Chocolate Cake from Scratch
A moist, one-bowl chocolate layer cake from scratch with buttermilk and hot water, frosted with a fluffy chocolate buttercream.
17% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 25 min
- Cooking
- 32 min
- Resting
- 1 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 12
- Calories
- 595
- Protein
- 6 g
- Per serving
- $0.99
Why this recipe works
This is the everyday chocolate cake: no mixer needed for the batter, everything goes in one bowl, and the thin batter bakes into two tender layers. The buttercream needs a mixer and comes together while the layers cool.
- Oil instead of butter in the cake keeps it moist and soft for days, even straight from the fridge.
- Hot water poured in last blooms the cocoa for a deeper chocolate flavor and makes a thin batter that bakes up tender.
- Buttermilk's acidity reacts with the baking soda for an even rise and a fine, velvety crumb.
Ingredients
For the cake
For the frosting
You will need
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Stand or hand mixer
- Offset spatula
- Wire rack
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Prepare the pans
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease the pans, line the bottoms with parchment and grease the parchment.
Mix the batter
Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk in the hot water; the batter will be very thin.
Bake
Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until the tops spring back when pressed and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool
Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely, about 1½ hours.
Make the frosting
Beat the butter until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa and salt and beat on low, then add the vanilla and cream and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Frost
Set one layer flat side up on a plate and spread with about 1 cup of frosting. Top with the second layer, flat side up, and cover the top and sides with the rest.
Techniques in this recipe
Crowded: steams and turns grey Spaced out: browns and crisps Don't crowd the pan
Give food space in the pan or on the sheet pan so moisture can escape. Crowded food steams and turns grey; spaced-out food browns and crisps.
Read the full guide
Cook's notes
- The cake layers must be completely cool before frosting, or the buttercream melts and slides off.
- If the layers domed, level them with a serrated knife before stacking so the cake sits flat.
- For a 9x13-inch sheet cake, bake the same batter for 35 to 40 minutes and use half the frosting.
Nutrition per serving
595 calories
$0.99 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 4% of calories | 6 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 54% of calories | 84 g |
| Fat | 42% of calories | 29 g |
| Fiber | 4 g | |
| Sodium | 490 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Why do you add hot water to chocolate cake?
Hot water dissolves and blooms the cocoa, which intensifies the chocolate flavor, and the thin batter bakes into a very moist, tender crumb.
Can I use coffee instead of water in chocolate cake?
Yes. Hot brewed coffee deepens the chocolate flavor; the cake doesn't end up tasting of coffee.
How do you keep chocolate cake moist?
Oil keeps it moist, so don't swap in butter, and don't overbake: check at 30 minutes. Once frosted, store it covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
