Easy Chocolate Cake
This classic chocolate cake is the kind of dessert everyone hopes shows up at the table. Soft, deeply chocolatey and baked in a simple 9 x 13 pan, it’s easy enough for a weeknight treat but special enough for birthdays, potlucks and holidays.
This chocolate cake is delicious enough to be served plain but we love to top it with our easy chocolate frosting. This cake delivers the best chocolate flavor without complicated steps or fancy ingredients.
Want to Save This?
Just enter your email and I'll send it right to you, plus great new recipes weekly!
For a long time, I would only use cake mixes for special occasions because the homemade cake recipes I tried were always dry. This recipe is adapted from the iconic recipe on the Hershey’s Cocoa box and it is the best chocolate cake that I’ve ever made.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The best easy 9 x 13 chocolate cake for birthdays, potlucks and family desserts.
- Ultra-moist chocolate cake made with cocoa powder and hot coffee for rich chocolate flavor.
- A classic homemade chocolate cake from scratch using simple pantry ingredients and one pan.
Ingredients for Chocolate Cake
- All purpose flour
- Unsweetened Cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Fine salt
- Buttermilk
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Hot coffee (or boiling water)
- Butter for greasing the pan
- Easy Chocolate Frosting
How to Make Chocolate Cake in a 9 x 13 Pan
- Prepare the pan
Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan generously with butter and set aside. Preheat the oven so it’s fully heated when the batter is ready. - Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and fine salt until well combined. - Add the wet ingredients
Add buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth and well blended. - Stir in the hot coffee
Slowly pour in the hot coffee while mixing. The batter will be thin. This is exactly what you want and helps create a moist, tender cake with rich chocolate flavor.
Want to Save This?
Just enter your email and I'll send it right to you, plus great new recipes weekly!
- Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. - Cool completely
Let the cake cool fully in the pan before frosting so the frosting spreads easily and the cake slices cleanly. Add festive sprinkles if desired.
Best Occassions
This 9 x 13 chocolate cake is perfect for birthdays, family dinners, holidays, bake sales and potlucks. It slices easily, serves a crowd and delivers that classic chocolate cake flavor everyone loves.
Have you tried this Easy Chocolate Cake recipe? Leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it turned out.
Easy Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee or boiling water
- easy chocolate frosting
Greasing the Pan
- 1 tablespoon butter for buttering the pan
- 1 tablespoons all purpose flour to flour the pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Butter and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and fine salt until well combined.
- Add buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix with an electric mixer on low just until combined. Raise to medium until smooth and well blended.
- Pour in the hot coffee while mixing. The batter will be thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool fully in the pan.
- Spread with easy chocolate frosting.
Notes
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerate for up to 5 days for longer storage.
- This cake freezes well. Wrap individual slices or the whole cake tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners.
- Prepare the batter as directed for the 9 x 13 cake.
- Fill each liner about 2/3 full to allow room to rise.
- Bake until the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the pan and cool completely before frosting.
Nutrition
More Easy Chocolate Cake Recipes
This chocolate cake looks divine. The only problem is that buttermilk is in the directions but is not listed in the ingredients. Also, I do not drink coffee or bake with it. I don’t have a drop in my home. What do you recommend substituting for the coffee? Thank you for always sharing great recipes. I have made many. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. Debra from Tennessee
Hi Debra,
I have updated the recipe card, it is one cup of buttermilk or milk and you can use boiling water in place of the coffee. Thanks for trying our recipes and Merry Christmas to you!
~ Milisa
Thanks for the correction and suggestion.
When should the 2 cups of sugar that is listed in the ingredient list but not the directions be added? How much baking soda that is listed in the directions but not the ingredient list?
Hi Regina,
Thank you for letting me know those things were missing from the recipe card. I have updated it to include adding the sugar with the flour and cocoa powder. The baking soda is 1 1/2 teaspoons. I hope you get the chance to try this cake!
~ Milisa
Very light, moist and delicious cake. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing. 🩷
Hi Vicki,
I am so glad you got the chance to try this chocolate cake, it has become my favorite! Thanks for taking the time to come by and share your experience and for the 5 star rating, it helps so much.
~ Milisa
Have made this a lot it is so easy. Thanks for sharing.
We need to make it again soon!
I made this cake for my husband, it is perfection. The best ever, I had to take some to my neighbors so we wouldn’t eat it all😃
Hi Jamie,
I am so glad you got the chance to try it. Thanks for the rave reviews and nice of you to share!
~ Milisa
Does this make a deep cake in a 13 x 9?
Hi Barbara,
It does. I hope you try it.
~ Milisa