This One Bowl Chocolate Cake is nearly as easy to make as a boxed mix. This simple, classic recipe results in a perfect chocolate cake every time!
The other night after we had finished dinner I had a strong, persistent craving for chocolate cake. I frequently get a sweets craving after a meal, but this time around the craving was specific. Chocolate cake! It had to happen.
For some odd reason, I’ve yet to share my basic chocolate cake recipe with you. This is just craziness considering how often I bake that cake! This recipe is my quick version of that beloved cake and since I needed chocolate cake and I needed it fast, this one had to come first.
It has a seriously no-fuss method that I love. All you’ll need is a large mixing bowl, an electric mixer, and a few minutes on your hands to get it in the oven. Â
I frosted it with an equally quick and Easy Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting but you could go with any frosting you like.
Watch the quick video below to see how it’s done and scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl – all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add some buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Use an electric mixer and mix until well combined. You could do this all in the bowl of your stand mixer if you’d like.
Add 1 cup of very hot water and mix again until combined. The batter will be quite thin. Transfer it to a 13″ x 9″ baking dish that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
See the recipe below for all the details on how to cook up the satiny, luxurious Easy Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting. Sometimes I’ll stir in some chopped pecans. Yum.
I wish I could share this with you all because it’s currently sitting in my kitchen calling out my name…
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One Bowl Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
One Bowl Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup very hot water
Easy Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 16 ounces (4 cups) powdered sugar, or as needed to reach desired consistency
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13" x 9" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric hand or stand mixer, beat in eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Add hot water and mix until combined.
Batter will be quite thin. - Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over MEDIUM heat. Whisk in cocoa powder, buttermilk and vanilla. Turn heat to LOW and whisk in powdered sugar until you've reached desired consistency. It should be thick but pourable. Continue whisking vigorously until smooth. Stir in chopped nuts, if using.
- Immediately pour frosting over cake and use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread it out evenly over the surface. Allow to set for a few minutes before slicing and serving the cake.
Simple recipes are so often the best-sp when there’s chocolate involved!!
I totally agree, Kayle!
Looks just like a cake I would like, I am going to try it and almost possible it will become one of those recipes to go into my special file. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi, just wanted to know how can we replace eggs in the recepie.
Hello Garmia. I know that vegans frequently use egg replacements with great success. I’ve heard of using 1/4 cup applesauce per egg, for instance, and there are many others. I’d recommend doing a Google search for “egg replacements in baking” and see what you can find. Best of luck!
Garima Jain….you probably found your egg sub by now….but 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon flax meal….in a small dish, combine and microwave 30 seconds….cool and you have an egg sub
Hi Valerie, this looks like a cake I need to try as soon as possible :-). One question though. I notice you have a fan/convection oven, so I’m curious about the temperature. Is it 350 convection or 350 conventional?
Thanks for sharing – can’t wait to try this!!
Hi Stacie. My oven has both a conventional and convection setting but all of my recipes are tested in and written for a conventional oven.
Thanks so much for the response Valerie!! I also have both, so now I know which one to use 🙂
Hi Valarie Can I use a metal pan instead of a glass dish?
Yes, Vivian, it should work just fine in a metal pan but watch it closely as the baking time may need to be reduced a bit.
The icin recipe says 16 ounces(4 cups) of powdered sugar. 16 ounces is 2 cups-not 4. I’m assuming 4 cups is the correct amount?
Hi Ann. A 16 ounce (1 pound) package of powdered sugar will yield approximately 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 cups with a dry measure. It can vary depending on how tightly it is packed and whether it is sifted or not. Just use as much as you need to reach the desired consistency. Here is a bit more information for you – http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/bake/cups-in-one-pound-powdered-sugar/
Hi there! Does this cake (with your frosting) need to be refrigerated? Or is it okay stored on the counter?
It’s just fine to sit on the counter, Jen. Just be sure to cover it with plastic wrap or foil to keep it nice and fresh.
Made this tonight…oh my! It was fantastic!
I’m so glad it worked out for you, Angela! Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
Hi Valarie, thanks for the amazing easy recepie! Do you happen to know if the results would be just as good if i substituted the icing for a homemade caramel sauce? Please let me know what you think.
Hi Michelle. You could top this cake with anything that you love and it will be delicious! I think caramel and chocolate would be divine. Enjoy 🙂
I have a similar chocolate go-to cake but it has no eggs or milk. It uses one cup more flour, one cup less sugar, 4 tsp bp and one baking soda, together with the same cocoa. Mix in same van ess, one cup oil, two cups hot water and 50ml vinegar. Beat till you get a froth, then bake in a tray that has been sprayed with cooking spray, and bake at 180 deg C for just 17 minutes to get fab gooey brownies, or 20 minutes for the most softest cake. I cover with a chocolate ganache….
Tried and loved this recipe. I didn’t ice as I tried to cut out some calories.
It froze beautifully cut into serving portions.
Thank you for sharing.
My family loves this recipe
Try it
Can I use with 3 leches,,
Can this cake be baked in a bundt pan and how long
Hi Bonnie. While I’ve never tried using a Bundt, I’m sure it would work just fine. Watch it closely towards the end of the recommended baking time by inserting a toothpick in the center. When it comes out with just a few moist crumbs, it’s time to pull out of the oven.
Love this cake…I didnt have buttermilk so I used 3/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup milk and it turned out soooo good!!
Thanks for the substitution tip. I’m so glad it worked out for you!
I usually never have buttermilk so that is great to know..
Hi Valerie. Whenever I make a chocolate cake and the recipe calls for hot water it never turns out. I tried your recipe tonight, and even though my hopes were high- the results were the same. During the cooking duration the middle of the cake will start to bubble, towards the end the bubbles will deflate and the center concaves. Ahhh, it makes me so mad! I followed you recipe exactly, just like the others. Please help! What’s going wrong? I live in a high altitude area and my oven is run of the mill (not convection).
Thanks, Bridget
Hi Bridget. I’m sure this has been incredibly frustrating for you. Since I’m not right there with you in your kitchen, it’s hard for me to pinpoint the exact issue but I’m betting it could be due to the high altitude conditions. However, there are several other things to consider – the freshness of your ingredients, being sure not to over work the batter, etc. Take a look at this article – Rise to the Occasion – How to Keep a Cake From Falling. It includes some information you might find helpful and links to another article specifically on tips for high altitude baking. I hope this helps 🙂
Thank you!
I find that happens at high altitude. I decreas3d the sugar by 1/4 cup decreased the soda to 11/2 teaspoons and baked it at 375 for 35 minutes
In Canada here we have powdered sugar and icing sugar. Icing sugar is the type we use for frosting a cake etc. Are you familiar with (icing sugar) and is it the same as your (powdered sugar) in the U.S. ?
I believe it is the same, Doreen. It’s referred to as either powdered or confectioners’ sugar here in the U.S. Here’s a little more information for you. https://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/sugar.htm
The Cake turned out great. I think it was a little dry though. Do you have any suggestions for that.
You might want to try taking it out of the oven a minute or two sooner. I’m betting it just baked a little too long. Glad to hear it worked out otherwise.
I made this cake last night, it was foolproof and came out incredible. The frosting is perfection.
Fantastic, Mary! I’m so happy you had a great result 🙂
Hii, can you tell me the power output of your oven? Mine is 2300. This would give me an idea to alter the temperature and time accordingly. Thanks!
I’m so sorry, Hasiba. I have no idea! I have a standard U.S. electric oven.
Can I use this recipe for cupcakes?
Yes! I’ve used it for cupcakes many times. The baking time will be less so keep a close eye on them. I’d expect them to take approximately 20 minutes. For something really special, try pushing a Hershey’s Kiss into the cupcake batter before baking, delicious!
Hi please could you give me the English conversion of your American recipe.such as one cup of flour.what is this in pounds and ounces? I find this so frustrating as I love American cakes.
Please help me.bezzvasown@yahoo.co.uk
Best wishes beryl
I don’t provide conversions on each of my recipes but there are several online resources for getting these calculations. Try this one http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/531168/cups-to-grams-converter. I hope this helps!
Just made this for my husband who doesn’t like homemade cake. It had to be from a box and the cans of frosting… (yuck). I think this cake just converted him to homemade.? Thanks.
Well, isn’t that funny! Typically you find folks who prefer baked from scratch over a boxed mix, not the other way around. I’m glad to hear we made him a believer 🙂 Thanks so much, Heather and happy you enjoyed the cake 🙂
Pretty sure this is the recipe that has been on the Hersey’s Cocoa Powder container for the last 20 years? My go to recipe also.
I just grabbed my Hershey’s Cocoa Powder from my pantry and there is a recipe called Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake on the container. I’m not sure if this is the one you are referring to but it is different in both the ingredients and amounts from this one (no buttermilk, etc.). My recipe was modified from a cake recipe I’ve baked for years and years that is a bit more involved. Over time I found shortcuts and this recipe is the result. I will eventually get the original recipe published here as well. It’s a good one!
what can I use if I don’t have buttermilk
It is easy to substitute by adding vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk. Take a look at this article from Epicurious for more information.
I live in a country where buttermilk isn’t available; I put half a tbsp of apple vinegar and a few drops of lemon juice into the milk, let it sit for about 10 minutes and used it… worked just fine and this is now my go-to chocolate cake. Thanks, Valerie!
Excellent, Marcela! I’m so glad it worked out for you 🙂
Hi Vaerie.
I’m about to try it now but tell me, is baking soda the same as bi-carbonate soda?
Hi Doreen. Yes, they are one and the same! Hope you love the cake 🙂
Valerie, my husband made this cake for my birthday and it is absolutely delicious!! We halved the recipe since it’s just us, and it was a good thing we did because we can’t get enough of it! It was so easy to make. Super rich, extra moist, and everything I wanted for my birthday. This will be a keeper for sure! 🙂
I love that your husband made it for you! Glad to hear it worked out so well. I’ve used it for 13 x 9 cakes, layers cakes, and cupcakes and it has never done me wrong! Thanks so much for your comment and Happy Birthday 🙂
I never have buttermilk in, isn’t there a recipe to make your own? Or can I substitute it?
Yes, you can! Take a look at the comment thread here for the details.
the cake was excellent. moist and chocolatey. I substituted the hot water with 1cup hot coffee, brings out the chocolaty flavor, yet doesn’t taste like coffee. didn’t have any luck with the frosting, it never thickened. maybe because i didn’t use all 4 cups of the powdered sugar.
Coffee is an excellent substitution but I’m so sorry to hear the frosting didn’t work out for you. If it wasn’t thick enough, it seems maybe you needed to add more powdered sugar but the consistency should be somewhat thin and pourable out of the pan and then sets up on the cake as it cools. Thanks, Rhoda!
Hi. The cake looks yummy. But can you tell me how to do this with pressure cooker? And can it be done with a Teflon mould or an ordinary mould?