Our one bowl chocolate cake is such an easy dessert recipe. It will probably become your favorite cake recipe and you will still get so many compliments on it. Even without all the extra effort.
Plus, since this is so easy to put together your kids can help too! And they can decorate it making it a fun thing to do to entertain the kids!
Just because cakes are tasty and you can never have enough good recipes you should take a look at our Turtle Texas Sheet Cake recipe, Boston Cream Poke Cake recipe, and this supper tasty Chocolate Caramel Toffee Crunch Cake!
IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THIS EASY HOMEMADE CAKE, TAKE A LOOK BELOW AND YOU WILL SEE!
All the ingredients for one bowl chocolate cake:
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking cocoa
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
- Buttermilk
- Eggs
- Hot water
- Frosting
- Sprinkles (if you choose!)
Not many people normally have buttermilk on hand, unless you recently used it in another recipe. If that is the case, why not make your own with the milk you already have?! It is so simple and you can use this recipe to find out how to make buttermilk from Tastes Better From Scratch.
Love Chocolate Cake?! Don’t miss out on this Copycat Chili’s Molten Lava Cake Recipe!
Try and make your favorite recipes on your own!
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This cookbook includes copycat recipes from Wingers, Texas Roadhouse, Starbucks, Panera, Cheesecake Factory, Kneaders, and so much more. We have you covered from drinks to dessert and everything in-between.
We are so excited to share these recipes with you. Order your copy today!
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THE SHORT LIST OF ITEMS YOU WILL ALSO NEED FOR THIS ONE LAYER CAKE RECIPE:
- Large mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula (THESE work great!)
- Nonstick spray
- 9×13 baking pan (my favorite pan to use is THIS one)
- Toothpick
Make your life easier with our easy dinner recipes!
Our latest cookbook – Six Ingredients with Six Sisters’ Stuff – is all about using a few ingredients to make a delicious dinner! With only 6 ingredients or less per recipe in this cookbook, cooking has never been easier!
Every recipe has a beautiful mouth-watering photo and has been picky-eater approved. The directions are simple, easy to follow, and do not require any strange ingredients.
Whether you are a cook just starting out or a busy parent looking to save time in the kitchen, this cookbook is for you! It’s full of entrees, side dishes, and desserts.
With our favorite one-pot wings dish or a no-bake peanut butter bar, this cookbook is a fool-proof solution to meal planning. It also features kid-friendly chapters such as Kid Favorites and Kids Can Cook.
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START MAKING YOUR OWN HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE NOW:
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Then, in a large mixing bowl, put the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix it all together.
Next, mix the vegetable oil, buttermilk, and eggs into the dry ingredients.
Once the eggs are fully incorporated, pour the hot water into the ingredients and mix it together well.
NOTE: The batter will seem runnier than most cake batters, but it will work out don’t worry!
Now, grease your 9×13 baking pan and pour the chocolate cake batter into the pan.
Place the pan into the oven and bake it for 33-38 minutes or until you can poke a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
Then once the cake is done, let it cool completely. This will usually take more than an hour. If it is still warm when you put on the frosting, it could melt off or make the frosting texture crystalize. Once it has been cooled and frosted, you can then top it with your favorite sprinkles if you desire!
You could also do your favorite candy bar or dessert treat crumbled on top. We like Oreos, Reese’s, Snickers, Kit Kats, etc. You know if it has chocolate, it’s going in my mouth!
Now just slice, serve, and enjoy!
CALLING ALL REESE’S LOVERS!
If you haven’t gotten the chance to check out all of our delicious video recipes on our YouTube channel, then you are missing out! We have so many family-friendly recipes on there that you could fill your whole month with great recipes your family will love! Kind of like our delicious Reese’s Peanut Butter Poke Cake! This cake is amazing. It is very moist and full of those wonderful peanut butter and chocolate flavors we all love!
CAN WE TEMPT YOU WITH A FEW MORE AMAZING DESSERT RECIPES?!
- LAYERED CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE RECIPE
- CHOCOLATE HO HO CAKE
- THIN MINT POKE CAKE RECIPE
- COPYCAT CHILI’S MOLTEN LAVA CAKE RECIPE
- CINNABON CINNAMON ROLL CAKE RECIPE
- THE BEST TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE
One Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe (made from scratch!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup baking cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk *
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup hot water
- frosting
- sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Mix in the oil, buttermilk, and eggs. Once the eggs are fully incorporated, pour in the hot water and mix well (your batter will seem runny, but I promise that it will work out!).
- Grease a 9x13" baking pan and pour batter into pan. Bake for 33-38 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean- mine was done at 33 minutes). When the cake is completely cool, top with frosting and decorate with sprinkles (if so desired).
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Details
*Don’t have buttermilk? No worries! It’s simple to make your own!
Take one cup of milk and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the milk. Stir it up and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Use immediately.
Recipe source: Taste of Home
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Related Recipe: This Cherry Chocolate Chip Cake is so easy to make, and every bite is filled with cherry chocolate goodness. You will love how easy this cake is, to make, but you will love even more, how delicious it is. Get the recipe HERE!
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how about the "no bowl" Wacky cake, mixed up in the pan and baked?
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I was thinking the same thing :) My family calls it Crazy Cake, and it was the first recipe I ever baked all on my own!
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My favorite since 1960. I’m now 71.
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It is so wonderful that you were able to help Stacy! It must be so comforting to her to know that she has such amazing friends at her side. Kudos to you!
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That one cup of vegetable oil seems a bit much... I reduced it to half a cup and I also reduce the sugar by a half cup.
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I was thinking even omitting the cake pan lol just baking the cake in the bowl.....it would be an easy barbie cake set up lol
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Uhhh will have to try this! I love chocolate cake and this one looks so good! And it's easy to make? I'm sold! Have a great week! -Sofia @ http://www.SomethingOnEverything.com
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My children love chocolate cakes and my youngest daughter loves to bake and I know she will like doing this one....
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This looks soooo awesome! One bowl? My kind of recipe! Thanks! Blessings, Sinea Ducks ?n a Row
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Just took my first bite, and oh yum! I made it with the frosting recipe as well and it's delicious! Just wondered how you store it? In the fridge or just set out and covered? Thanks for a super delicious, EASY, chocolate cake! I'm pregnant and have been craving this! :)
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This cake look super delicious and easy! Can't wait to try it! ? Samantha http://www.busysweetlife.com
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Don't know what I did wrong, but I have this in my oven right now and it has risen to where it overflowed the pan and ran into the bottom of my oven. Not such an simple cake to make now that I have to clean my oven!
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Whoops! Nevermind, I found out what I did wrong!! When I copied down the recipe I accidentally wrote down 2 t of baking powder... How embarrassing! :s
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I gave this one bowl chocolate cake a try this week, and it was great! I paired it with Chocoalte Cream Cheese frosting . . . and it was so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
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Looks so moist and delicious! Thanks for sharing it a my Real Family Fun link party this week. KC
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I made this cake late last week and it was delicious! It was very moist. I think I had to increase the baking time a little. Then I frosted it with your Mom's Frosting recipe. :)
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Love this cake! I have been making it since I first saw the recipe in ToH! I make pb fudge icing to go with it! :)
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sorry, new in baking. is it 350 degrees Celcius or Fahrenheit?
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fahrenheit
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This is a terrific recipe but instead of 35 minutes I had to reduce the time by 10 minutes because I was making them in cupcake tins
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Do you think just plain old milk would be okay instead of the homemade buttermilk??
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Would like to try this soon! What brand of cocoa do you use?
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Hersheys cocoa
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Is it okay if i cut the oil and sugar in half? I know it will affect the texture and taste. But what will be the disadvantage if i cut them in half?
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I have made this cake a bunch of times with that wonderful frosting! It's my new "go-to" cake. I will be making one tonight for my son's birthday party, which is tomorrow night. I love it because it is large enough to serve 10 hunger 13 & 14 year olds!
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I'll try anything with 1.) less clean-up, sprinkles and CHOCOLATE :-) Nic
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I made this today and we are very pleased with the taste! The only challenge I had was the middle of my 9x13 cake domed greatly! After 35 minutes, I took my cake tester, poked holes and the middle was still very liquid. I cooked it for about 5 more minutes, poked some more holes in it and cooked it for another 4 minutes. The outside edges are very cooked; middle is sunk in and gooey. Taste is great, looks are well, so-so. :)
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Try using "cake strips" (they insulate the side of the pan to promote even cooking and prevent crusty edges.
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I think this cake is delish, moist, and easy to prepare! I baked in (2) 8in round pans for my son's birthday a few days ago. One cake took longer to bake than the other one--about 7 min longer. I made the night before so I just cooled and wrapped them separate and it turned out wonderful when I frosted the next night with that wonderful frosting recipe. I was very worried about that 1-cup of oil but because there is no butter I thought it made sense and I SO trust this blog and recipes you provide. It def worked out and my whole family loved it. I will bake this for two of my kids' birthday parties this weekend. thanks :)
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http://mytaskpay.com/?id=cathy0129
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It's 6am Christmas Morning & I just pulled this cake out of the oven! My SIL's birthday is today & I don't like her to feel put aside on Christmas. :) I baked it in a ceramic 9x13 pan & it took almost 45 min until it tested done. I did switch out the oil for unsweetened applesauce. It smells good, lets hope it tastes good too!
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Making this for my hubba's 50th today. :-) I'll make it for him in honor of Stacy. Thank you for the recipe, and I believe everything happens for a reason! God Bless!
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this is the most delicious cake, so moist. I have made this several times and mom icing also. get so many ohhhs and awwwwws
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Thanks for another great recipe, sisters!!!! Just made it gluten-free here http://karissawagner.blogspot.com/2014/02/one-bowl-chocolate-cake.html and it turned out awesome!!!!!
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My husband just made this for me for my birthday last night (he's a total dream)! He never spends much time in the kitchen and I was blown away with how perfect this cake was! I'm excited to have it for breakfast! ;)
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I made this cake for my hubby's birthday and paired it with this buttercream frosting recipe I found on Pinterest. The cake was spectacular. Not too sweet and it had a great chocolate flavor and perfect texture. I actually took a chance and used coconut milk with vinegar instead of buttermilk only because I had some leftover in the fridge and wanted to use it up. It turned out great!! Nothing against Mom's chocolate frosting but you should try it with this buttercream frosting it really was a great combo. http://www.my-sweet-mission.com/2014/01/best-buttercream-frosting.html
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Any changes if I want to turn this recipe into cupcakes?
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I have a very similar recipe, that my mom made for us all the time. Ingredients are the same but only 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and she would put 2 tsp of instant coffee in with the hot water. Always a great cake recipe, and it doesn't need icing, just dust it with powered sugar.
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I made the cake in two round pans. The fell in the middle. I made a different recipe a few weeks ago and it also fell. I've made lots of cakes and these two are my first to fall. Yours and the other had hot water in them don't know if that's why. Also I cooked them both at the same time on the same rake. Please help.
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Have made this cake and icing many times now. It has been wonderful every time just the way it is. Definitely our family's favorite chocolate cake now and sooo easy!
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Hello! I don't bake a whole lot, and I don't want to make a silly mistake so i just wanted to ask what kind of cocoa powder to use? Would it make a difference if it's Dutch processed and not natural? Thanks!
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Do you really use half a cup of baking soda? It seems a lot.
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I just made this cake, and it is the densest cake I have ever made. Not sure what happened. It doesn't taste great either.
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I made this cake yesterday. I always try recipes if I like the picture I see. In that picture the cake seem moist and soft. And THAT it is. It is just delicious, easy and fast. And the icing the same. Everybody loved it. This cake is just fabulicious. Thank you so much for this recipe. Greetings from Holland.
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My 12 year old just made this cake for us this week. So yummy and easy! It was gone in a few days. We made it in a large lasagna pan and it was perfect, shortened the baking time just a bit. That frosting is so good! And the cake was moist and flavorful.
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I made this the other day and it was absolutely delicious, so moist. I will experiment with reducing the oil a little bit next time though, see if i can cut it down a little.
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Hello! I have made this recipe a few times and we LOVE it! So much better than boxed cake mixes! I also put a link to this recipe on my blog. :)
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Hopefully mine works out--I live at high altitude (7,600 feet!!) so I had to make adjustments. I know from experience that your recipes are bomb so when I saw you had a recipe for scratch cake I knew I could count on it, as long as I could get conversions right hahaha!
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Making this now for cupcakes...looks like they are rising great! Can't wait to try! mmmm the batter was good!
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Wow! they turned out great as cupcakes! I also added a little more cocoa ;) I use Fry's cocoa powder!! So moist.
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What can I use to replace eggs other than egg replacer? I can't use eggs in my cake.
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This recipe is and has been my absolute favorite for over a year now! All our birthdays fall Dec-Feb so I have to find excuses to make it more often :) It is so moist and delicious! I do recommend the Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa though...it takes the richness to a whole new level!
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I just wanted to say that I've been making this cake for a couple of years now. It is so simple to make and turns out fabulously moist every single time. I made it today & had it in the oven in under five minutes! I've even made substitutions like using coconut oil & applesauce instead of the cooking oil, reducing the amount of sugar, & also halving the recipe & baking it in an 8x8 pan. Always great. I also adore your mom's chocolate frosting, but have made several different kinds to adorn this cake with great results every time (white chocolate peppermint frosting at Christmas time & peanut butter frosting were two that were exceptionally good). Thank you so much for a recipe that I'll continue to use for many years to come!
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I use a cup of strong coffee instead of water and it makes it taste even more chocolatey. Best cake ever.
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My chocolate cake recipe is very very similar except instead of buttermilk I use regular milk and hot coffee instead of just plain water. I have subbed 1/2 cup water with Chambord... I find my cooking time is usually 45 mins or so due to the thin batter...
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Error, subbed 1/2 cup coffee with Chambord
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Where can I get the frosting recipe for this cake? I can't seem to find it.
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What a GREAT CAKE. I made it this weekend all the way in Southern Africa Zimbabwe. Wow. I have baked before but this one boosted my confidence. Thank you for the recipe. It is for keeps. I did not ice it though my family started eating before the icing. It's also great without icing.
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can you make into cupcakes? if so, how full and do you adjust the temp? thanks
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I think I followed the recipe exactly, except that I used two 9" cake pans. The middle on both cakes, did not rise. I did the toothpick test and they were done, but just didn't rise. Any suggestions? I am at 4150 feet altitude. Maybe that made a difference?
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I’m making this cake for what might be the 20th time since you posted this. It’s the best and I am so grateful for this cake recipe! We love it over Here
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I’ve made this recipe before, but it has been a while. I love it, and came across it again today, and thought I’d make it this week. I can’t seem to find the link to the frosting. Would you mind sharing it with me, please? Thank you!
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I’m head Chef at Pi Beta Phi Sorority house and this is the only chocolate cake recipe I use!!! Honestly the best chocolate cake ever!! My Senior girls have asked for the recipe to be put in their cookbook we give them every year for Graduation. I wish the frosting recipe was still linked in the recipe.
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We love this cake! It’s our favourite chocolate cake recipe. I’m having a hard time finding an equally delicious vanilla/white cake recipe. I wanted your thoughts if we omit the cocoa would it be white? My daughter wants a vanilla/white cake and I can’t find that is as good as this one. Suggestions? Thanks
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What frosting recipe did you use for this?
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can i cut the sugar amount down to 1 cup sugar ? i would like to leave out the baking soda completely. i do not like the taste of baking soda, especially in cake. i think i will put extra baking powder in its place. please let me know by e-mailing me at [email protected]
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yeah i am having second thoughts about making this cake. 1 cup of oil , 1 cup of butter milk; 1 cup of hot water; runny batter; no thank you. i think i might have enough chocolate cake recipes from other places.
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Love this recipe! The first time I made it it was delicious but oily. I reduced to 3/4 cup of oil. I also put 1 cup of coffee instead of hot water and use 1/4 c dark cocoa and 1/4 c reg. My go to chocolate cake..always moist and delicious...thank you!
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I made this cake using 1 1/2 cups GF flour and 1/2 cup coconut flour (this is what was in my pantry) and it was delicious! It's a little denser than a box cake (I prefer a denser cake) and a lot more moist. This is my new "go to" chocolate cake. I froze half of it and after 2 weeks, the frozen half was just as good as the fresh half.
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looks so tasty thanks for the recipe Kain Geotextile
