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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.
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.
More Cake Recipes:
Hershey Chocolate Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, , room temperature*
- 1 cup buttermilk*
- 1/2 cup oil, (vegetable or canola oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water, , or hot coffee
Chocolate Frosting:
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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 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!!
Frosting is way too sweeeetttttt! Cakes are very good!
This is a Great Recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, ive tried baking for the 1st time using ur recipe and it is crazy good. I plan on doing it again but in an 8×4 and 6×4 pan. Do i need to reduce the recipe? Thank u
No, I would not reduce recipe. Fill your pans and if there is extra batter you could make a couple cupcakes.
The 4″ is going to take extra batter and also possible extra cooking time.
So I made this for my son’s birthday and it was a huge hit. I made my own vanilla frosting and filled the middle with chocolate ganache. I replaced the water with coffee. It was perfect! It’s so hard to find a good recipe and I’m a huge Baker so this was wonderful. Thank you so much!
Hello,
I’m Shashank from Mumba,i India.
My wife, daughter and I decided to bake together for the first time yesterday. After some searching for recipes online, we came across this simple recipe and instantly opted for it. We gathered the ingredients and started putting it together. Boy, it was truly easy. We followed the recipe to the T. Since we didn’t have two moulds of the same size, we made two separate cakes and didn’t layer them together. The frosting turned out to be awesome too. We were worried reading the quantities, before mixing the ingredients, that the frosting might become too thick/hard. But the quantities were just right, there was no issue whatsoever! The first self-baked cake of our lives was absolutely delicious, soft, moist and yummy. The only change we made was garnishing the cake with grated (bitter) dark chocolate. We are all so happy!!! Thanks for helping us learn, bake our first cake and adding joy to the family bonding. We will follow more of your recipes over the next several weekends.
God bless you.
Hello, all the way in Mumbai! I absolutely loved reading your comment, thank you for sharing your experience! I hope you enjoy trying more recipes from my website 🙂
Hi Lauren, well the cake came out delicious, very moist and the frosting was exactly the amount for cake size, and I used self rising flour besides the baking powder an soda and it came out nice,, thank you for the recipie
Wonderful!
I only have one 9 inch round pan. Will the recipe work well if I simply cut it in half?
Sure 🙂
Hi Lauren, I’m making this cake for tomorrow but baked it today and tomorrow I will frost it. The bread itself already looks nice I will let you know how it taste after tomorrow.
With all the stuff you listed does it only make a one layer cake or does it make a two later cake
It makes a two layer cake using 9inch round cake pans, or a one layer 9x13in cake.