Name: Devilishly Good Chocolate Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups sugar; 1/2 cup cocoa powder; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 cups hot water; 3/4 cup oil; 2 Tablespons white vinegar; 1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Chocolate cake that is devilishly good. This cake is rich, moist, delicious and super simple to put together. All you need is a bowl, a whisk and a little bit of time.

slice of chocolate layer cake with shiny chocolate frosting and sprinkles

This is my go to chocolate cake! I use it as the base almost every time I need chocolate cake. It is so easy to make. You can do it with a mixing bowl and whisk, no fancy equipment or ingredients required! It is sure to win you over as well!

For Little Dudes’s second birthday, I wanted to make him delicious cakes. Something that went a little beyond the cake mix and tub of frosting. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I readily eat it when placed in front of me!

But I just knew this old fashioned chocolate cake recipe I found in a magazine years ago would be a great option. No fancy frills.

It is just a classic cake with dark chocolate flavor covered in a fudgy frosting. What’s not to love about that?

layered chocolate cake with shiny chocolate frosting and sprinkles

It was such a hit, I couldn’t help but to make it again. It is a rich, moist cake that begs for you to get every last crumb.

I love this cake recipe so much that I have gone back to it every time I have needed a chocolate cake for another application. As it turns out, I need a lot of chocolate cake… so that is really saying something!

In fact, I made a treasure chest cake out of it for little man’s third birthday and I used it for a Ding Dong Cake as well. It is so easy to put together.

There is no mixer needed, nothing fancy to do. Just ingredients that I always have in my pantry. In less than an hour, with no softening of any ingredients you have a cake!

devilishly good chocolate cake with shiny fudge frosting and sprinkles

I have made this cake dozens of times since I originally posted it, but never had a chance to update the pictures. Mostly because the cake was being used in almost unrecognizable ways.

So I really wanted to make it as a classic layer cake again. Because as versatile as this cake is, it really goes so well with this shiny fudge frosting and you can’t go wrong!

When using the fudge frosting, the middle layer of frosting almost melts into the layers of cake in such a luscious way. Mmmm!

If you are worried about the coffee granules, don’t be. Not one person detected it. It just makes the chocolate flavor deeper (and doesn’t hurt the color either!)

slice of devilishly good chocolate cake with caramel frosting

If you aren’t in the mood for fudge frosting, never fear! There are so many great options. We really loved the creamy caramel sweetened condensed milk frosting on it as well!

piece of rolo poke cake with caramel, fluffy frosting and rolos

This recipe doesn’t always have to be made as a layer cake either. It bakes great in a 9×13 and is an excellent base for something like a rolo poke cake! The caramel makes delicious pockets of goodness in the cake and a nice fluffy ermine frosting coats it all!

mini chocolate bundt cake with peanut butter whipped cream and mini chocolate chips

I’ve also baked it up into mini bundt cakes and served it with peanut butter whipped cream. So as you can see, this recipe is super versatile.

Pretty much anything you need a chocolate cake recipe for, this beauty can fill in. Plus you are likely to have most of the ingredients on hand already!

Tips and tricks:

This recipe is super versatile, use it for a 9″ layer cake, bake it in a 9×13″ pan or even make cupcakes or mini bundts out of it.

One of my favorite parts about this recipe is there are no ingredients that need to come to room temperature. You can whip up a cake whenever you feel like it.

You don’t need any fancy equipment for the cake, just a bowl and whisk will do. Just make sure to get all of the flour incorporated without over mixing it. That’s the key for a tender cake.

Have fun with it! This cake is a perfect starter cake if you want to get into making homemade cakes. It is also a great easy recipe for seasoned bakers.

There is a reason it gets rave reviews from everyone who makes it. Do yourself a favor and give it a go!

slice of chocolate sheet cake with fluffy chocolate buttercream on top

Dairy and egg free batter

When you look at the ingredient list, don’t be surprised to find there are no eggs. It seems really strange, but it is correct… no eggs.

I think that is part of what gives the cake it’s great soft texture. I have plenty of cake recipes with eggs and those a great too, but in this instance the recipe is perfect without.

I have had several people ask me if it’s an accident that they aren’t in the ingredient list. While I do occasionally make mistakes like that, I assure you this time it is on purpose.

hand with whisk in mixing bowl of chocolate cake batter

There is no butter or milk in the batter either. So the cake is great for people with sensitivities or even people who are vegan.

You will have to pick another frosting for sure, but the cake itself is the perfect base for whatever you decide to make!

Yield: 16 Servings

Devilishly Good Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake that is devilishly good. This cake is rich, moist, delicious and super simple to put together. All you need is a bowl, a whisk and a little bit of time.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup oil
2 Tablespons white vinegar
1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease two 9 inch round cake pans or a 9x13" pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt.
In a second bowl, mix together water, oil, vinegar, coffee and extracts.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
For a layer cake: Divide batter between the two pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Cool cakes for about 15 minutes and then invert onto a baking rack to cool the rest of the way.
For a 9x13: pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick tests clean.
Once completely cooled, frost the cake. We will always like the shiny fudge frosting, but also love this cake with cream cheese frosting and whipped cream frosting.