The Stay At Home Chef’s recipe for The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake has been tried and loved by tens of thousands of people worldwide, all of whom agree that it is the most amazing chocolate cake ever. In fact, it has gained the nickname “The Matilda Cake” because it looks just like the decadent cake eaten by Bruce Bogtrotter in the movie Matilda.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One Bowl – The batter is made in just one bowl, so no combining wet and dry ingredients separately.
- Rich Chocolate Flavor – This cake is rich and fudgy, making it a true indulgence for any chocolate cake lover.
- It’s Moist! – One of the key measures of a chocolate cake is whether or not it is moist. This one checks every box!
- Every Option – Not only is this cake the best, we’ve given you every option we can for various pan sizes, frosting options, and subtitutions.
Are you ready for the most heavenly chocolate cake you’ve ever tasted? After years of testing, we have finally perfected the ultimate chocolate cake recipe. This rich, fudgy chocolate cake will melt in your mouth with every bite. Its fluffy, moist crumb is coated in a thick layer of decadent chocolate frosting, making it a true indulgence for chocolate lovers. And the best part? It’s so easy to make, with just one bowl for the batter.
Indulge in the ultimate chocolate experience with The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake. Moist, rich, and made in a single bowl, this chocolate cake has received thousands of rave reviews. Satisfy your chocolate cravings with the chocolate cake of your dreams.
Substitutions
Buttermilk is a liquid that is left over after churning butter. It is an important ingredient in this recipe due to the way it interacts with other ingredients. Buttermilk can be easily substituted with a mixture of milk and vinegar or lemon juice, or with almond or soy milk and white vinegar. You can also find more in-depth information on how to make a buttermilk substitute in this post.
Yes, you can make this recipe dairy-free. Simply add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to almond or soy milk, let it stand for 5 minutes, and use the mixture in place of the buttermilk. You can also use a dairy-free frosting option for the frosting.
Yes, you can easily adapt this recipe to be gluten-free by using a “Cup for Cup” gluten-free flour blend in the same amounts as the regular flour called for in the recipe.
There are several options that work well as egg substitutes in this recipe:
1/4 cup of plain yogurt per egg
1 tablespoon vinegar+ 1 teaspoon baking powder whisked together per egg
1/4 cup mashed banana per egg
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce per egg
Adapting the Recipe for Different Sizes and Shapes of Cakes
This chocolate cake recipe yields approximately 9 cups of batter total, or 3 cups for each of the 9-inch layers. Here are some popular pan sizes and the approximate amount of batter needed for each individual pan:
- 9×2-inch round pan: 3 cups batter
- 8×2-inch round pan: 2 1/4 cups batter
- 13×18-inch sheet cake pan: 6 cups batter
- 9×13-inch pan: 6 cups batter
- 12 standard cupcakes: 3 cups batter
- 10-12 cup bundt cake pan: 8 cups batter
As a general rule, cake pans should be filled 2/3rds of the way full for cake baking, unless otherwise specified in the recipe.
It’s always a good idea to check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached, the cake is likely done. You can also gently press the center of the cake with your finger – if it springs back, it is probably ready to be removed from the oven.
Keep in mind that these are just general guidelines and the actual baking time may vary depending on factors such as your oven’s temperature accuracy, the type of pan you are using, and the altitude at which you are baking. It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your cake as it bakes and to make any necessary adjustments to the baking time as needed.
Types of Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powder is an important ingredient in many baked goods and can affect the flavor and texture of the final product. It is important to use the type of cocoa powder specified in a recipe, as using the wrong type can alter the balance of flavors and sweetness. There are several types of cocoa powder available, each with its own distinct flavor and properties.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, specifically Hershey’s brand, was used in this cake recipe as it is the most widely available to readers. You can also use higher-quality cocoa powders such as Ghiradelli or those from specialty chocolatier shops, but they can be expensive. It is recommended to avoid using inexpensive store brands as they tend to not produce the best results.
- For the dark-colored frosting in these photos, Hershey’s Special Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder was used.
- Dutch-process cocoa powder is a type of cocoa that has been treated with an alkali to neutralize its acidity. It has a milder flavor and darker color than natural cocoa powder, and is also easier to dissolve in liquids. When using dutch-process cocoa powder in place of unsweetened cocoa powder in a recipe, it is important to consider that it may behave differently due to its lower acidity. However, in this recipe, dutch-process cocoa can be used without making any other modifications.
Frosting Options
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and weโve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
An amazing recipe, honestly my favorite chocolate cake I’ve had, and I’ve made it more than once!
I only wish I was able to actually get the icing as dark as it is on the pictures, I’ve -never- been able to do so even using the specific cocoa powder mentioned. It starts off very dark, yes, but once the powdered sugar starts coming in, it keeps making it lighter and lighter, mine always ends up light brown instead of a rich, dark brown in the pictures! That’s also considering that I only ever use at most 4-5 cups powdered sugar, never mind the 7-8 suggested in the recipe!
Hi…. Add in some dark chocolate in the frosting…
Made this for my wife’s birthday. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic I couldn’t order a cake like I would usually do so I decided to make one with my 7yr old daughter as a surprise. It was definitely better than some cakes we order. I altered the frosting a bit because I ran out of Cocoa and had to use drinking chocolate but the overall result texture and taste wise was excellent.
It’s the best chocolate cake recipe. I tried it and it came out so delicious.
The recipe is just great and was able to bake an awesome cake. Rich moist and soft. We ate it plain without the icing..
It was as good as the premix packets of good brands
Thank you
Definitely the BestChocolate cake I have done, my family all raved about it. My new favourite TGAMK YOU
My family loved this cake, itโs delicious and I added a few chocolate chip in the layer
Iโve been looking for a good chocolate cake recipe and this is definitely a keeper! Thanks
Made this for my sisters birthday and it was delicious. Super moist. She wanted a bundt cake so I made it in a bundt pan and had enough left over for 8 cupcakes. Baked the bundt for about 55 minutes and the cupcakes for about 17 minutes. Will defintely make this again.
Iโm usually good at baking cakes, but this one came out very close-textured which is annoying considering itโs so big. Quite stodgy to eat. Donโt know where I went wrong ๐
However recipe was very easy to follow, im sure everyone elseโs came out great
I am not a new baker and this cake has the best flavor I have tasted but the cake always falls in the middle even with using cake strips so I would love to find a solution because then this would be the only chocolate cake for me
Bake in 6โ pans. Use 6-6โ pans instead of 3-9โ pans. It will come out amazing, if u donโt have all the pans, bake in 2 batches. Actually it is better to bake in 2 batches. The tall cake is beautiful! Just make sure to weight the batter to make sure you have even between the 6 batches.
I made cupcakes first because I have tried so many recipes with the high hopes it would be moist cake. My search is over! This is hands down the most incredible cake I have ever made and eaten! You donโt even need frosting! I am in heaven!!!!