Our homemade chocolate cake recipe is easy to prepare and as uncomplicated as it gets, but it doesn’t sacrifice tenderness or a deep chocolate flavor. When a chocolate cake recipe has been used since 1943, you know it’s good!
I firmly believe that baking the perfect homemade chocolate cake is an unfussy endeavor. Or, at least, it should be. That’s why our recipe sticks to common kitchen staples and straightforward techniques to turn out the best classic chocolate cake that’s tender, fluffy and unctuously chocolaty.
Our homemade chocolate cake recipe is perfect for novice bakers and seasoned veterans who just want a really good, go-to classic chocolate cake recipe. The cake bakes in one pan, making a sheet cake, so there’s no need to build a layer cake and stack everything just so (although you can, and we left a few tips on how to do so). The best part? You can top this cake simply with confectioners’ sugar or take the few extra minutes to whip up a fluffy frosting for a celebration-worthy finish.
Ingredients for Homemade Chocolate Cake
Butter: One of the biggest tips for making cake is to bring all the ingredients, including the butter, eggs and milk, to room temperature. Take these ingredients out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting on the cake. If you forgot about the butter, no worries! You can soften butter quickly.
Sugar: We’ll sweeten this cake with granulated sugar. Do not alter the sugar measurement or the cake will bake a little drier, not to mention be less tasty.
Eggs: Baking with room-temperature eggs ensures the batter emulsifies properly and avoids curdled cake batter. To bring eggs to room temperature, submerge them in warm (not hot!) water for 10 minutes or leave them at room temperature for 30 minutes.
All-purpose flour: It’s not necessary, but I always find my cake to be lighter and fluffier when I take the time to sift my all-purpose flour and baking cocoa. Doing so knocks out any lumps and aerates the flour so it mixes into the batter quicker. Also, make sure to measure the flour properly (aka don’t stick the measuring cup right into the bag of flour).
Baking cocoa: It’s worth splurging on the best cocoa powder for a chocolate cake recipe made from scratch. Find baking cocoa that’s velvety with a very dark hue and a complex flavor.
Baking soda: A little baking soda helps the cake fluff up. Check the expiration date if yours has been sitting in the pantry for a while.
Milk: While we suggest 2% milk, feel free to use whatever milk you prefer. Whole milk would make the cake very rich, but if you have only skim milk in the fridge, that’s fine too.
Confectioners’ sugar or frosting: Finish the cake with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar or your favorite homemade frosting recipe. You could even cheat and buy the best store-bought frosting. We won’t tell!
Directions
Step 1: Beat the butter, sugar and eggs
butter, sugar and eggs beat together in a bowl
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
Step 2: Make the batter
whisked together all-purpose flour, baking cocoa, baking soda and salt added to creamed mixture
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk.
Editor’s Tip: Most cake recipes alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk. Always start and end with the dry ingredients for a stable batter. I like to add half the dry ingredients, then mix, add all the milk, then mix, and finish with the rest of the dry ingredients and mix.
whisking the batter mixture while milk is being added
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Beat the mixture after each addition until smooth.
Step 3:
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