer to see if they are cooked through. If you are looking for a tried and true chocolate cupcake recipe, you can also check out my moist chocolate cupcake recipe which has a similar texture and flavour: https://bakingenvy.com/moist-chocolate-cupcakes/
Hope this helps! 🙂
Suzette Muller says
Hi I can bake cake. My oven as well as my skills are perfect.
When I saw this recipe I thought it's easy. When I made it........ I have my doughts.
But I was soooooo surprised!!! At 45 mins open the oven. Test the cake. It was 100 %. Let it cool and put caramel on. It's not often that I try something new and have such a pleasant surprise
Chloe says
Thank you so much for the lovely comment Suzette. I am so glad you liked the cake and it's good to hear it was a pleasant surprise! 🙂 Enjoy!
Shawna says
I have been craving chocolate cake so I made this today. I used my new convection for the first time and that part turned out great! I will say that it was a bit bitter for my taste. I had all fresh ingredients and followed the recipe to a T so I'm not sure why it had a wang lol. I may try again with less coffee? Thanks!
Chloe says
Hi Shawna! I'm so glad you liked it for the most part! 🙂 Hmm, it definitely shouldn't taste bitter. Did you use Dutch Cacao Powder or regular cocoa powder? I find that the Dutch processed cocoa powder can be much more bitter than the regular cocoa powder! I know you said your ingredients are fresh, but I would also double check whether your baking powder is in date. Make sure it's aluminium free too as this will help reduce the bitter/metallic taste. As you said too, a weaker coffee (I use instant) may also help. Hope it works out for you next time!!
Meghan says
Made this cake and left out the boiling coffee/water and it came out really good! I doubled the recipe and used a 9x13" pan, I cooked it for 60 minutes. I had a ton of batter and it was pretty liquidy so I ended up just omitting the coffee/water and everyone really liked it!
Chloe says
Hi Meghan! So glad to hear this worked for you even without the additional water. Thank you for the feedback and lovely comment, so glad everyone enjoyed! 🙂