There's a reason the Hershey Chocolate Cake recipe has been the best chocolate cake recipe for decades! It's soft, moist, and has the perfect chocolate flavor, and don't even get me started on that homemade chocolate frosting! This one of our favorite desserts!
The Only Chocolate Cake Recipe You'll Ever Need.
The Only Chocolate Cake Recipe You'll Ever Need. This Matilda's Chocolate Cake recipe is one of the very first recipes I ever shared here on TBFS, back in 2010. I've made it hundreds of times, and my kids now make it on their own, too. Thank you Hershey's! Some changes I've made to improve the original recipe are using hot coffee, instead of water (to boost the rich flavor) and adding buttermilk instead of plain milk (for a more tender and moist cake).
I recommend freezing the baked cake rounds ahead of time, and then frosting them right out of the freezer, for super easy prep. Once you see how easy homemade chocolate cake is, you'll never buy a box mix again.
Don't miss all of my cake recipes, including Yellow Cake, Carrot Cake, Biscoff Cake, or Flourless Chocolate Cake.
How to make Chocolate Cake:
Make Cake Batter: Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla then mix. While stirring, slowly pour in the boiling water or hot coffee, mixing to incorporate (the batter will be thin).
Bake: Carefully pour cake batter into prepared pans and bake at 350°F(180°C) for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pan for a few minutes then invert onto a cooling rack. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
Frosting: mix butter and cocoa powder then add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix for several minutes until it has a smooth and fluffy texture.
Assemble and Frost: Carefully transfer one cake layer to your serving tray. Spread a generous amount of frosting on top then place the second cake layer on top. Use a cake spatula to frost the top and sides of the cake with remaining frosting. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe Variations:
- 9×13 Cake: Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray then pour the batter. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely then frost and serve.
- Cupcakes: Place cupcake liners in a muffin pan then fill each one 2/3 of the way full with batter. Bake for 22-25 minutes then let them cool completely before frosting. This recipe makes 24-30 cupcakes.
- Bundt Cake: Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt pan then pour in batter. Bake for 50-55 minutes then let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert on a wire cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 ratio of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour instead.
- Dairy-Free: Instead of cow's milk, use almond milk in the cake and frosting with a 1:1 ratio.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The cakes and the chocolate frosting can both be made ahead of time. Store frosting in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, or in the freezer for up to three months. Let frosting come to room temperature (I also like to re-whip it, with electric beaters), until soft and smooth.
To Freeze: Allow the cakes to cool completely then wrap each layer in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months. Fully frosted cake can also be frozen, if covered really well.
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Recipe
Hershey Chocolate Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 1 ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (235g)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (64g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs , room temperature*
- 1 cup buttermilk* (227g)
- 1/2 cup oil (99g), (vegetable or canola oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water (237g), or hot coffee
Chocolate Frosting:
- 1/2 cup melted butter (113g)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (57g)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (360g)
- 1/3 cup milk (83g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F(180°C). Line two 8 inch round baking pans with parchment paper* and then spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
- Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and mix until well combined. Stir in boiling water (or hot coffee). Batter will be thin. Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Chocolate Frosting: Combine butter and cocoa powder. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix for several minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Assemble: Place one cake layer on serving tray. Spread a generous amount of frosting on top. Add second cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Cut and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe June 2010. Updated June 2019, April 2021 and April 2023 and February 2025.
The material in this blog post references the trademarked brand “Hershey’s.” The use of this trademark is for informational and editorial purposes only and does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Hershey Company.
This post contains affiliate links.
This is the best chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever made! It’s irresistible and makes my chocolate dreams come true! This recipe is a gem that I will never lose 😍
This is the best chocolate cake and icing I have ever had – my family loved it and keeps asking me to make it again!
This is a keeper! Absolutely delicious, just the right amount of chocolate taste and super easy recipe! Made it for my sister’s birthday and everyone said it was the best chocolate cake they have ever tasted!! WOW!!
What a recipe.This cake is so unstable it’s almost impossible to frost.I think the cup of coffee in the batter is a bad idea.Threw mine out!
Did you follow all instructions?
Mine was perfect. Easy to make. Easy to frost. Just easy. And tasty too!
This was such an easy cake! My husband and I are gluten free and only organic dairy, so I used GF flour and all organic dairy and homemade buttermilk and it still turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
This is one of the easiest cakes that I have ever made. I was a little leery about putting one cup of boiling water into the cake batter. You were right, the batter was very runny and I was concerned the cake would not bake properly. Well to my surprise, the cake came out perfectly from the oven. The icing was so easy to make and it was jut the right amount to put on the cake. The dessert was the hit of the party. It was so moist, light, and chocolatey tasting. One of the grand kids asked, ” And this cake was not made from a box?” Go figure. Making a cake from scratch is so much healthier than a cake mix (no additives and words you cannot pronounce). From now on, this will be my go to chocolate cake recipe – excellent.
Absolutely Delicious,a recipe to make again and again.I made a 9×13 today and it came out perfect.I used dark Hershey’s cocoa and loved it.I will try milk chocolate next and I did use one cup of coffee.
How long did you bake for in a 9×13 pan?
I worked side by side with my mom to make this cake as a child (I am 80 years old). It is still the best chocolate cake I ever made. I agree with one other comment, you never did publish the recipe. It sounds close enough to my recipe to call it a match – been looking for the exact measurements for years!
Merna, this is the recipe on the back of the Hersheys cocoa can with this difference: the can calls for milk, this recipe uses buttermilk. (I personally make it with sour cream instead of milk.)1
Really delicious and so easy to make! Recipe is so forgiving, and the cake was perfect! I followed your instructions.
Did not even need a mixer for the batter. But I did use a hand blender for the icing. I did use hot coffee in the batter and I think it really made a big difference in the taste. Thanks for the recipe – THIS IS A KEEPER!
I made the 2-layer cake yesterday and it is absolutely fab. I really like the changes you made to the Hershey’s recipe. The only thing is that my cake has a dome shape and I’d like it to look flat like yours. I did stack the 2 flat bottoms together as you suggested. Will adjusting the oven temperature a bit lower help? Any tips? I’d like to avoid cutting the cake top off if possible. Just wondering how you achieved the flat layers.
Look into purchasing bake-even strips made by Wilton. They get rid of the dome problem.
Ive found that this cake is even better with chocolate cream cheese frosting. Yummmm
I live at a high altitude. I have no idea how to make adjustments to the recipe or if any are necessary. Can you help?
Add 2 Tablespoon extra flour!
I didn’t have buttermilk but had some sour cream to get rid of. I used 1/2 milk and 1/2 sour cream. It turned out wonderfully rich.