The perfect dessert solution, this Easy Chocolate Cake is almost effortless with a fluffy but moist cake and a silky smooth buttercream.
If you don’t know me I’m a huge cake person, I’m also a huge chocolate person. So give me this Easy Chocolate Cake and I will be satisfied.
Cake is probably one of our most made desserts in our house, every love it and there are so many options to choose from.
Sometimes I love layer cakes, sometimes I really want to go the easy route and just make a delicious cake in a 9×13-inch pan.
That is what I love about this Easy Chocolate Cake, it is made in a 9×13-inch pan so that means no layering or more labor intensive steps!
Just the perfect treat to serve at birthdays, holidays, gatherings or just because you are craving something sweet.
If you are wanting that easy but absolutely delicious cake recipe, you cannot go wrong with this Easy Chocolate Cake!
Some of my favorite 9×13-inch cakes we have on our site include: Hummingbird Cake, Peanut Butter Cake and Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cake.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Easy on hand pantry staple ingredients help this come together in no time.
- This is great for pretty much any occasion.
- You can switch up the frosting to so many different flavors.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST):
All-purpose flour
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Baking soda
Baking powder
Salt
Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Eggs
Whole milk
Milk chocolate chips
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE AN EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE, STEP BY STEP:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9×13 pan, set aside.
- Make cake batter by whisking together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl, set aside.
- Add butter and sugar to a separate large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, beat until creamy.
- Beat each egg individually until each is combined into butter mixture before adding the next one.
- Add flour mixture in three batches, adding milk with last batch and mixing until smooth and just combined (do not overmix).
- Pour and smooth batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 36-37 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting, add butter and powdered sugar to large mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer and beating until smooth and creamy (about 4 minutes on high).
- Add salt and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- With a double boiler or heat-safe bowl over saucepan with about two inches of water in the pan, heat chocolate on low heat until begging to melt. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.
- Allow the chocolate to cool slightly, then mix into butter mixture until combined.
- Spread evenly over top of cooled cake and serve.
WHY IS THERE NO VANILLA EXTRACT IN THE CAKE?
While there is a lot of sweetness from the sugar and cocoa powder, the need for vanilla is not necessary in this cake.
Some old-time cakes leave out the vanilla extract to let the chocolate shine through.
You can however add vanilla extract to this recipe if you’d like. I suggest 2 teaspoons in the cake batter when adding the eggs.
CAN I USE COFFEE IN THIS RECIPE?
Absolutely! If you want some of your liquid to be coffee you can do that! It really enhances the chocolate flavor.
You could do half and half, 3/4 cups whole milk and 3/4 cups hot coffee. Or just do 1/2 cup hot coffee and 1 cup whole milk.
WHAT OTHER FROSTINGS CAN I USE?
If you are not a fan of chocolate on chocolate, or want a different chocolate that is absolutely ok! This cake tastes amazing with a variety of frostings. Some of our favorites include:
- Chocolate Ganache
- Vanilla Buttercream
- Peanut Butter Buttercream
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Raspberry Buttercream
- Mocha Buttercream
- Nutella Buttercream
There is an endless list of flavors as chocolate pairs well with so much! So use what you like and switch it up from time to time!
WHAT OTHER CHOCOLATE CAN I USE IN THE FROSTING?
We went for a milk chocolate frosting with milk chocolate chips in this recipe, as we love the flavors together.
You can use any of your favorite chocolate chips flavors such as dark or semi-sweet as well.
You can also use a chocolate baking bar, semi-sweet would work best if using the baking bar.
HOW TO STORE:
This can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature where it will keep for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
You can also freeze this Chocolate Cake. Place in a freezer container and it will keep for up to 3 months.
To defrost, remove to the countertop until thawed. Serve and enjoy.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- The cake does not have vanilla in it, but you can add 2 teaspoons if you’d like.
- Make sure you do not overmix your cake batter.
- Other frostings can be used, see some of my ideas above.
- Coffee can be added to bring out the chocolate flavor, see above on how to incorporate that.
- You can use salted butter, just omit the salt in the recipe.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- You can melt your chocolate chips in the microwave, but be careful that they do not burn or seize up.
When it comes to that sweet tooth, you can absolutely satisfy that craving with this Easy Chocolate Cake!
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried this EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!
Easy Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
Frosting:
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9×13 pan, set aside.
- Make cake batter by whisking together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl, set aside.
- Add butter and sugar to a separate large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, beat until creamy.
- Beat each egg individually until each is combined into butter mixture before adding the next one.
- Add flour mixture in three batches, adding milk with last batch and mixing until smooth and just combined (do not overmix).
- Pour and smooth batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 36-37 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting, add butter and powdered sugar to large mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer and beating until smooth and creamy (about 4 minutes on high).
- Add salt and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- With a double boiler or heat-safe bowl over saucepan with about two inches of water in the pan, heat chocolate on low heat until begging to melt. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.
- Allow the chocolate to cool slightly, then mix into butter mixture until combined.
- Spread evenly over top of cooled cake and serve.
Notes
- The cake does not have vanilla in it, but you can add 2 teaspoons if you’d like.
- Make sure you do not overmix your cake batter.
- Other frostings can be used, see some of my ideas above.
- Coffee can be added to bring out the chocolate flavor, see above on how to incorporate that.
- You can use salted butter, just omit the salt in the recipe.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- You can melt your chocolate chips in the microwave, but be careful that they do not burn or seize up.
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Sharda
Hi there,
I want to make this for my son’s birthday and cover it in green ganache to turn into a football field.
My question is does it come out of the tray easily? And any tips for getting it out without breaking it? I’m not a big baker but keen to give this a go.
Thanks x
Tornadough Alli
The best way to get this out is to make sure that the pan is greased very well and/or line the pan with parchment paper. I would take a large baking sheet and place it over the top of the pan and invert the pan so the cake comes out onto the baking sheet. That would be my best advice on how to get it out without breaking.