One Bowl Chocolate Cake

The Only Chocolate Cake Recipe You Will Ever Need

Some recipes earn a permanent spot in your kitchen, and this One Bowl Chocolate Cake is exactly that kind of recipe. It is deeply chocolatey, impossibly moist, and comes together so easily that you will find yourself making it for birthdays, last-minute gatherings, and quiet Tuesday nights when you simply need a great piece of cake.

The best part? You need exactly one bowl. No creaming butter, no alternating wet and dry ingredients in separate vessels, no complicated technique. Just one bowl, a whisk, and about 15 minutes of your time before the oven does the rest.

Why This Recipe Works

The secret to this cake's incredible texture is the combination of oil instead of butter in the batter and a full cup of hot coffee poured in at the end. Oil keeps cakes moist for days (no dry crumbs here), and the hot coffee blooms the cocoa powder, coaxing out a rich, complex chocolate flavor that you simply cannot get any other way.

Do not worry, the cake does not taste like coffee. It tastes like the best chocolate cake you have ever had.

The other hero ingredient is buttermilk. Its gentle acidity tenderizes the gluten in the flour, giving you a soft, fine crumb that practically melts on your tongue. If you bake chocolate cake regularly, keeping a carton of buttermilk in your refrigerator is one of the best habits you can form.

Chef's Tip: Use Dutch-process cocoa powder if you can find it. It has a smoother, less acidic flavor and gives the cake a beautiful deep color. Natural cocoa works too, but Dutch-process takes this recipe from great to extraordinary.

The Right Tools Make It Even Easier

For a one-bowl cake, the tools you use really do matter. A good whisk makes combining the batter effortless, and a quality offset spatula turns frosting into a satisfying experience rather than a frustrating one.

Tools & Ingredients We Recommend

Mixing Bowls

Small Bowls Set

Sharp Kitchen Knife

The Frosting: Rich, Fluffy, and Not Too Sweet

This cake is paired with a classic chocolate buttercream that strikes the perfect balance. It is rich and creamy without being cloying, and it spreads like a dream.

The key to a great buttercream is patience. Beat your butter until it is truly pale and fluffy before adding anything else. This takes a full 3 minutes with a mixer and it is not a step to rush. That whipped butter base is what gives the frosting its light, pillowy texture.

A few tips for frosting success:

• Sift your cocoa powder and powdered sugar to avoid lumps in the frosting.
• Add cream gradually. Start with less than you think you need and add more by the tablespoon.
• Beat on high at the end for at least 2 minutes to whip in air and lighten the color and texture.

Tips for Baking the Perfect Cake

Even a simple recipe has a few moments worth paying attention to. Here is what separates a good chocolate cake from a truly great one:

• Measure your flour correctly. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off. Packing flour is one of the most common reasons cakes turn out dense.
• Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk. Cold ingredients do not incorporate as smoothly and can affect the final texture.
• Do not overbake. Start checking at the 30-minute mark. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
• Cool completely before frosting. A warm cake will melt your buttercream into a puddle. Give the layers at least an hour on the wire rack.

Ready to bake? Here is everything you need:

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

This incredibly moist One Bowl Chocolate Cake comes together in minutes with just one bowl and pantry staples. Rich, fudgy, and topped with silky chocolate frosting, it is the only chocolate cake recipe you will ever need.

Prep:15 mins

Cook:35 mins

Total:50 mins

Yield:12 servings

Cuisine:American

Yield: 12 servingsCalories: 420Protein: 5g

Carbs: 58gFat: 20gSat. Fat: 9gFiber: 3gSugar: 38gSodium: 310mg

Ingredients

Units

USM

Scale

1x2x3x

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process preferred
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cups buttermilk, room temperature
• 1/2 cups vegetable oil, or any neutral oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cups hot brewed coffee or boiling water, coffee deepens the chocolate flavor
• 1 cups unsalted butter, softened, for frosting
• 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted, for frosting
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted, for frosting
• 1/4 cups heavy cream, plus more as needed, for frosting
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, for frosting

Instruction

1

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2

In one large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.

3

Add the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract directly to the dry ingredients. Whisk until a smooth, thick batter forms.

4

Pour in the hot coffee or boiling water and whisk until the batter is fully combined. It will be thin. This is normal and makes for an incredibly moist cake.

5

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6

Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn them out and allow them to cool completely before frosting.

7

To make the frosting, beat the softened butter with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

8

Add the sifted cocoa powder and mix on low until incorporated. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with splashes of heavy cream, beating well after each addition.

9

Add the vanilla extract and beat on medium-high for 2 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add more cream, one tablespoon at a time, if needed to reach a spreadable consistency.

10

Place one cake layer on your serving plate. Spread a generous layer of frosting on top. Place the second layer on top and frost the top and sides of the entire cake. Slice and serve.

Equipment

• Two 9-inch round cake pans
• Parchment paper
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• Rubber spatula
• Wire cooling rack
• Offset spatula or butter knife

Notes

Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring refrigerated slices to room temperature before serving for the best texture. The unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months. Do not skip the hot coffee. It does not make the cake taste like coffee, it simply blooms the cocoa and creates a much deeper chocolate flavor.

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Serving and Storing

This cake is stunning as a classic two-layer round cake, but it is also wonderful baked as a 9x13 sheet cake if you want something simpler to serve at a party. Just adjust the baking time slightly, checking for doneness starting at 35 minutes.

Leftover cake keeps beautifully covered at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you store it in the fridge, let each slice come to room temperature before eating. Cold butter in the frosting firms up considerably, and this cake deserves to be enjoyed at its softest, most fudgy best.