Chocolate Cake

Recipe VIDEO above. This is the everyday Chocolate Cake I make over and over again. The crumb is tender and moist, it truly tastes of chocolate (rarer than you might think!) and you only need one bowl and a whisk. It's the famous Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Cake , one of the few recipes I've used from another source with no changes to the ingredients at all (yes it's Perfect!)

Prep time: PT10M

Cook time: PT35M

Total time: PT45M

Rating

4.98 stars (520 reviews)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups plain / all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder (, unsweetened (Note 2))
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda (bi-carb soda)
2 cups white sugar ((Note 1))
1 tsp salt
2 eggs ((~55-65g / 2 oz each))
1 cup milk ((low or full fat))
1/2 cup vegetable oil ((or canola))
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 batches Chocolate Buttercream Frosting ((slide scaler on recipe))

Steps

Preheat oven to 180C°/350°F (160°C fan). Read Note 4 regarding shelf positions.
Grease 2 x 22cm/9" cake pans with butter, then line the base. (Note 3 re: springform pans and other pan sizes).
Batter:
- Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add Sugar and salt. Whisk briefly to combine.
- Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk well to combine until lump free - about 30 seconds.
- Add boiling water and whisk to incorporate. The batter is VERY thin (see video).
- Pour batter into cake pans.
Baking:
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. See Note 4 regarding cook time if pans are on different shelves.
- Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks upside down (Note 5).
- Cool completely before frosting. I frosted the cake with my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (scale recipe up by 50%).

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 351 kcal

Reviews

Lorna on 2026-03-22 (5 stars):
I will give you big praise, this was the best cake I have made from googling recipe. My husband loved it. Again thanks for the recipe.
Brigitte on 2026-03-21 (5 stars):
Yummy cake and beautiful consistency. Next time I will you 50% more ingrefients for a 26 cm spring Form. Then cut into two layers and fill with cherry jam and cream. Cake will need lower temperature (160) for baking, and at least 55 minutes baking time... The quantities as they were given were not quite enough for 26cm spring form..( and the author did not suggest this)....Yummy...
Polly on 2026-03-17 (5 stars):
This is a go to in our house for all birthdays and celebrations.
Nolette Te Hira on 2026-03-16 (5 stars):
My husband has been asking me to make a chocolate cake for ages. I normally make a German Chocolate cake and was looking for something with less work. This was excellent and everyone LOVED it. This will be my new "go to" chocolate cake! I love all your recipes!
Liz on 2026-03-16 (5 stars):
This recipe is amazing! The perfect kids’ (or anyone’s really) birthday cake. Tastes like chocolate but not too rich, suuuuper easy to make and very forgiving - pretty sure I left mine to bake for longer than I should have and it was still super moist. This is definitely my new go-to chocolate cake recipe!
Julia Camera on 2026-03-15 (5 stars):
Absolutely outstanding cake, definitely a keeper I did add 1 teaspoon of instant coffee to the hot water to enhance the flavour of the chocolate
Cath Jones on 2026-03-15 (5 stars):
Love this recipe - it's now my "go to" chocolate cake. Light, lovely moist texture and delicious chocolate flavour. I baked in a single 22cm springform tin which I carefully lined with baking paper and butter so the very liquid batter wouldn't leak.
Sienna Castelino on 2026-03-07 (5 stars):
I am 11 and made this cake for my aunts birthday. It was amazing everyone loved it. Best chocolate cake recipe!
Deepana Kathushe on 2026-03-06 (5 stars):
Most amazing CHOCOLATE Cake!!!! 🍫 Thank you
Ian on 2026-03-05 (5 stars):
Made this several times. Friends and family cannot believe how moist it is. I cooked your Artisan bread also, that was delicious and easy.
Chelsea on 2026-03-01 (4 stars):
Made this today, subbed the oil for butter. Tasted great but despite following it all to a Tee the middle sunk and despite leaving it to cool in the tin for 30mins it fell apart when I lifted it out. Tastes great however and would be delish served with some hot custard for dessert.