Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This is truly the best chocolate cake recipe you’ll ever make. It’s never dry, super easy to make, and so delicious!
How long it takes: less than 40 minutes!
Equipment you’ll need: cake pan(s), whisk, mixing bowl, cooling rack
Servings: 12
easy Homemade chocolate cake
The best chocolate cake. Made from scratch, with simple ingredients you likely have in your pantry, this easy chocolate cake is amazingly good with rich chocolate flavor. It boasts a perfect spongey texture and it’s always super moist.
No butter, no eggs, no mixer! This really is an amazing homemade cake. Most cakes use lots of butter and eggs and you have to use an electric mixer to beat the batter. But not this cake! You don’t need eggs, butter, or a mixer. GASP! It has white vinegar in it! Plain ol’ white vinegar, in your cake! Weird, huh?
Crazy cake (crazy good, crazy easy). I’m always a little amazed at how easy it is make this chocolate cake and how great it turns out every time! Some people call it a “wacky cake” or a “crazy cake.” Some recipes don’t even use a bowl; the cake batter is stirred up in the pan. It is a little crazy! (But it’s super delicious!)
Pantry ingredients. All you need is a big bowl, a whisk, and about 10 minutes. If your pantry is fairly well-stocked with flour, sugar, cocoa powder, vinegar, and oil, I bet you could make this cake right now! You won’t even have to open your refrigerator. Shouldn’t you make a cake today? I think you should!
Fun Fact
Because this cake is egg-free and dairy-free, it’s a vegan cake. The recipe may have been created during World War II when eggs and butter were severely rationed (Wikipedia). Cooks got creative and produced this lovely fudge cake recipe. Wasn’t that clever of them?
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this cake. There’s no need to buy special flour to make this cake. We usually buy unbleached flour because fewer chemicals are used in its production (Healthline).
- Sugar: Regular granulated white sugar is all you need.
- Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder is made from ground cocoa beans and has a surprising amount of nutrients and minerals.
- Baking Soda and Distilled White Vinegar: When these two ingredients are combined, a chemical reaction takes place. This reaction is what causes all the tiny air pockets in your cake. In other words, it makes the cake rise. Use plain white vinegar, none of the fancy kinds needed here. In fact, you don’t want to use a fancy kind because it will add a flavor to your cake that you’re not looking for.
- Vegetable Oil: This cake is made with oil instead of butter. We usually use canola oil but other kinds work fine, too.
- Hot Water: The water helps make the cake moist. Why hot? It helps the cocoa dissolve.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the chocolate. You can also add espresso powder to the cake, if you like a mocha flavor. Keep reading for more ideas.
- Frosting: You can frost the cake with your choice of chocolate buttercream frosting, tangy cream cheese frosting, creamy peanut butter frosting, or simply top it with a generous spoonful of whipped cream or ice cream.
How to make Homemade Chocolate Cake
Get your oven preheated. It’s important to have your oven ready and waiting, nice and hot. Once the cake batter is mixed, you’re going to want to get it in the oven ASAP. Time is of the essence here. I’ll explain why in a minute.
Recipe Tip
Always lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cup. If you scoop flour directly out of the bag or canister, the flour is compacted and you’ll get more flour than you need. Your cake may turn out dry. It’s okay to scoop granulated sugar though.
Prep the pan(s). Spray your pans with nonstick cooking spray. There will be enough batter to make a 9 x 13-inch pan or two round layer cakes. If you plan on removing the layer cakes from the pan, it’s helpful to cut a round of parchment paper to lay on the bottom of the pan.
Mix dry ingredients. Using a whisk, mix the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar) in a big mixing bowl.
Mix wet ingredients. In a different bowl, combine vinegar, oil, vanilla, espresso powder (if using), and hot water. It doesn’t really have to be thoroughly blended, just kind of mixed.
Is your oven preheated? Is your pan ready? Good, because here we go.
Combine. Is your oven preheated? Is your pan ready? Good, because here we go. Dump the wet ingredients, all at once, into the dry ingredients. Stir lightly with the whisk, making sure all the dry ingredients are getting moistened.
In this cake recipe, the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar makes the cake fluffy. You’ll notice the batter bubbling almost immediately after adding the vinegar mixture. Those bubbles are what gives this cake a lighty and airy texture.
Pour batter into pan. Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pans. Immediately put the cake into the oven. Set the timer.
Wasn’t that so easy? Hope you didn’t get stressed out by the lightning quick speed of your cake making experience. Wait ’til you taste it! It truly is the best chocolate cake, ever!
Recipe Variations
- Flavor variations: Replace the vanilla extract with mint extract or maple extract. Add finely grated orange zest to the batter.
- Try a baked topping. Instead of frosting, sprinkle the cake batter with chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of sugar over the whole cake, and bake as directed. No need to frost it!
- Serve the cake unfrosted with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or cookies and cream ice cream and a drizzle of bourbon caramel sauce or hot fudge sauce. Tell me that doesn’t sound good!
- Fruit topping: Top the cake with whipped cream and raspberries, or homemade strawberry sauce.
Get a head start: Mix the dry ingredients in a big mixing bowl, cover, and set it aside until you’re ready to bake.
If your kitchen is fairly cool, or if you have a different cool spot (like a garage or unheated room), the cake doesn’t have to be refrigerated. Make sure you cover it tightly, out of reach of your pets, and it will keep for a few days. I’ve noticed that if the weather’s really warm, the cake begins to deflate a bit and gets sticky.
If you frosted your cake with cream cheese frosting, it should be refrigerated.
Hmmmm, what to do with leftover cake? EAT IT! Who has leftover cake, anyways?!! Is that a trick question? But if you wanted to switch things up a little, you could crumble it in small parfait bowls and layer with pudding or whipped cream for a fun and easy trifle!
Easy Dessert Recipes
Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups hot water
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (see note). For round pans, spray pans with nonstick cooking spray, then line bottoms with parchment paper. Spray 9 x 13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- Combine water, oil, vinegar, vanilla, and espresso powder (if using) in a large measuring cup.2 cups hot water, ¾ cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon espresso powder, optional
- Add to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined — a few lumps are okay.
- Divide batter between prepared round pans, or pour batter into 9 x 13-inch pan.
- Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 28 minutes for round pans, or 32 to 35 minutes for 9 x 13 pan.
- Cool on wire rack. When completely cooled, frost.
- For layer cake: Cool cakes on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto the rack, removing pans. Leave cakes upside down (this flattens domed cakes) to cool completely.
Notes
- Baking tip: It’s really important to get the cake into a preheated oven as quickly as possible once the dry ingredients are mixed with the wet ingredients. You’ll see the batter begin to bubble immediately as the vinegar and baking soda react. This is what leavens the cake.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Is it correct this cake uses no eggs?
Yes that is correct!
Is it 1 TABLESPOON or 1 TEASPOON of vanilla???
Tablespoon :)
This cake had a fabulous texture. Not too sweet or over flavored. Tasted like a high end bakery product.
It was my first ever chocolate cake, and everyone thought it was amazing .
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for leaving a review!
This cake is so delicious and so easy! I have made it several times, and it never disappoints!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Can you convert your cups to ounces please
Thank you for the feedback, I’ll keep it in mind!
the cake looks good and glad you don’t have to add the coffee to it cuz I not a coffee drinker
Yes – that is completely optional!
Childddd, ty for the recipe. It’s the cat meow.
You’re so welcome!
Hey Rachel, I did it again!!! Had to comment again on this incredible recipe. All who would like to try it, just go for it!!!! You can’t lose. I did a 9×13 layered cake this time with chopped dark chocolate bits mixed into the batter….OHHHH MAN!!!!. and the frosting was also healthy-ish because I left out the dairy and butter and used vegan margarine and almond/coconut milk. You couldn’t tell the difference! Yum!!! And decorated with shaved dark chocolate and cake crumbs. Was the BOMB yet again!!! And well received by the friends I made it for. Thanks again Rachel for this awesome recipe❤️❤️❤️ I’ll leave a pic.
Forgot to mention that because i wanted to do a larger cake, I increased the ingredient amounts by an additional half of everything and baked the 2 layers for 28minutes in my oven….AND it still didn’t fail me!!!
I’m so glad to hear it!
It’s beautiful!
Will try it.
I hope you love it!
This cake turned out perfectly moist and delicious, and it raised to an impressive height. I used two cups of hot coffee instead of 2 cups of water with espresso powder. The batter looked too wet, but it baked fine. Thanks for the recipe!
Isn’t it magical??? Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, it means so much!