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 we’ve 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.
Amazingly moist and flavorful! I made this for my son’s 18th birthday party and everyone gushed over it (even the teenagers 😉 I wanted to add some fresh raspberries to the top and pipe a border, but they wanted to dive in, and it wasn’t needed. Very straightforward and clear recipe. Thanks so much, this will be my go to chocolate cake!!!
Absolutely fantastic! I first made this cake for my husband at the start of the pandemic, when our favorite bakery sadly closed. The cake didn’t disappoint! Everyone declared it the most delicious chocolate cake they had ever eaten!. Maybe it’s the buttermilk, but really, both the cake and the frosting are to die for! It comes out wonderfully delicious every time. Thank you for sharing it with everyone!
Absolutely love this recipe! Thank you for sharing it with us. My daughter requested a chocolate cake a few days before her birthday and she make it very clear that she wanted me to make it. Thank goodness I found your recipe. It came out perfect! We all loved it and now I’m going to make it again for Easter Sunday to share with our extended family.
I’ve just recently discovered “The Stay at Home Chef” & the first recipe I saw was this absolutely fabulous chocolate cake. I’ve made it several times. Best cake ever! Thank you Rachel for sharing.
I made this recipe for my dad’s 60th birthday, as a special request. He wanted a bumble bee themed cake, so I made this cake, a yellow swiss meringue frosting, a white-chocolate-colored-yellow collar made to look like a beehive and little fondant bees. It was adorable. But then people ate it and they RAVED. I’ve never received so many compliments. I saw people who didn’t like cake or sweets eat two slices and two years later people still mention how good it was.
Amazing recipe! Thanks for your contribution to a really memorable birthday party 🙂
This cake is delicious with the cream cheese icing! On its own it’s lacking but the sweet and tart icing really brings it to life. I made a half batch which was still plenty.
I made this recipe and it was simply amazing, I ended up with a huge cake and enjoyed it till the last crumbs… I used half the sugar and was just perfect for my taste. I used the buttermilk substitute (with lemon juice). Thanks a lot, a cake of mine had never came out so nice!!!
I just wanted a quick after-school cake, so I scaled back the recipe to 1/3 of the original to make a single 9-in round cake – rounding up to a standard measurement when necessary.
This cake is to die for! Absolutely decadent, super moist, and not too sweet. It’s just… pure chocolate heaven. I cut way back on the powdered sugar in the icing recipe (1cup even after cutting the recipe) and I used dutch process cocoa. This is going to be my go-to recipe for chocolate cake from now on. I’m pretty sure every other chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten in my whole life was garbage. This is peak chocolate cake.
Receipe is true to its name “amazing” the simplist receipe and the cake texture stays fresh for some time
Amazing! Best cake I’ve ever baked! I always have trouble getting my cakes to rise – but not with this one. I literally had to scrape cake off the top of the oven!!! It was a very big cake. I’d recommend using a larger cake pan and a bigger bowl for the batter. I was using the biggest bowl in our kitchen and I had a hard time keeping everything inside. It may seem like a lot of flour, but trust me, once its incorporated it’s fine.