If you’re after an easy, rich, and moist chocolate cake, you’ve got to try this one. It’s made with oil and yogurt for a tender, extra-moist cake crumb that melts on your tongue. This recipe is perfect for any occasion: a work, school, or community event, a birthday, or even as an easy dessert.
You can make it up to 4 days ahead. The oil in the recipe keeps it silky soft.
Top Tips for a Rich and Moist Chocolate Cake
Here are a couple of ways you can get absolutely flawless results with this Simple Chocolate Cake Recipe:
- Use room-temperature butter for the icing: Honestly, make your baking easier by using room-temperature butter. This makes it easier to whip up silky, lump-free icing.
- Go easy when mixing: Try not to overmix and overwork the cake batter. Overmixing can give you a tough or dense cake.
- Cool the chocolate mixture a bit: Before mixing it into the eggs, cool it down a bit. This will prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- Prepare the cake pans: Grease, flour, and line them. This cake is quite soft and will break if it has to wrestle with baking paper.
- Check for doneness early on: Everyone’s oven temperature is different. You should check the cake at the 25-minute mark to be on the safe side. For the perfect, easy, moist chocolate cake recipe, don’t overbake it.
- Try to cut the cake centrally: this will give you even layers.
- Chill before frosting: If you have extra time, chill this Rich and Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before frosting it. This helps reduce crumbs from mixing with the icing and gives you a cleaner look.
- Double up the icing: For a properly covered cake, double the chocolate icing recipe.
How to Store Your Rich and Moist Chocolate Cake
Store your cake in the fridge, covered up in a cake pan or under a cover. It’s essential to protect it from the air, as exposure will contribute to its hardening and staleness.
You’ll love that this recipe can be made up to 2 months ahead, frosted, and frozen whole. All you’ll need to do is whip it out of the freezer and thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Flavor Variations for Chocolate Cake Recipes
- Mocha choc cake version: Fold in 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder into the saucepan with the oil, butter, cocoa powder, and water. Mirror that in the icing by mixing in 1 or 2 teaspoons of cooled, brewed espresso or your favorite strong coffee. If you’re a coffee lover, you will absolutely love this version!
- Chocolate and orange cake: If you love the classic combination of orange and chocolate, add in the zest of 1 orange and two tablespoons of fresh orange juice to the yogurt, egg, and vanilla mixture. You can use orange extract instead of vanilla if you like, but don’t worry if you don’t have any at home. Vanilla is excellent, too.
- Salted caramel drizzle cake: Bake the cake according to this recipe, and then, between the layers, add a layer of luscious salted caramel sauce. Drizzle more caramel over the finished cake and top with a few flakes of sea salt. This is a super-rich version —be prepared!
- Mexican hot chocolate cake: Add a pinch of ground cinnamon and a ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture. For the icing, add in the exact amounts of cinnamon and cayenne. If you love a spicy hot chocolate (Mexican style), you’ll love this, too.
- Chocolate raspberry cake: Spread raspberry jam between the two cake layers before icing. You can also add ¼ teaspoon of raspberry extract to the icing and garnish the top with fresh raspberries. This is a fun version to make when raspberries are in season.
🛒 Grocery List – Rich and Moist Chocolate Cake
Shop online using our lists below!
Dry Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour – 2 cups
- Granulated Sugar – 2 cups
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – ¾ cup
- Baking Powder – 2 teaspoons
- Baking Soda – 1 ½ teaspoons
- Salt – 1 teaspoon
Wet Ingredients
- Eggs – 2 large
- Whole Milk – 1 cup
- Vegetable Oil – ½ cup
- Vanilla Extract – 2 teaspoons
Optional Frosting (Chocolate Buttercream)
- Unsalted Butter – 1 cup (softened)
- Powdered Sugar – 3 ½ cups
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (already listed above) – ½ cup
- Heavy Cream – ¼ cup
🍰Recommended Bakeware, Mixers & Pans for the Perfect Chocolate Cake
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer
- Cuisinart Hand Mixer
- USA Pan Nonstick Round Cake Pans
- Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls
- OXO Silicone Spatulas
- Wilton Cooling Rack
- Wilton Cake Leveler
- Pre-Cut Parchment Rounds
- Springform Pan Set
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How to Make a Rich and Moist Chocolate Cake
Whip up a delicious and so Simple Chocolate Cake Recipe for any reason, special occasion or not
Ingredients
For the cake batter:
For the icing:
Instructions
Video
Directions
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
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2. Prepare the stove top mixture: In a medium saucepan, combine the vegetable oil, butter, cocoa powder, and water. Gently heat over low heat, stirring until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
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3. Prepare the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda.
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4. Prepare the wet mixture: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Slowly add the cooled butter mixture to the egg mixture, a little at a time, whisking continuously to prevent scrambling.
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5. Combine wet and dry mixtures: Gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
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6. Fill the cake pans and bake: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
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7. Cool the cakes: Let the cakes cool completely in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.
To make the icing
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1. Make the icing: Whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, softened butter, and vanilla extract until smooth, light, and fluffy.
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2. Assemble the cake: Once the cake layers are fully cooled, spread icing on the top of one layer, stack the second layer, and finish with icing on top.
rich and moist chocolate cake, Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe No Mixer Needed