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Home » Recipes » Desserts » Cakes & Cupcakes » the best Homemade Chocolate Cake you’ll ever have!!

November 12, 2015

the best Homemade Chocolate Cake you’ll ever have!!

a delicious homemade chocolate cake
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This is the best chocolate cake recipe. In the history of best. And chocolate. And cake. This is an easy chocolate cake recipe from scratch to make and the homemade frosting and cake combo is the best it gets.

The best chocolate cake recipe you'll ever find!

The baked cake is a fantastic texture and not overly sweet like cake sometimes is. And that frosting? You’ll be eating it with a spoon. Creamy, chocolatey, and smooth. This is a favorite in our FREE Reader’s Favorites Cake Cookbook by a landslide!

the best homemade easy chocolate cake from scratch recipe you'll ever make. And then make again and again...so good!

There is nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon than gather the kids in the kitchen with crayons, aprons, and music…and bake a cake! Dancing and baking and sneaking tastes is as much a part of childhood as candy, movies, and hugs.

the best chocolate cake recipe!

Maybe you’re a believer in good, fast, and consistent recipes. Make it, eat it, enjoy it…move on. Maybe you’re also a GIANT fan of knowing what ingredients are in the food you feed your family. Both of those are crazy great reasons to make a chocolate cake from scratch!


A few quick tips if you are making a homemade cake this weekend from our Readers Favorite Cake Cookbook:

  1. Make sure your eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla are at room temp. This really does give the best results. IF you don’t have the time…you can totally stick the eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water for a while. It will help.
  2. Spend extra time whipping your butter and sugar together. Makes for a light and fluffy cake!
  3. Instead of using flour for your cake pans…use cocoa. I KNOW, totally cool.
  4. Try to be precise with your measurements. Too much sugar gets cracky edges (is that a thing 
    ;)
    ) and too much flour will get a cracked top.
  5. When you pour your batter in the pan, give the pan a couple drops on the counter to spread it out and help remove air pockets.

This homemade chocolate cake recipe may not make it in the world of professional cake guru’s (Although, if you read the comments, there is totally a girl selling cupcakes using this recipe!). But, it WILL make you a super-hero in the world of those you love. They will adore you. Bow at your feet adore! And, making cake for our families is what it is really about anyways.

^^ Grab the FREE Reader’s Favorite Cakes Cookbook

This homemade chocolate cake recipe is not overly sweet. It is a perfect match for the sweet, smooth chocolate frosting. This specific cake and frosting combo is what works. Maybe it’s the “from scratch” part that makes it? Moist chocolate cake and sweet frosting layers. Chocolate and smooth. They just go together. the end.

We have another name for this chocolate frosting (yes, we totally name our fave recipes!)… cracker dip.
Because we make up a batch and serve it with graham crackers for dipping ;). <— totally true!

Easy chocolate cake recipe. This from scratch recipe is one of the best chocolate cake recipes.
A few questions we get asked quite often about baking this homemade chocolate cake recipe …

  1. Should I use sifted flour and then measure or measure and then sift?
    It depends on how the recipe reads. If it reads 1 cup SIFTED flour than you sift and measure. If sifted isn’t even mentioned then you measure and sift. This recipe…skip the sifting if you want. We won’t tell.
  2. Can I convert a white cake into chocolate?
    Now that is just plain rude to ask that question on a chocolate cake recipe! It makes us think that you aren’t going to use this recipe. Which, you should. But the answer is… yes. But it isn’t terribly simple. We have instructions and info HERE.
  3. Do you have a slow cooker chocolate cake you would recommend?
    Well sure. Our favorite is our Chocolate Stout Cake. Yum!!
    Or a very simple and wildly successful one to try is: 1 box of chocolate cake mix prepared (not baked) and poured into a sprayed slow-cooker. Whip up a small box of no-cook chocolate pudding and pour it into the center of the chocolate cake mix before it sets. Top the whole thing with 4 oz of chocolate chips. Cook for 3-4 hours or until the edges are bubbly. Seriously guys…easy peasy and sooooo delicious!
  4. How many cupcakes does this make?
    Our reader Molly says she has made this several times and gets 24 cupcakes.

Grab your FREE PRINTABLE COOKBOOK with our Top 12 Reader Favorite Old-Fashioned Cakes!

Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe from scratch

a delicious homemade chocolate cake
4.77 from 60 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 423kcal

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 2 c. all-purpose flour We love Bob’s Red Mill for great quality!
  • 3/4 cup cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cup milk

Instructions

  • grease bottom and sides of pan (I use 2 round pans or 1 9 by 13). preheat oven to 350 degrees. I would even suggest lining the bottom with parchment paper and then spraying.
  • Combine flour,  cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 
  • In a separate bowl beat butter for 30 seconds or so. slowly add sugar.
  • Add eggs 1 at a time beating after each one. Beat in vanilla.
  • Add dry ingredients beating after each addition.
  • Add 1/2 of the milk, beat. Then add the other 1/2. Beat just until everything is combined nicely.
  • Spread batter about into pans making them about 2/3 full. You may have remaining batter (I sometimes make a few cupcakes.)
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes for round pans, 5 min longer or so for the 9 by 13 pan. Watch it though! a knife coming out clean from the center means it is done. NOTE: Many readers are finding they need to increase the baking time. This is probably due to the difference in ovens, pans, and elevation. Always go by the way the cake looks and if the cake is done in the center.

Video

Notes

Another method of mixing this cake that works better for some is simply mixing the dry ingredients and the wet in separate bowls and stirring them gently together.
One of our readers has let us know that, when making cupcakes with this recipe, 375 degrees for 17 minutes is perfect. (Thanks, Dina!)
There has been a common problem with the cake falling in the center and being undercooked. This is because it is removed too soon. Be sure that the cake is dry on the edges, and that that a knife comes out clean when inserted into the center. If you remove it too soon, even if it looks done, it will fall (all cakes will!).

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 214mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 465IU | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2.8mg

THE Chocolate FROSTING RECIPE

AN easy, deliciously creamy chocolate frosting that you will make again and again!
4.77 from 60 votes
Print Pin Rate
Keyword: chocolate frosting
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1 cup (about)

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks softened butter
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar
  • bit of milk if you find this stiff.

Instructions

  • beat ingredients until smooth.

Video

NOTE: this frosting is my go-to all the time frosting recipe.

Save this recipe to your Pinterest board for later…

an easy homemade chocolate cake from scratch recipe that you'll love! #chocolatecake #fromscratch #homemade #easy
Classic chocolate cake with 3 ingredient chocolate frosting is our favorite homemade chocolate cake recipe and the best recipe you'll find! #chocolatecake #recipe #easy #homemade

More homemade Chocolate Cake Recipes:

  • Slow Cooker Chocolate Stout Cake
  • Chocolate Cherry Almond Cake
  • Vegan Beet Chocolate Cake
  • Old-fashioned Brownie Cake
  • Bailey’s Chocolate Bundt Cake
  • Black-out Black Cocoa Chocolate Cake

 

Filed Under: Cakes & Cupcakes Tagged With: cake recipe, chocolate cake, chocolate cake from scratch, Christmas, frosting, vintage recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chelsea says

    August 17, 2018 at 10:08 am

    Do you think the recipe could be used as a tiered cake?

    Reply
    • Nellie says

      August 17, 2018 at 11:53 am

      Yes! Although you would need to do some support, I think. I haven’t done more than two on top of each other.

      Reply
  2. Ammie Z says

    August 1, 2018 at 9:41 pm

    5 stars
    My worry that my batter was too thin? Completely unfounded. The cake fluffed up beautifully and smells divine. I got one crack on top, but I’m not worried about aesthetics anyways. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Nellie says

      August 2, 2018 at 9:29 am

      Hooray! Just cover that crack with gobs of frosting! So glad you like it. Have a happy cake eating day!

      Reply
  3. Ammie Z says

    August 1, 2018 at 9:12 pm

    4 stars
    My cake is in the oven right now and I’m very nervous. I saw another commenter say that their batter was very thick, too thick to pour into the pan, but my experience was the complete opposite. My batter turned out very thin. So much so, that I wondered if I needed to add some extra flour to thicken it up. Cross your fingers for me that things turn out well because I ran out of butter and won’t be able to try again until tomorrow!

    Reply
    • Nellie says

      August 2, 2018 at 9:28 am

      Fingers crossed! Although, usually you’ll find it fluffs up and is just perfect. But making a cake can have a few tense moments, there :).

      Reply
  4. Chelsea says

    July 17, 2018 at 10:00 pm

    THIS RECIPE IS DELICIOUS!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

    Reply
  5. Katelin says

    May 26, 2018 at 10:07 pm

    Hi! I was wondering if I can use self rising flour instead of all purpose? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nellie says

      May 29, 2018 at 10:40 am

      I would reduce the amount of baking powder in it, if you choose to do the self-rising flour. Because the flour already has that built in.

      Reply
      • Izzy says

        July 17, 2018 at 9:41 am

        My frosting turned out liquidy. How do I make thicker? Should I add a little powdered sugar?

        Reply
        • Nellie says

          July 20, 2018 at 11:27 am

          Yes. And, if your butter melted a bit too much that could be the culprit and it will solidify as it comes back to temp.

          Reply
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