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!
For another easy, homemade chocolate treat, try my recipe for Classic Fudge Walnut Brownies—they’re simple to make and packed with rich, fudgy goodness.
This is my go-to easy chocolate cake recipe that I’ve made countless times over the years for birthdays, summer parties, and pretty much any other excuse I can think of. Most recently, it was a much needed comforting dessert that we delivered to my my son and daughter-in-law after they welcomed our new baby grandson into the family.
If you know me well, you’ve had this cake.
In addition to being our family’s favorite chocolate cake, this One Bowl Chocolate Cake recipe has a seriously no-fuss method that I love. All you’ll need is a large bowl, an electric mixer, and a few minutes on your hands to get it in the oven.
The fudgy chocolate icing is made quickly on the stove and seals the deal in the most delicious way.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Wet ingredients: Eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, pure vanilla extract, and some very hot water.
- Chocolate icing: Butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and a little additional buttermilk and pure vanilla extract. From time to time, I will add some finely chopped pecans or walnuts. Nuts are totally optional.
Variation
For something a little different, try using hot brewed coffee in place of the hot water. Coffee naturally intensifies the richness of cocoa, making the chocolate taste deeper and more complex. It enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
How to Make One Bowl Chocolate Cake
This is a quick overview of how to make this recipe. You’ll find detailed instructions and a video in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Then, add the wet ingredients and mix with an electric hand mixer until combined. You could do this all in the bowl of your stand mixer if you’d like.
- Add the very hot water and mix again briefly until combined. The cake batter will be quite thin.
- Transfer the batter to a 9- x 13-inch baking pan (glass or metal) that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
If you’re making this cake to deliver to a friend or family member, bake it in a 9- x 13-inch disposable aluminum foil cake pan with a lid. Or be like me and divide it between two 8-inch foil pans so you can give one away and keep one for yourself! The baking time can differ slightly when you use foil pans so just watch it carefully towards the end of the baking time.
The Fudgy Chocolate Icing
- In a large saucepan, whisk melted butter with the cocoa powder, buttermilk and vanilla.
- Reduce the heat and whisk in powdered sugar, using as much as you need until you’ve reached the desired consistency. It should be thick but pourable.
- Continue whisking vigorously until smooth. This is where you would stir in chopped nuts, if you want a nutty frosting, or reserve them to use as a garnish on top.
- Immediately pour the icing over the cake and use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread it out evenly over the surface. Allow the icing to set for a few minutes before slicing and serving the cake.
Alternate Layer Cake and Cupcake Instructions
I nearly always use a 9- x 13-inch pan for this recipe but it works well as round layer cake too.
- Divide the batter between two greased 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
I frost my round cakes with a sturdier, buttercream-style frosting which works better for a layer cake than a thinner icing. I’ve even been known to buy a tub of chocolate fudge frosting from the store (gasp!) to make it super easy. No one will ever know!
Want to make cupcakes? No problem!
- Grease or line your cupcake pan with liners, and fill each cup about two-thirds full with cake batter.
- Bake your cupcakes at 350 degrees F for about 18 to 22 minutes. Allow them to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
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One Bowl Chocolate Cake
Video
Ingredients
One Bowl Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup very hot (boiling) water, or hot brewed coffee
Fudgy Chocolate Icing
- ½ cup butter
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 16 ounces powdered sugar, or up to 4 cups, as needed to reach desired consistency
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick 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 the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan before frosting.
For the Icing
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over MEDIUM heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder, buttermilk and vanilla. Turn the heat to LOW and whisk in the powdered sugar, using as much as you need until you've reached the desired consistency. It should be thick but pourable. Continue whisking vigorously until smooth. Stir in chopped nuts, if using, or reserve them to use as a garnish on top.
- Immediately pour the icing over the cake and use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread it out evenly over the surface. Garnish with nuts, if desired. Allow to set for a few minutes before slicing and serving the cake.
Notes
- Divide the batter between two greased 9-inch round cake pans. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Grease or line your cupcake pan with liners, and fill each cup about two-thirds full with cake batter.
- Bake your cupcakes at 350 degrees F for about 18 to 22 minutes. Allow them to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Easy Cake Recipes
This post was originally published on July 27, 2016. It has been updated with new text and images.
I made this cake last night and it came out moist and delicious – I baked it 37 minutes. Also, I used hot coffee instead of water (as another writer noted), which enhanced the chocolate in the cake. I will make this again and will add 2 extra tablespoons of cocoa powder to the icing because I like dark chocolate icing. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
The cake turned out very good. I didn’t have butter milk so I substituted it with 1 cup of whole milk and 1 tbsp white vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes before using. Used it in the frosting as well with around half tbsp vinegar but would suggest to strain it before using it in the frosting.
Can I make a 2 layer cake with this recipe?
Yes! This recipe works with a standard 9″ round cake pan and will create one 2-layer cake.
Valerie- if I do a layer cake how do I do the frosting? Or what do you put between the layers?
I’ve baked this cake as a round layer cake many a time and have used everything from store-bought frosting to homemade chocolate buttercream, depending on my level of ambition 🙂 A more substantial frosting would work better for a layer cake.
Thank you for the recipe. Tried twice. Came out so well.
One of my favorite recipes ever! I plan to make cupcakes with this recipe for a party this week and then a layered cake for another party this weekend. It’s that time of year. 🙂 Thanks for this awesome recipe!
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?
I am newly gluten free, I wondered if I can sub gluten free almond flour for the regular flour?
You could with a multipurpose gluten free mix. Almond flour is different. It needs more eggs and such. I know because my son can only have almond flour and coconut flour. It’s a totally different baking world. Lol. There is so nice out there now for gluten free.
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!
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.
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 🙂
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 🙂
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 🙂