Quick & Easy Chocolate Cake
My frosting has a little butter but you can use vegan butter. Always aerate your flour before measuring. - Jenny Jones
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar (works with 2 1/2 Tablespoons less sugar)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (not baking powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cool water
- 6 Tablespoons vegetable oil (I use avocado oil)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
- Sift dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside.
- In a measuring cup combine water, oil, juice or vinegar, and vanilla.
- Add liquids to bowl & gently stir until there are no lumps (about 30 seconds).
- Pour into pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely in the pan and frost, glaze, or dust with powdered sugar.
Notes: I usually frost just the top right in the pan with my 2-Minute Chocolate Frosting. For the recipe click here.
For more on this recipe in my blog click here.
Get chocolate all over your face at 11:30 PM on Saturday night today.
I’ve been making this cake since I found your site during Covid..my only addition is ,
to the cup of cooled water I add a heaping teaspoon of instant espresso coffee , mix well. I think the coffee enhances the chocolate & makes all everything even better ! …and you do NOT taste the coffee at all 👍
jenny I llove ur reipes but I hacve a question NOW. i am making banana bread and i do not know how to rectify my screwup, i used 2-1/2 c of buttermilk ibsterd of the 1/2 cup called for. HELP!!
I used this recipe, in a 9 x 9 pan, to make coconut bars – one of my fav Cleveland treats. They were awesome!
Cake was good and thick. Made cakepops with it.
I love this recipe, very easy and usually I have all ingredients on hand. It has a great taste and moist texture. I’ve tried vinegar and lemon both, lemon is my favorite. So I made this last night. I used a lime I didn’t have a lemon thinking acid is in it should be fine, It didn’t turn out. It dropped in the middle and the texture was a little different. Lesson learned
I looked for Dutch process cocoa and could only find it in an expensive store and the price was out of bounds. My local grocer carries Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa so I use it. The last time I purchased it I saw the word Dutched under the name in small letters. Imagine that, Dutched process without the high cost – it was only a little more expensive than regular. I used Hersheys regular cocoa and it was fine, but the Special Dark makes it better. I have doubled the recipe and baked it 30 minutes and then checking every 3 minutes with a cake tester. I settled on 36 minutes in my oven. Someone before said 40 min in cupcake form in cupcake papers which I don’t use, but I would still check it starting at 35 minutes every 3 minutes until you get what’s right for your oven and altitude. This is a wonderful recipe as written although I weigh my flour (310 g) because I like consistency and I don’t get that with measuring because flour settles so quickly. I also prefer the lemon juice. Enjoy.
OOPS – corrected flour measure that I use is 180 grams NOT 310 grams, that was for the crusty rolls that I just converted the flour and it stuck in my head
Sorry for the mistake!
Hi
Can i use monk fruit sugar in your chocolate cake recipe?
That’s a great question. I want to know about that sugar, too!
Hi Jenny, I love your fall-off-the-bone Ribs, that is the only BQQ Rib recipe I have used for about 3 years now. I was wondering if this can be baked in a 9×13 pan and if it can be do I need to double the recipe?
Jenny Jones;
I have made your easy &quick chocolate cake at home 3 times now and each time I have have made your cake with the 2 minute frosting and the cake turned out perfect and tasted really good.I was wondering if your chocolate cake can be made into cupcakes with the 2 minute chocolate frosting.
Yes, you can. Here is my recipe for the cupcakes. You can use the 2-minute frosting but double it.
https://www.jennycancook.com/recipes/easy-healthier-chocolate-cupcakes/
This cake recipe is absolutely perfect! So moist, so flavorful, so delicious! SO INCREDIBLY EASY! This is our go to recipe for all special occasions! Birthdays, holidays, parties! Yum!
I’ve made this cake several times. It is delicious, even without frosting. Thank you, Jenny, for this easy recipe!
I make and make and make this great cack….but would like to take it out of the cake pan and onto a nice plate….maybe next time.
I love this recipe, I replaced the water with day old strong blk coffee ☕ soooo good!!! Never dry!! ❤️
Jenny your recipes for lemon brownies and chocolate cake are the bomb!! Thanks! Loved them and they are so easy!!
I went all in and made the Chocolate Cake AND the Lemon Brownies. They turned out so good and the recipes are easy peasy! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so grateful for Jenny and this site. I love making this cake, the pan pizza, and meat sauce for spaghetti. I didn’t have a mother to teach me how to navigate in the kitchen, so even though I’m an older lady now, I still need “mom tips”. And since I just cook for one, having easy recipes keeps me from giving up.
Thank you Jenny!
Love♥️this Chocolate Cake!!
Easy, moist, chocolatey deliciousness🤎
I even add 1 cup of chocolate chips to it as well. And powdered sugar on top, it’s gone at my house in two days!!
Jenny;
Hi,I have made your easy chocolate cake twice in 2022 and the cake turned out perfect and it tasted really good with your 2 minute chocolate frosting on top of the cake.
I was wondering if the easy chocolate cake can be put in muffin pans or mini muffin pans.What should the temperature be to bake the muffins in the mini muffin pans
kim
My chocolate cake is delicious.
Hi Kim,
I also adore this recipe. I use it to make birthday cupcakes for my students. Instead of the frosting – too much sugar for the liking of my students – I use a plant-based whipped cream.
I bake the cupcakes with paper cupcake inserts. It takes just 40 minutes for them to bake, at the recommended temperature.
Mary
Hi, so i’ve made this cake numerous times and loved, although last night was a fail. The cake was so dense and heavy. Only thing I did different was use a Ghiradelli cocoa? Thoughts!? I love this cake!!
Hi, I actually use the Ghirardelli exclusively- no issues from day one and my family asked for this cake at least twice a month. I’ve never had a fail, I also use Crisco veg oil along with a greased pan and parchment paper over it.
Aerate and spoon the flour- like all cake mixes, don’t over beat it, the longer you do, the tougher it gets. Stir it till there are no lumps.
Best of luck, you will nail this, keep the faith!
Hi Jenny,
I have been a little hesitant about making this cake because of the 1 cup of water. It seems to me that that would make it too thin and wet. Everyone seems to love it though, so it must be OK. Would milk or buttermilk work?
This cake is moist and delicious as written. Everyone I’ve served it to has loved it.
I had that thought too, but I was wrong. The batter is not too loose, just wet enough. I follow the recipe as is, using canola or very light olive oil as well as the lemon juice. Didn’t like the vinegar. The acidic lemon juice acts with the baking soda to raise the cake. Save your money on the milk or buttermilk and use the water.
my take on this condemnation… is…. That Regan is a male, who likes to put others down as it boosts his ego! (Anyone else heard of this “disorder” ?)
BEST to all … blessings Jenny! Thanks 😊
I made the whole cake and icing using organic carob powder instead of chocolate and it is amazing. Thank you!!!
Can this cake be frozen?
Yes, I freeze it all the time. I slice it into serving wedges, place the wedges on a wax-paper covered cutting board and place in the freezer. Once they are frozen, I remove them from the board and place them into a freezer bag.
As easy as a microwave cake but so much better. Tried it with Stevia and still delicious.
LOVE THIS RECIPE. I make it all the time. THANKS JENNIE
Best recipe ever! I’ve baked this many times and it’s always a winner with the chocolate icing. I’ve made it two layers round for birthday cakes and into cupcakes. Now my little grandchildren know the recipe by heart and always want to make a cake with me when they visit. Thank you, Jenny! I love all your recipes.
I haven’t been able to find unsweetened chocolate squares.My bulk stores and grocery stores don’t carry anymore. Any ideas what I substitute?
This recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa POWDER, not the solid squares.
Yes powder and it is my husband favorite cake with Betty Crocker Coconut Pecan icing
I can’t wait to try this chocolate cake. And the crusty rolls. I’m a bread 💕 lover too 🥧🥧.
My husband and I love this cake and it is just the right size for two people for a few days. I have made it numerous times. I was curious about the nutrition information since we need to both watch our fat and salt levels.
This looks soooo good.
Going to make after going to store to get ingredients.
Yummy
I forgot to add the lemon juice. Will that matter? And the cake hardly rose much?
The lemon juice or vinegar is essential for the cake to rise.
Help! I want to take this cake to a group dinner. Can I double the recipe and use a 9 x 13 baking pan?
And seems to me it would work, but I hate to take a chance since I I will be serving other people with it
Thanks,
Jill
This cake is sensational. I used the recipe yesterday to make a birthday cake. The proportions and baking time are perfect. Parchment paper for the bottom of the pan and butter on the sides of the pan makes the cake easy to remove.
Excellent Recipe – It’s just perfection! So easy, moist and delicious. My 4 year old son devoured his slice!
Hi Jenny. Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this cake. I did however, use Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa (100% CACAO), which I thoroughly enjoy; plus I use distilled white vinegar rather then the lemon juice, McCormick’s Pure Vanilla Extract, plus Pure Canola Oil, and my cake turned out beautifully. I also used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa (100% CACAO), when I prepared the frosting. I also used 2% milk, rather than 1% milk. I will definitely be making this cake again.
My son is a vegan which includes no dairy or eggs. I have had trouble in the past with recipes just tasting awful. Also, purchasing said cakes are unnecessarily expensive. Today, I made your chocolate cake for my son’s birthday. It was easy and delicious!
Thank you.
I have been making this cake for years. I cut sugar to half cup it works fine. We call it Wacky Cake, but it is the best dessert or even a birthday cake. Thank
Hi Jenny, great recipe 👍 everyone is in love with this 10 min recipe! One small question, can I make a double batch? If so, how long should I cook or for?
Thank you.
Susy from Quebec ❤️
can I make double batch?
i’m not Jenny…but i don’t see why not. I would still bake them in two separate 9 inch round pans though. You could also use a 9X13 rectangular pan which would accommodate a double batch of batter…however don’t forget you would also have to alter the bake time and temperature. Good luck!
I make this with I cup of room temp coffee instead of plain water / I use vinegar as the acid and sonetimes zi add some heavy cream to the coffe for richness.
>:Love how easy this cake is taste good too
I bake a lot and looked at this recipe and said no way is it going to turn out well. Why was I proved wrong! Once it cooled for 10 minutes, I sliced a piece…without any icing. So moist. So easy. I did not have Dutch Chocolate but I will be picking some up. I ate the whole thing in 2 days. Oh well. Life is too short.
I will definitely try your recipe. I had been looking for a very moist chocolate cake recipe from scratch. This should be a good one to try out.
Wish me luck…..😊🙏
Made this cake many times, a favorite among family & friends. I substitute 1/2 c Stevia & 1/2 c sugar & use 1 c flour & 1/2 c almond flour to reduce carbs a little bit. It turns out great, can’t tell the difference from the original recipe. We often top our cake slices/fresh strawberries & a bit of whipped cream. Yum!
Hi Jenny,
I just wanted to say thanks for the vegan chocolate cake recipe. I made it today and it was moist, chocolaty, and absolutely delicious.
You make baking possible for all of us. Thanks!
Warm regards,
Fatima
I have made this cake for my husband many times
We both just love it and it’s not so large that we overdo
Thanks for all your fabulous recipes
The no knead bread is a huge success too !!!!!
Thank You Jenny!
Can’t wait to try this.
Wishing You a Lovely Holiday Season
and a very Happy 2022!
Much Love,
Mary
Jenny Jones;
Hi,I just finished making your chocolate cake and I made the chocolate icing and decorated it and it tasted really good.Now there is 7 slices of the cake to share my cake with my family and cousins.
I am going to make some more recipes from your website soon.
Kim
Aloha from Hawaii!
Jenny you are a lifesaver! Your whacky cake recipe is the best! I did take out 1/4 cup of sugar and it tasted great!!! I make this cake for one of my wife’s co-worker’s little daughter. She has allergies to dairy, eggs, and nuts. So, this recipe she loved it! I made her Halloween cupcakes last year and also dairy and nut free toffee apples.This year I am making her cake . pops! Thank you so much for this recipe. I will also use your vanilla whacky cake recipe also!
Aloha!
hi this is an amasing cake my kid loved it so much made it again for my famaliy
at a party my kid made a friend
how many calories in one slice of Quick & Easy Chocolate Cake
I tried adding a teaspoon of instant espresso to the water. It really punched up the chocolate flavor and made the cake extra dark! Nice and easy variation.
That’s a good idea. I’ll try it.
I’ve used this recipe multiple times with great results. The ingredients are a lot easier to find compared to many other recipes and the cake is so easy to make and tastes wonderful(though the chocolate flavour isn’t very strong) and has a nice, soft texture. I’m young but have tried baking a lot in the past, and most attempts didn’t turn out too well. I gave baking another go(with Jenny’s no-knead bread recipe) and it since it turned out great, I baked this cake too. The most recent time making this cake was great until I had carried my cake pan into the oven and dropped it. I ended up transferring the remaining, usable batter into a mug. Seeing that there was still quite a bit, I didn’t want to waste ingredients and tried microwaving the batter. Even after the batter spilling and sitting around a while, the mug cake cooked amazingly and ended up being a bit crumbly, very tender, and had the same flavor as the properly baked cake.
Chocolate cake in oven right now. I have not made it before- but if it tastes as good as the batter- I’m hooked
I wanted to see if I could take this recipe and make them as cupcakes, and of course the answer was: Yes! This recipe can make 15 cupcakes, and you bake them for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. I have gotten great compliments about how moist and delicious they are- thank you Jenny Jones- this is one of my favorite recipes to make, and you are correct, it is so very easy to make!
I already had it posted in my recipes: https://www.jennycancook.com/recipes/easy-healthier-chocolate-cupcakes/
I am so happy I found your YouTube Channel, it was such a surprise to see one of your videos recommended to me. I’m sure many have asked this before me but would you ever consider coming back with new videos? I am so enjoying binge watching, and am loving the tongue-in-cheek humor. I really do miss seeing you on TV, I tuned in daily, and your show, miraculously, came on during my children’s nap time! In the meantime I will continue to find new recipes from your channel. Really so wonderful to see you again!
wow thats so cool wish i had an inch of bakeing skill
Do you have a comparable vanilla cake like this one. It is sooooo good
Please see my Quick & Easy Vanilla Cake.
Hello Jenny,
First watched this on YouTube and really liked watching you make the recipe – it looked great. Want to try making it – maybe it will happen. Just one concern (that is not related to the recipe itself): more than once you said ‘Oh My G–‘. Which is not good because that is taking His importance out of context and lessening His name. He is our Creator. (we all have done it from time to time – still it is not right). Noted, this was more than a few years ago, so I was hesitant to comment – but we are told when we see something, to say something. Love you and care about you.
respectfully, you have your religion and frankly she will not care about this comment because she probably isn’t christian or catholic. even if she does see this she wont change something for probably only your “concern”.
I have read Jenny’s book and she is Catholic. I would respectfully note that the word “god” is not our creator’s name as different cultures often had their own gods. It’s just a noun so there is no reason to be offended.To use the name “Yahweh” in vain would be inappropriate.
Hello alex and Suzanne,
Alex – Not sure why you replied as the message was really meant for Jenny – she is great and just care about her.
Suzanne – Thank you for the info about Jenny. Yes you are correct about His most Holy name. That said, most of us know what ‘Oh My G–‘ means as that it what most of us normally use to acknowledge Him as He is not merely a noun. FYI: never said any offense was taken, because it was not.
In any case, this may not the platform for that, but since this is where it was seen, this is where the comment was posted.
Will not be replying about this again as it has been addressed. Goodbye.
We only have one person to answer to, ourselves.
Saying “Oh My God” is NOT offensive and asking anyone to
refrain from using that term, is ridiculous.
Stop correcting people for what you perceive to be wrong
and use that energy to help someone. Peace.
Has anyone tried this in an Air Fryer? Temperature? Thanks.
Hi Jenny forgot to mention the reason for asking if I can double the chocolate cake is that I’ll like to put cake batter in one pan if possible & what size thank you again!!!
Hi Jenny I made your cake & it was awesome was wondering can you double the recipe? to make cake bigger in size thanks again job well done!!
Yeah you can! I did it and it worked great
Jenny,
I have made your cake three times in the last two weeks. Have gained three pounds. Is there a correlation? Should a committee be formed to study this? Love your recipes and videos…and your cake! 😃
Haha, happened to me as well…is this merely a coincidence? …a study is needed 😉 !
Super quick recipe that you can make in a pinch! Thank you for sharing it Jenny @->
I’m gluten free so I used Anthony’s cassava flour with a tablespoon of tapioca four. (It requires a smidge more water.)
I also used instant coffee in the water.
I’m low sugar too, so I subbed monkfruit granulated sugar, it’s 1:1.
Everybody loves it, especially when I make peanut butter and chocolate frosting.
Is your pb and chocolate frosting also vegan? Would you mind sharing the recipe?
Hi, I wonder if you think Bob’s Red Mill gluten free one to one substitute will work the same as what you used? Take care.
Tried this cake 2 days ago after watching your video of how to make it. I love the camera in the fridge catching you stealing the last piece of your cake! It was really cute! I doubled the batch and baked it in 2 square pans. I multiplied your chocolate frosting recipe by 5 and made a fully frosted cake. I used margarine instead of butter for the frosting and inexpensive cocoa in both the frosting and cake. It came out really good, even with those changes. I’m definitely going to pass this chocolate cake and frosting recipe on to my friends!
Jenny Jones;
Hi,after successfully making your easy chocolate cake with the chocolate icing on top of the cake on Jan.15th 2021,it was so delicious and a good tasting cake that I am going to make the chocolate cake and icing today at home.
Kim
Wow! This is fantastic. I almost didn’t bake this today because I don’t have confectioner’s sugar for the icing–and am too lazy to shop. I decided to make the cake anyway and this is simply amazing–moist, fluffy, not too sweet. The perfect thing to go with Saturday afternoon coffee.
Hi Jenny,
Want try your chocolate cake, but can I use have the sugar or even a substitute?
Thanks, Delia
I made it with Truvia and it came out great! Also, didn’t have oil so used butter in the cake. My family loved it!
Hi Jenny, your chocolate cake and icing is simply delicious. Would you know the calorie count per serving. I also am looking forward to trying another recipe.
Thank you Jenny for your wonderful recipes.
Your recipe calls for water, but I have buttermilk on hand, so I was wondering if I could substitute and use buttermilk instead of the water.
OMG first go at this and it was great! Did my own modifications but yummy all the same
Hi Jenny. Well I finally got around to trying this recipe. Have been cooking for 40 years but never baked! I used Hershey Special Dark cocoa. I also used Arm & Hammer “Refrigerator/Freezer” baking soda which is “coarser” than regular. I also only had 8.5 inch pans and it took about 10-15 min longer to bake. The cake was good but had a fudge like texture- moist but a bit “mushy”. Any thoughts on what may have caused that result? Definitely will try again and looking forward to your Dutch oven bread and other great recipes. Thanks for making it easy to start baking!
Made this cake today. Super easy and really delicious.
This looks delicious!!! Jenny, I’ve been making your meatloaf for YEARS!! It’s always a hit. I gave it saved as a favorite in my phone, and share it frequently. Tonight I made it in a heart shape to celebrate the holiday!
This chocolate cake will be my next adventure… thank you so much!!!
This recipe has become a favourite monthly treat at our house. So simple, and it works splendidly every time I bake it!
Can I use this recipe to make cupcakes and if so, what is the baking temperature and time to bake? Thank you!!
Please see my Chocolate Cupcakes recipe.
Hi MS. Santana here I follow you on YouTube and your recipes are great and healthy. Thank you for letting us enjoy a better way of eating. Can a person substituted vegan milk like oat milk for your chocolate cake recipe ?
I’ve made this incredible chocolate cake twice. I did a few little changes though. I used a bit less cocoa powder, about a 1/4 less. Also when the batter was made I added the zest of one large orange as well as 1/3 cup of chopped pecans. I used a vanilla frosting of confectionery sugar (about 1 1/2 cups sifted) with 2Tbs of melted butter and milk to mix it. I love vanilla chocolate so I added about a 1/4 melted vanilla morsels to the frosting.
I was never a fan of chocolate cake until now.
https://www.jennycancook.com/recipes/2-minute-chocolate-frosting/
I am going to try the chocolate AND vanilla, then layer them with the orange pulp and the rind. Of course not forgetting the juice.
For my granddaughter’s birthday..Because of the COVID-19 lockdowns. We will FaceTime and Papa and I will bring the cake in and sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Will send pictures.
Baba
These were such good additions! I took your advice and added chopped pecans and orange zest, also baked this is two pans in a 340 degree oven for 20 minutes and it came out perfectly. I frosted it with whipped cream cream cheese frosting and it was so moist, light and delicious! With these tweaks this is now my favorite chocolate cake recipe. Thank you!
Absolutely delicious and do easy to make!