I call it the Best Moist Chocolate Cake because after perfecting a few simple swaps in my completely from-scratch recipe I have a reliable chocolate cake everyone should keep in their recipe collection.
I’ve been chasing the perfect chocolate cake for years, and this one finally shut me up. It’s rich but not cloying, not that fake boxed kind most people settle for.
The unsweetened cocoa powder and a splash of hot strong brewed coffee cut through the sweetness and make the chocolate sing, trust me. I’ve tested versions from Hershey’s Chocolate Cake Recipe to Best Moist Chocolate Cake and still kept coming back to this mix of things, possibly because it rewards small mistakes with extra texture.
If you want a cake that surprises you every bite, read on.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour: provides structure mostly carbs a little protein and some fiber.
- Granulated sugar: pure carbs makes cake sweet, no fiber or nutrients.
- Cocoa powder: gives chocolate flavor has antioxidants and fiber adds depth.
- Eggs: bind ingredients add protein and richness also tender crumb.
- Buttermilk: tangy and acidic reacts with leavening for lift adds moisture.
- Vegetable oil: pure fat keeps cake moist and soft no dairy.
- Coffee: enhances chocolate adds slight bitterness and depth low calories.
- Sour cream or yogurt: optional adds tang and fat boosts moistness.
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, any kind will do
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) hot strong brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream or plain yogurt, optional for extra moistness
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round pans or line them with parchment; if you only have one 9 by 13 inch pan that works too.
2. In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 3 4/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon fine salt until evenly mixed. If your cocoa is lumpy sift it or press through a fine mesh.
3. In another bowl beat 2 large eggs with 1 cup buttermilk, 1 2 cup vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth. Stir in 1 2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt now if you want extra moistness.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or whisk until just combined, dont overmix or the cake will get tough.
5. Slowly pour in 1 cup hot strong brewed coffee while stirring; the batter will be thin and that is how it should be, the coffee blooms the cocoa and makes the cake deeply chocolatey.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Tap the pans on the counter once to remove big air bubbles.
7. Bake center rack for about 30 to 35 minutes for two 9 inch pans, or about 35 to 40 minutes in a 9 by 13 inch pan, or until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
8. Let cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes then run a knife around the edges and invert onto the rack to cool completely before frosting.
9. Quick tips: use hot but not boiling coffee, room temperature eggs give better emulsion, measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling, and if you want extra moistness brush baked layers with a little simple syrup or add the optional sour cream as noted.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven (set to 350 F)
2. Two 9 inch round pans or one 9 by 13 inch pan, plus parchment or nonstick spray
3. Large mixing bowl and a second bowl for wet ingredients
4. Measuring cups and spoons (and a kitchen scale if you use grams)
5. Whisk and rubber spatula
6. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for the cocoa
7. Wire cooling rack and a sharp knife to loosen the cakes
8. Toothpick or cake tester and a kettle or small saucepan for the hot coffee
FAQ
The BEST Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe! Substitutions and Variations
- All-purpose flour: swap with cake flour for a lighter, tender crumb. To make about 2 cups cake flour from AP, remove 4 tablespoons of AP and replace with 4 tablespoons cornstarch, then sift. The cake will be softer but a bit more delicate.
- Granulated sugar: use light brown sugar 1:1 for extra moisture and a mild caramel note. Pack it lightly so the batter doesn’t get too dense.
- Buttermilk: if you dont have any, stir 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup milk and let sit 5 minutes. It’s an easy stand-in that keeps the acidity the recipe needs.
- Eggs: per egg, use 1/4 cup mashed banana for moisture and sweetness, or a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxmeal + 3 tablespoons water, let sit 5 minutes) for neutral binding. Banana will change the flavor, flax won’t.
Pro Tips
– Use hot but not boiling coffee, and add it slowly while stirring, it really makes the cocoa bloom and the batter taste way more chocolatey so dont skimp on the strength.
– Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and level it, or better yet weigh it if you can, scooping packs the flour and makes the cake dense.
– Dont overmix the batter, stir until just combined, a few tiny lumps or streaks are fine; overworking the gluten will give you a tough cake.
– For extra moistness and stability brush cooled layers with a little simple syrup or fold the sour cream or yogurt into the wet mix, and always let the layers cool completely before you try to frost them or the icing will slide.
The BEST Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe!
I call it the Best Moist Chocolate Cake because after perfecting a few simple swaps in my completely from-scratch recipe I have a reliable chocolate cake everyone should keep in their recipe collection.
12
servings
336
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven (set to 350 F)
2. Two 9 inch round pans or one 9 by 13 inch pan, plus parchment or nonstick spray
3. Large mixing bowl and a second bowl for wet ingredients
4. Measuring cups and spoons (and a kitchen scale if you use grams)
5. Whisk and rubber spatula
6. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for the cocoa
7. Wire cooling rack and a sharp knife to loosen the cakes
8. Toothpick or cake tester and a kettle or small saucepan for the hot coffee
Ingredients
-
2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
-
2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
-
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, any kind will do
-
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
-
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
-
1 teaspoon fine salt
-
2 large eggs
-
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
-
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
-
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
-
1 cup (240 ml) hot strong brewed coffee
-
1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream or plain yogurt, optional for extra moistness
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round pans or line them with parchment; if you only have one 9 by 13 inch pan that works too.
- In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 3 4/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon fine salt until evenly mixed. If your cocoa is lumpy sift it or press through a fine mesh.
- In another bowl beat 2 large eggs with 1 cup buttermilk, 1 2 cup vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth. Stir in 1 2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt now if you want extra moistness.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or whisk until just combined, dont overmix or the cake will get tough.
- Slowly pour in 1 cup hot strong brewed coffee while stirring; the batter will be thin and that is how it should be, the coffee blooms the cocoa and makes the cake deeply chocolatey.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Tap the pans on the counter once to remove big air bubbles.
- Bake center rack for about 30 to 35 minutes for two 9 inch pans, or about 35 to 40 minutes in a 9 by 13 inch pan, or until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
- Let cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes then run a knife around the edges and invert onto the rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Quick tips: use hot but not boiling coffee, room temperature eggs give better emulsion, measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling, and if you want extra moistness brush baked layers with a little simple syrup or add the optional sour cream as noted.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 130g
- Total number of serves: 12
- Calories: 336kcal
- Fat: 12.89g
- Saturated Fat: 3.38g
- Trans Fat: 0.04g
- Polyunsaturated: 2.71g
- Monounsaturated: 5.58g
- Cholesterol: 34.7mg
- Sodium: 356mg
- Potassium: 184mg
- Carbohydrates: 53.2g
- Fiber: 2.6g
- Sugar: 34.78g
- Protein: 5.17g
- Vitamin A: 70IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 49.3mg
- Iron: 1.91mg
