Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe

This is hands down the best Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe ever! Moist, rich, chocolate cake is topped with a luscious chocolate buttercream icing that will have you swooning. If you’re a chocolate lover, look no further for your new favorite cake!

I’m being 100% serious when I tell you this is the only chocolate cake recipe you will ever need. It’s that good, y’all.

I’ve been making this cake for years and it’s the number one requested cake for birthdays in my family. It’s moist, rich, and beyond simple to make. Did I mention you only need one bowl to prepare this with? Less dishes is always a good thing!

Ingredients for Homemade Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

• all purpose flour
• sugar
• cocoa powder
• baking soda
• baking powder
• salt
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• buttermilk
• vegetable oil
• hot water
• unsalted butter
• powdered sugar
• milk

How to make Homemade Chocolate Cake from Scratch – Step by Step

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13×9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix well.
2. Add in vanilla, eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil mixing until smooth. Pour in hot water and mix well. Batter will be very thin.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 32-36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.While cake is cooling, prepare frosting. Combine softened butter, powedered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and milk in a large bowl.
4. Beat over medium speed with an electric mixer until frosting is nice and creamy. Add more milk or powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
5. Spread frosting evenly over top of the completely cooled cake. Slice and enjoy! Cake can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Tips and Notes

Why use buttermilk when making chocolate cake?

Buttermilk is a wonderful choice for baking, especially in cakes. It lends a rich depth of flavor, and also creates a soft and fluffy texture. This happens because of a chemical reaction between the acid in the buttermilk and the gluten in the flour. Bottom line: if you like a soft cake with exceptional flavor, choose buttermilk! And if you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, it’s super easy to make with ingredients that you likely already do have!

What if I don’t have buttermilk on hand?

Homemade buttermilk is really simple and quick to make if you don’t have any. All you need is plain white vinegar and regular milk, preferably whole or 2%. Simply add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and add enough milk to reach the 1 cup line. Stir, then allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes before adding to your recipe. That makes 1 cup of buttermilk, which is how much you need for this recipe. 

More Delicious Chocolate Recipes

• Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies
• S’mores Chocolate Fudge Cake
• No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

If you share this recipe or any other from my site on Instagram, tag #belleofthekitchen so I can see what you’ve made! And follow me @thebelleofthekitchen, too!

4.92 from 24 ratings

Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe

Yield: 12 slices

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 32 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

This is hands down the best Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe ever! Moist, rich, chocolate cake is topped with a luscious chocolate buttercream icing and will have you swooning. If you're a chocolate lover, look no further for your new favorite cake!

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Ingredients

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Cake:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk, *see notes
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup hot water

Chocolate Buttercream Icing:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk

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Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix well.
• Add in vanilla, eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil mixing until smooth. Pour in hot water and mix well. Batter will be very thin.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 32-36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
• While cake is cooling, prepare frosting. Combine softened butter, powedered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and milk in a large bowl and beat over medium speed with an electric mixer until frosting is nice and creamy. Add more milk or powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
• Spread frosting evenly over top of the completely cooled cake. Slice and enjoy! Cake can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

*Homemade buttermilk is really simple and quick to make if you don't have any on hand. All you need is plain white vinegar and regular milk, preferably whole or 2%. Simply add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and add enough milk to reach the 1 cup line. Stir, then allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes before adding to the recipe.

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Author: Ashlyn Edwards | Belle of the Kitchen

Calories: 445kcal, Carbohydrates: 84g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 317mg, Potassium: 173mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 64g, Vitamin A: 317IU, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe?Let me know! Mention @TheBelleoftheKitchen on Instagram or tag #BelleoftheKitchen.