This chocolate cake recipe was very popular in 2024 and for a good reason. This recipe gives you a moist, rich, and decadent chocolate cake that will keep you wanting more.

Ever since we posted this recipe, we have made some changes to the original recipe, creating an even more flavorful and delicious cake.

Our chocolate sheet cake and chocolate crunch cake are both inspired by this recipe.

If you are tired of dry cakes that lack flavor, you have found YOUR recipe. A layer of moist chocolate cake with a thick layer of ganache, topped with another layer of cake, and finished with even more ganache. The ganache adds a nice creaminess and richness to the cake that makes it unforgettable.

Rich chocolate cake, key points

To create a rich and flavorful cake, there are three key things you need.

Simmer your milk with the butter, and then mix it with the cocoa powder. This will intensify the flavor of the cocoa powder, making it more flavorful.

Add instant coffee. And no, you won’t taste the coffee flavor, but it intensifies the flavors of the cake, making it even more delicious. You can skip the coffee if you are preparing it for a kid or someone who dislikes coffee.

Use good-quality cocoa powder and chocolate. That is KEY. Better quality ingredients give you better-tasting desserts. For example, we are using cocoa powder from Cacao Barry, the chocolate is from Callebaut, and we are using a delicious Italian butter from our local grocery store.

Ingredients you will need

The ingredient list from this recipe is very similar to our fudgy brownie recipe and our Dark chocolate mousse cake recipe.

• Milk: Use whole-fat milk and avoid skimmed versions. Hot liquid helps intensify the flavor of the cocoa powder.
• Butter: unsalted butter to have better control over the salt added to the chocolate cake. Butter adds flavor to the cakes but also tends to make them drier or denser; that’s why we are using oil as well. It gives it the perfect balance.
• Instant coffee: enhances the chocolate flavors.
• Salt: just a little is enough!
• Leavening agents: a mixture of baking powder and baking soda.
• Granulated sugar: sweetens the cake, making it delicious and sweet.
• Oil: Use a neutral oil like sunflower oil. Oil helps keep the crumb moist; that’s why we are using a higher percentage of oil than butter.
• Eggs: keep them at room temperature so they can easily get incorporated into the batter. If they are cold, keep them in a glass of warm water for 5 minutes to get to the right temperature.
• All-purpose flour: gives structure to the cake.
• Cocoa powder: a rich 100% cocoa powder with no sugar added is the ideal; this will intensify the flavor, making it taste so much better.
• Vanilla extract or vanilla paste. We are using our homemade vanilla paste for this recipe since our extract is not ready to use yet!

To prepare our chocolate ganache, we will use heavy whipping cream and dark chocolate callets. Only two ingredients you need to have a rich chocolate ganache. We are using a ganache in our cosmic brownies, milk chocolate mousse, chocolate cheesecake, and hazelnut and vanilla cheesecake.

Super easy chocolate cake

This chocolate cake is so easy to prepare; it doesn’t require a mixer or special tools. To prepare the chocolate batter, we are only using 1 bowl and a pan to warm up the milk with the butter.

The eggs are not beaten until fluffy; they are just incorporated into the cake batter. The dry ingredients are sieved to avoid any unnecessary lumps, and the ganache only requires two ingredients and less than 10 minutes of your time.

The cake batter is baked in one 8-inch (20 cm) cake pan and then baked until perfectly cooked. We are using the same pan to prepare our Vanilla bean cheesecake with an Oreo crust, vanilla bean pistachio cheesecake, and our Kinder maxi cheesecake.

We are baking the cake in just one pan, but you can divide it into two pans to make baking faster. If baked in two different cake pans, you don’t need to slice it in half to assemble.

Milk or water in your cake?

I have seen a lot of people using hot milk to prepare their cake, and that’s what I would do before. Now, I changed the water for milk, and it makes my cakes richer and more flavorful.

To prepare this recipe, we are using instant coffee, which will be activated with just the hot milk and butter mixture.

I hope this is not an offence to all coffee lovers, as I don’t know anything about coffee-making, and I have never made coffee in my life. The cake doesn’t taste like coffee; it just adds a nice flavor to it.

If you love coffee recipes, you can try our traditional tiramisu, tiramisu cheesecake, or tiramisu cookies.

How to make a silky chocolate ganache

If making chocolate ganache is intimidating to you, this is your moment to try and prepare this easy chocolate ganache with just 2 ingredients. All you need is:

• Heavy whipping cream
• Dark chocolate (callets from Callebaut 811)

I specify the chocolate we are using as it makes a big difference. I would normally use equal parts of chocolate and cream, but for this recipe, we are using a denser chocolate, which means we reduced the quantity of chocolate to have a silky and creamy ganache.

Split ganache? Never again!

To prepare a ganache, start by warming up the heavy whipping cream in a saucepan. Once it starts simmering, turn off the stove. Pour in the chocolate and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Stir until fully melted.

Pass the ganache through a sieve to remove any lumps and bubbles. Cover it with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter until you need it. You don’t need to refrigerate it if you use it as the recipe calls for.

If you need to refrigerate the ganache and then reheat, do it using the Bain-Marie method. We use this method in our Dubai chocolate Bars and chocolate cornflake cake.

Best tips to make a rich chocolate cake

How to check if my chocolate cake is baked

Have you ever followed a recipe, and even if you baked it for the minutes they call for, the cake turned out underbaked? That’s because all ovens are completely different. Always follow the baking recommendations in a recipe, but also check the cake to make sure it’s baked.

Checking if the cake is ready too early will create a sinking in the middle of the cake, which is something you don’t want.

5 minutes before the specified time in the recipe, quickly insert a wooden toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out with wet batter, it will need 5-10 extra minutes, but if it comes out with just a few moist crumbs, it’s baked.

Use a wooden toothpick instead of a metallic skewer. That’s super important as a metallic one will not be fully honest with you…The cake batter slides off when it’s going up and gets cleaned with the top crust of the cake. A wooden one sticks to the batter.

Tools you need

Prepare this easy chocolate cake recipe with just simple tools

• Whisk and spatula, one for whisking the batter, the other to scrape the bowl.
• 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan.
• Sieve, used to sift the dry ingredients and to have a smooth ganache.
• Saucepan, to warm up the milk with the butter and to prepare the chocolate ganache.
• Parchment paper, makes removal easier.
• Offset spatula, to spread the chocolate ganache.
• A serrated knife, is used to slice the cake in half to layer.

How to serve a chocolate cake

A rich chocolate cake deserves a big glass of milk. We recommend the same in our chocolate crunch cake and our chocolate sheet cake.

I love enjoying a big piece of cake with a cold glass of milk. Is it just me?

Before serving this cake, bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes and microwave it for 10 seconds. This will give that moist and soft texture even after being refrigerated.

If you microwave it longer, the ganache will start slowly melting.

How to properly store a chocolate cake

I recommend you store this cake in the fridge. This chocolate cake has two layers of chocolate ganache, which is made with heavy whipping cream, dairy! Store in the fridge for 3-4 days and follow the recommended serving tips to enjoy it best.

You can freeze it instead. First, freeze it into slices (10 recommended slices) for 4 hours, then transfer it to a freezer bag or container. Add a name tag and the date of the day you made it, and freeze. It’s safe in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight to enjoy it.

If you love our recipes and want to support us, leave a comment below with a review. This helps more people find us! Love chocolate recipes? Try our Nutella brownies and our chocolate brownies, they’re so fudgy and delicious.

Q: What’s your favorite cake? Mine is a chocolate cake!

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