Dark Cocoa Cake

This dark cocoa cake comes together in just one bowl and stays moist for days, so you don’t have to worry about it drying out. It’s my go-to recipe because it’s so reliable, whether you make it with regular flour, whole wheat, or need it to be gluten-free or vegan.

It’s rich enough for birthdays but simple enough for a weeknight chocolate craving. Paired with a creamy, dark cocoa buttercream and a sprinkle of sprinkles or mini chocolate chips, this is a classic layer cake that never disappoints.

I recently said I’d stop posting so many sweets, but I have one more that I need to share! It’s just too good to keep to myself.

I already have this Healthy Chocolate Cake recipe, which is super similar to today’s recipe. It’s lightly adapted from the Hershey’s One Bowl Chocolate Cake. I reduced the water, baking soda and baking powder and the cake is now much, much easier to handle.

No more sticky cake bottoms! And somehow, the cake is just as moist and fluffy.

The healthy version has an avocado-based maple-sweetened frosting. I know a lot of people aren’t into that, so today’s recipe uses a classic chocolate buttercream that’s a little less sweet than your typical buttercream.

It uses about 25% less sugar than a standard recipe as well as dark cocoa powder (aka Dutch-process cocoa powder).

If you prefer chocolate cream cheese frosting, check out my Gluten-free Chocolate Cupcakes (you can use all-purpose or whole wheat in those if you’re not gluten-free). That recipe includes a recipe for chocolate cream cheese frosting. It yields a bit more than 3 3/4 cups, which is plenty for this cake.

 

Ingredient Notes

Please scroll down for the full recipe. This is just a few notes on select ingredients!

• Granulated sugar – if you prefer, you can use coconut sugar.
• Flour – options include all-purpose, whole wheat, white whole wheat, or either of the gluten-free alternatives mentioned below.
• Cocoa powder – since this is a dark cocoa cake, you’ll definitely want to use Dutch-process, which is great in so many chocolaty treats like Brownies with Ganache and Chocolate Coconut Nut Balls. Using regular Hershey’s cocoa powder would result in a lighter shade of brown. Black cocoa powder won’t work well here.
• Eggs – I’ve only tested chia eggs as a sub in this cake, and the result was just as good. While I haven’t confirmed it myself, I suspect other egg replacers that have worked well for you in the past would likely be successful here too.
• Milk – any type of milk works. I used unsweetened cashew milk. If you want to use canned coconut milk, thin it down (about 50/50 with water) and note that it may add some coconut flavor to your cake.
• Oil – any neutral-tasting variety like light olive, canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil will do the trick. If you prefer coconut oil, I recommend using refined (and melting it first) to avoid any coconut flavor in the final cake. Unrefined oil would leave a noticeable taste.
• Boiling water – although it may seem excessive and result in a pretty thin batter, the full quantity is necessary.
• Butter – ensure it reaches room temperature for easy blending with the sugar. If you’re dairy-free or vegan, use vegan butter.
• Powdered sugar – if it’s clumpy, consider sifting it or blending it in a high-speed mixer to restore its powdery consistency.

 

Alternative Pan Options

Using a 9″x13″ Pan

Baking times will vary significantly based on your specific combination of sugar, eggs, and flour. For gluten-free or egg-free versions, start checking for doneness at 20 minutes, then every 5 minutes after. For other versions, begin checking at 30 minutes. You may need up to 48 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs but no raw batter.

Cupcake Pans (Two 12-mold pans)

Makes 24 cupcakes. Use liners and bake for 14–18 minutes. My Eyeball Cupcakes for Halloween use a half batch of today’s recipe, in case you want to see how they come out as cupcakes.

Two 9″ Round Pans

This works well, though your layers will be slightly thinner. Because the layers are shallow, they will bake faster than a standard cake. Since this hasn’t been tested specifically, keep a close eye on the oven.

Can I bake the entire batch in one single pan? Only if you are using a 9″x13″ (23 cm x 33 cm) pan or one with a similar surface area of roughly 117 square inches. If you attempt to bake the full batch in a deep, narrow pan (like a 10″ springform), it won’t bake through properly, resulting in a gooey or rubbery texture.

Storage and Freezing

Store the unfrosted layers, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Unfrosted layers freeze beautifully. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw for about 20 minutes at room temperature before assembling. If they’re frozen solid, it’ll be difficult to apply the buttercream.

If you want, you can even freeze the whole cake, minus the sprinkles. Place it in the freezer. Once solidly frozen, wrap it with plastic and then place in a large freezer-safe bag for storage.

Decoration

My photographer used Wilton Tip 1M and needed an additional 1/4 batch of frosting for the decoration you see. I included the 1.25x recipe for the buttercream in the notes in case you also want to do some piping.

If you use another recipe for piping, you’ll want 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of frosting to make sure you have enough.

Gluten-free Version

For the gluten-free version, I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour and the results were amazing. King Arthur Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour is also a great option, though it makes the cake slightly more fragile, which is only a concern if you plan on carving the cake into a special shape.

I can’t guarantee that other brands will yield the same perfect texture, and please note that grain-free flours like almond or coconut won’t work here. 

Vegan Option

This is the best vegan chocolate cake I’ve had. You just have to use chia eggs in place of regular eggs, plant-based milk (I always use cashew milk, but other types work just as well), and vegan butter in the buttercream.