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.
Silly question because I know it was stated a few times but I want to make sure before I make copious amounts of batter. If it’s on the 1X option will that only make one layer?
That will depend on the size of pan you are using?
Perfect and delicious recipe! Has anyone ever baked then frozen this cake and used later? I need to freeze a cake to assemble out of town and wondered if anyone has experience freezing this recipe?
You most certainly can freeze it and decorate it later, a lot of bakers use that method! When the cake is finished cooking, let it cool completely and wrap it in plastic wrap then freeze. The plastic wrap will ensure the cake doesn’t dry out while in the freezer. When it is time to assemble and decorate, it thaws fairly quickly! You can decorate it while it is still frozen and thawing. It will be best served at room temperature.
I do this all the time! I think the cakes gets even better after freezing!
I agree. I always freeze my layers and decorate later. Seem more moist and easier to work with.
I’ve used this recipe multiple times for cake orders and love it!
Someone may have asked this before, but can this recipe be used for cupcakes? If so, how many does it make and how long should they be baked for?
Thank you!!
Of course! Here is our cupcake version: https://thestayathomechef.com/chocolate-cupcake-recipe/
Good morning..I have a question does this recipe require sticks of butter? Just wanted to make sure
No, this recipe doesn’t require any butter in the cake recipe. Chocolate cakes tend to use oil over butter because you get a far more moist cake. Butter in a chocolate cake will produce a drier cake crumb.
This chocolate cake is incredible! It is moist and rich. When I made it, I used coconut pecan frosting for a German chocolate cake and my husband absolutely loved it! Three layers were a little too much for us so I made this a two layered chocolate cake and gave the third layer to a church friend. She absolutely loved it! This was a hit for sure!
Yes, this is the best cake !!!
Really the best !!
I’ve made this cake several times and I usually use the scoop and level method to measure flour, which has always worked well to get a nice moist cake. I decided to try weighing out my ingredients with the metric measurements when I made it recently and I noticed the flour it called for was 3 very tightly packed cups. Unfortunately the cake was a lot drier than it’s ever been and I’m sure that’s why. So a note to anyone making this, use the scoop and level method!!
I made this with dutch processed cocoa and it was very chocolatey. I used a whipped ganache frosting. It was so good.
As others noted, this cake is amazing. The only adjustment I made was using three 8″ pans. I dropped the baking temperature to 325F and increased the baking time to 43 minutes to accommodate the smaller pans. Each pan held approximately 750g net weight. The next time I’ll use baking straps because I had doming and the smaller pans already made a towering cake. I’ll also pipe on the frosting because the extra height made it difficult to smooth out the frosting on the sides. I’ll make this cake anytime someone asks for chocolate or when I’m craving chocolate.