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
- 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.
How is this cake stored? Room temp or fridge once frosted?
Google “storing cakes.”
I have made this cake at least a dozen times. After I made a dinner tonight that took a lot of effort – stuffed chicken breasts, green beans with sauteed shallots and toasted almonds, au gratin potatoes from scratch, my dear husband looked at me and said, “All I need now is a piece of chocolate cake to have with my coffee”. After shooting daggers at him with my eyes, I decided to make this cake again. After all, I’d like a piece of chocolate cake with my coffee, too!
This is a serious winner of a recipe!
Thanks so much, I have been wondering what the proportions are to make baked goods are when you have don’t have baking powder–there is none at my dollar store, & every once in a while I run out. Also, I think it might be healthier than most baking powders. 🙂
I was craving an easy moist chocolate cake and yours just hit the spot ! My only addition was —- 1 scant teaspoon instant expresso to the water, and my coco measurement was a heaping 1/4 cup….thanks Jenny for a delicious recipe! Well done 👍
So good. I used 3 tbspspur cream and 3 tbsp oil. I also used 1/2 cup monk fruit sweetener and 1/2 cup sugar. Was deeeelish
Lovely recipe! I sometimes add chopped walnuts to satisfy the nut aficionados in our home. Coupled with your 2-Minute Chocolate Frosting recipe, this is cake is simply delicious!
Thank you sooooo much Jenny !
Made this several times amazing always an hit !
Looking forward for more vegan types !
Thank you Jenny for this delicious recipe! My boys really enjoyed this cake. A huge thank you for the dairy free find. I still can not believe how moist and flavorful this cake is. This is our now go to cake recipe.
Originally from Chicago, youtube hit it out if the park by suggesting your channel. I can’t wait to try out your other recipes.
I made this cake!! And it was delicious!!! I would like to know how many calories per slice? I eat half the cake in 6 hours!! It was just that good!!! Thank you for sharing this Awesome chocolate cake recipe!! I
I made this cake!! And it was delicious!!! I would like to know how many calories per slice. I eat have the cake in 6 hours!! Thank t was just that good!!! Thank you for sharing this Awesome chocolate cake recipe!! Its just that Good!!!
I love chocolate cake.
Perfect. My family absolutely love this. I make a coffee butter icing (frosting) and place this on half of the top and a vanillas icing on the other, as divided opinion over coffee in family.
Love this cake. It’s so chocolatey, moist and easy to prepare.
Make two and turn them into a layer cake and wow everyone.
Thanks
This by far the BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten. It was extremely easy to make. I iced it with the suggested frosting and doubled the icing recipe. I did use my regular Hershey’s cocoa instead but it turned out great. Highly recommend this cake. Also I used 2 T of butter and 2 T chunky peanut butter in the icing. YUMMY!!!!
not sure what happened, was excited to try the cake based on so many good reviews. Only recipe differences were I used lime juice instead of lemon juice and did 8×8 sq in pan. Like some others have stated cake sunk in the middle about 4in circle in diameter so looks a bit like a volcano. Baked for 32 minutes and toothpick came out clean but cake is very sticky (despite greasing pan) and hard to get out of pan. Some said this may be due to over mixing the batter but in the cake itself there are small white blobs that look like flour never get mixed. Taste is okay but texture is too moist and sticky. Any ideas?
Wrong size pan. Make it in a 9 inch round and beat batter until smooth. If you don’t have lemon juice, use the white vinegar. I use bottled ReaLemon juice and it works great. Baking is more of a science than other kinds of cooking. One thing is off and the whole thing can go to hell. Not sure in the instructions say to beat batter just until lumps are gone, but I’m used to beating batter completely until smooth, and this works great for this recipe as well. Don’t use lime juice and use a 9 inch pan to start. Bon appetit!
DR, did you sift your dry ingredients? Most times that will eliminate the unmixed portions.
just a historical note, this type of cake recipe is also called “Depression Cake”, because during the Great Depression era of the late 1920’s to early 1930’s, eggs, butter and milk were not affordable. It re-emerged during World War II when those same ingredients were rationed and scarce. It is great timing to see this cake again during these tough pandemic times. All ingredients can be stored in long-term In the pantry. it requires no fresh ingredients, eliminating extra trips to the store. The best part is that it tastes so good! Bravo!
Now eggs and butter are affordable but cause heart disease, strokes, and cancer, so best to avoid them anyway. Oil isn’t great either, but the saturated fat content is lower – not zero, but lower. I don’t make this cake often, it’s great when people come over, but it’s not really healthy either. But it’s a quick dessert if you have guests, which I don’t now because of COVID, but I just made it again to pack up in a food package for a shut-in friend. Bon appetit!
I have made this several times with great results each time. I originally made it because my daughter has special food needs, but when ate it I was hooked. Have taken it parties and get asked for recipe. I refer them back here.
I have made changes a few times- best change: 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder. This allows for a sweet frosting without the overwhelming sweetness.
Thank you, Jenny. You have saved me many times.
Carrie
I made this cake yesterday. Wow! So easy to make! To save more time I really could of done it while napping😁. It came out perfect!. I used your frosting recipe just enough to put on top of the cake.
I used real cocoa from Honduras..my son got some for me on a trip there. It tasted great!…used avocado oil for the 1st time🙂Thk you Jenny…Now what else could I make today?🤔
Delicious! Yet I used same recipe but divided into two baking pans and half the time (15 min)for a two layer chocolate cake… it was amazing and so quick to make! Thank you very much for sharing… it was Fun… frosting as well!
My sons all-time favorite chocolate cake is Portillo‘s. So yesterday Sunday we had a taste test. My husband went out and bought a Portillo‘s cake chocolate cake 1piece that is, and I made your wonderful one layer chocolate cake. Guess who won? Jennie, it was your chocolate cake. Among others it was Unanimous!
I found this to be amazing.
Barbara
Hey Jenny,
Can I cook this cake in my microwave, and if so how long does it need to be in there. Our microwave oven is 1200 watts.
Jenny,
My wife and kids can’t get enough, of this chocolate delishiousiness..I’ve made it now several times, and even the icing.its all gooood😋😋
The chocolate cake and all your tips turned out delicious… I did divide the batter into two pans … less time. Thank you am passing on the directions to my brother…❤️
My 11 year old son is obsessed with making this cake! Thank you for providing this recipe and your youtube video. We have a budding Baker, Thanks to you! I don’t usually like cake but I love this one!
I make this every two weeks in quarantine, my wife’s favorite. I throw in extra dark chocolate bits and use peanut butter frosting which uses even less butter. She (and I) loves it.
Cmon. Share the peanut butter icing recipe. Tnx.
Use 2 tablespoons peanut butter instead of actual butter, cream it with the powdered sugar and add plant mylk to thin it out. The PB is the “fat” portion instead of butter. It’s also healthier! Bon appetit!
Jenny, this is the 2nd time I made this cake. So very delicious- I served it with fresh raspberries from our garden.
My Dad says it reminds him of his mother’s homemade devils food cake from 50 yrs ago! So good and very easy. The chocolate icing can’t be beat!!!
All in all a good cake however it was very salty. Next time i will half the amount.
What flour/flours can be substituted for all-purpose flour?
Tried it for the first time. Came out great! Delicious! And I’m a true baking novice…just followed the directions. (Tried your braided cinnamon raisin bread and that came out great too). Thank you!
Love this eggless chocolate cake recipe.
Any hope for a white cake recipe for us allergic to eggs. ?
coming soon…
Thanks Jenny. So excited to read that a
recipe for an eggless white cake will be coming soon. Can’t wait !!!
Best cake ever. I have a child with egg allergies this cake has saved us. I have made it every holiday and birthday. Delicious…. Now for the stupid question as I do not cook, to make a vanilla cake do I just omit the cocoa powder?
Jenny hasa recipe for a vanilla cake. Just as easy and it is wonderful. Follow her recipe for a perfect result!
Since our retirement, I hesitate to make desserts because the recipes make too much. I was quite frankly amazed at how really good this cake is. I have tried soo many recipes that are low fat/healthy and taste bad. This is a delicious cake and the frosting is yummy!
THANKS YOU SO MUCH!
I have made this cake more times than I can count! It’s the “go-to” cake in our house and never fails to please. It’s an absolutely fool proof recipe and tastes divine. And it stays fresh for days – if it lasts that long!
Jenny – This chocolate cake is the very best! I make it all the time for family and friends. The one layer is perfect – moist and just enough cake – because I do put a lot of icing on and get rave compliments! My husband actually likes when I portion it and freeze it. Also your quick Dutch oven bread – so good! I am making a loaf today for my granddaughter before she returns to the Naval Academy!! Thank you so much for all of your recipes.
Baked this cake yesterday & it’s already gone. So I decided to bake a double recipe this morning before my golf game. Changed the ingredients a little by using coconut water with the cool water. Also added some choco chips. Again no time for frosting. Took some for snacks, then shared some with my sister who has a family of 5. It was a hit. The cake is still moist & delicious although I wasn’t impressed that it cracked while rising. Any solution to prevent this from happening next time? I’ll probably be baking it again on the weekend. 😋
Same thing has happened to me with the cracking – I just fill the holes with extra icing and no one notices or complains!!
A few things to try: check your oven temperature. If your oven runs hot, this can be the cause. Try checking with an oven thermometer as some ovens can be 25 degrees or more off. Next is the levening. Make sure you aren’t adding too much. Last would be the pan size. Use the recommended size. Hope one of these ideas will help.
Love this cake. Made twice already
Love this cake. Very easy to make!
Baked this cake tonight. Just like it’s name, Quick & Easy, not a lot of work, yet tastes delish. Reduced sugar to 3/4c for my diabetic husband. No time for frosting. The cake is half gone. I’ll double the recipe next time for a taller cake. Thanks, Jenny.
I made this cake & it was as easy as Jenny said it was. One problem though, after the specified bake time & checking that the cake was done, the middle just sunk down. An area of about 4 inches in diameter right in the middle of the cake had dropped. The cake was done & delicious in spite of the drop-down.
I live at 5000 ft. elevation in Colorado. I’m wondering if I need to adjust the cooking temperature and/or time and if so, which way?
I’d really like to perfect this cake since it is so easy & soooo good. Any help will be appreciated.
I had the same result! The first time I made the cake it came out perfect, second time, like you said it sank in the middle. I’m in Chicago, no high altitude here.
Any suggestions?
Thanks 🤗
It might have sunk because you mixed it too much, or you didn’t put the batter straight into the oven.
Thank you! I think that helped. I just made one and stirred it less and more gentle and it came out properly.
Next question, how would I adjust the recipe if I used eggs?
Thanks again!
This tastes like cereal on the edges but better with frosting
I watched your video and you talked about Bison meat which is less fatty, but you said, that you can use regular chop meat and they taste the same. I am paraphrasing. The is a remarkable difference between the two. I recently started using Bison meat and it is different and much more delicious. Thank you for all your recipes and videos.
Edith
During this quarantine, I’ve been trying to bake more to make my family happy. This cake is moist and delicious and so so easy! I may only be 12, but this cake was so easy and quick, anyone could make it! Thank you, Jenny!! 🙂
I needed a quick dessert to make & bring to a friends house for the weekend. This cake and frosting are so delicious and so easy to make. You make my life easier with these easy to follow recipes that don’t take much time to make!
Thanks!
Can I double the recipe to make it thicker because when I tried the recipe the first time it came out thin but its very good!
I doubled this recipe and used exact measurements with baking soda and it did work well but there is a very distinct taste of the baking soda and I used a good baking soda without aluminum but still the cake had more of the baking soda taste and smell, otherwise the look was great.
I think, since you mentioned using aluminum free, you used baking powder instead of baking soda.
Hi Jenny,
I’m not a baker, but I try. This chocolate cake and frosting recipe was simple and manageable. It turned out great. Moist and delicious. Thanks!
hello!
I love this recipe. I converted it to GF by using Anthony’s cassava flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour and 1/4 cup almond flours sifted together for the full flour amount of 1 and 1/2 cups. it was amazing! cooks longer by 15 min. Allow to cool fully and it is really a texture lovers dream.
You are a godsend to so many during this quarantine. Not just this video but all of your pleasant comments and unexpected humour! Thank you for this recipe. You make me feel like we can go for coffee and be friends, laugh at the camera in the fridge, or cutting yourself the biggest slice of cake first. We love you and thank you Jenny. You are so appreciated. Hugs from Vernon, BC. Xoxo.
Yay! I made it this morning and the cake did not fall and it was so easy!!!! I used swerve to keep it sugar free and it came out PERFECT! Almond flour does not work for this recipe, by the way. Thank you Jenny!!!
hi I Just put it in the oven and was reading the comments…. ugh oh… i did use almond flour. We’ll see lol. Next time i might try almond and coconut flours mixed.
I made this cake for my son’s birthday and it turned out great!! I am grateful for a small cake because we all know what happens with chocolate cake leftovers! Especially during quarantine!
Thank you Jenny!!
I found an earlier comment from someone who had been making this recipe for a long time, with variations of different flavors, like lemon, banana, and so on. Now I can’t find the comment again to jot down those hints! Can anyone else direct me to it?
Was it this? It was from a poster called “bunny” from the YouTube video on the cake. —
I’ve been making this cake for over 45 years, “Mix-in-the-Pan Jiffy Cake”, for clients who are allergic to eggs, milk, etc., or have food preferences such as being vegan. My recipe calls for white vinegar, but lemon juice would also work in the same way. I mix the ingredients right in an ‘ungreased’ cake pan w/ a fork, if it will be left in the pan for serving. For diabetic clients, I use Swerve White Granulated Sugar Replacement & for gluten-free clients, I use gluten-free flour. For a chocolate cake, I use 1 cup cold coffee in place of the water, to give the chocolate flavor a boost. I also make this cake without cocoa for other flavors – for a lemon cake use lemon extract, water, & lemon zest or lemonade & lemon zest; for an orange cake use orange extract, water, & orange zest or orange juice and orange zest: banana extract w/ a little yellow food color; strawberry extract w/ a little pink food color; etc. – any flavor works. I bake all my cakes at 300 & test the internal temp w/ an instant-read thermometer for doneness, like you’d test a steak. Baking cakes at 300 degrees also gives the edges more time to bake higher, ending up w/ a flat cake. When you can smell a cake, it’s almost done, & time to test. Once the internal temp reaches 212 degrees, the liquids are boiling & evaporating, so the cake will be dry & over baked. I pull all my cakes when they test at 208 degrees since they will bake out of the oven for a couple more minutes. If leaving this cake in the pan, press saran on its surface while it’s still warm, about 30 minutes out of the oven. If removing it from the pan (you can make 2 layers for a layer cake) put parchment in the bottom of the pan & spray the sides of the pan. Place saran & a cookie sheet on top of the cake, flip all over, lift off the pan, wrap airtight in the saran, place back in the pan upside down, & leave on the counter at room temp for a day to ‘season’. Cakes that are made a day ahead of time will be easier to work with, w/ fewer crumbs & crumbling.
wow..Catherine I am going to try the lemon!!! Thanks!! I have one in the oven now, but i used almond flour…if it fails will just try again, maybe with just regular flour, and the coffee was a great idea!!!!
Great recipe! Just made it and it turned out great! I tweaked the recipe a little bit by using coconut milk instead of water, 2/3 cup of sugar instead of a whole cup of sugar and I used 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of avocado oil. Thanks, Jenny!
Jenny!
I made your chocolate cake recipe! It is a vegan recipe and I think it is from WWII! It was sooo easy! I used the lemon juice!. I also made your 2 minute frosting with soy milk and it was just fine! I had some Hersey’s Special Dark Chocolate powdered and it made it just fine. I used sunflower oil too. It is a perfect cake to teach kids how to bake! I saw a show on TV on PBS on how folks used beets in WWII or the depression to make red velvet cake and wondered if you had any thoughts on that? The chocolate cake base is perfect. I may have to play around with the next one and let you know what I come up with!
Thank you so much Jenny. This recipe is so simple. I will bake the cake tonight since my husband loves chocolate cakes. We are Polish and I remember my mom cooking cabbage rolls very often. I found yesterday your recipe for golabki and I am baking them right now for tomorrow’s dinner, smells delicious in the kitchen already.
So I subscribed to your YouTube channel and just wanted to let you know that I am definitely a fan of your recipes! Especially this chocolate cake! This is by far my favorite chocolate cake and I’m not much of a baker but your recipe was so easy to follow. I made it for my family and they absolutely LOVED it!! I hope to see more of your AMAZING videos on YouTube in the future. Stay safe and healthy!!
Hi Jen, found your Easy Chocolate Cake recipe while searching for easy recipes with smaller amounts for 2 during lockdown. Made it with and the frosting with Special Dark Cocoa. So fast and simple–nest part my husband loves it and said it is his favorite now. I have made twice for us and once for a neighbor. Will be trying your Dutch Oven no knead bread but it will be in a 7 quart Dutch Oven–do you think that will work? Love, love your website–so happy I found it! Thank you for sharing your recipes and mostly for all the explanations which are so helpful!!! Take care!!!
I’ve made this cake three times now. It’s a great recipe and always delicious. I used Apple Cider Vinegar instead since that’s all I had but it worked fine.
Hello…
Is this really 6 Tablespoons of oil?
I made it and it came out really dense, oily and undercooked in the middle.
Not sure what happened. : (
The recipe is correct so maybe your baking soda was expired. ??
Did you do a toothpick check before reassuring that it was done?
Hi Ann do you live at a high altitude? If so you may need to adjust your baking time.
Dee
If you over beat the mixture for the cake it will also be dense. The leavening agent is the baking soda and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and even if it were with eggs over beating the mixture will make the cake fall while cooking or if you open the oven too much too.
Really? That’s really strange and I’m sorry to hear that. I used 1/3 cup canola oil and worked out beautifully. (That’s about 5 tablespoons). Simply throw it all in a pan and mix by hand for 2 minutes. … pour and bake. Try again!! Who knows why it flopped. Keep us posted and good luck!
Is it possible to substitute apple sauce for the oil? In boxed mixed I always use apple sauce and these come out fine. If it is a good substitute how much is the correct amount? Thanks!!
I made it using a 1/4c apple sauce (The individual snack portions). I’ll let you know shortly how it turned out :p~
I used to use applesauce in all my cakes and brownies but my adult son noticed that the chocolate brownies had no flavor. So I made it will oil and it came out will lots of flavor.
It seems to be vegan. All the ingredients are as long as you don’t make the frosting since it us made with butter and milk.
Dee, you can use coconut oil instead of butter if you want to. I ran out of butter so I used it tonight in fact and it was fine. Not AS creamy but it’s better than omitting the fat altogether cuz then it just tastes like moistened sugar!
I added some Ovaltine to my cake about 1/8 c and then just decreased the cocoa by a little, not the whole 1/8th tho. (About 1/16th if I were to guess altho I do kinda wing it.)
I also have VitaCup ground coffee and it’s very powdery compared to other grinds which are more granular, and I added a tblsp or two and it was hardly noticeable flavor wise. Might increase it next time. But boy it was so moist. Just sift powdered sugar over the top and it’d be fine.
I’ve made it four times in two weeks!! Just indulged ourselves. I looked for eggless cake bcuz I had a sweet tooth, no eggs! My daughter is moderately allergic to eggs so I sent it to her too. It’s soooo good.
Hi Dee,
I am vegan and used vegan butter the brand is Earth Balance and I used soy milk as well. I’ve been baking on my own since 6th grade or 12 years old and an now 64. This recipe works like those from the Joy of Cooking, Fannie Farmer and I’m pretty sure it really doesn’t matter. My husband is not vegan and he liked it! I only needed 2 Teaspoons of milk to get the frosting to come together. It is a basic frosting recipe.
I’m not much of a baker, but I love chocolate cake, and your cake recipe is one of the best and easiest I’ve ever made. I must say I used 3 tbsp. melted butter instead of all oil, and it came out moist and delicious. And I used a half cup of coconut sugar, and a little over a quarter c. turbinado sugar (which I mixed together in my mini food processor). I live in Colorado., and up here you have to adjust the recipes a bit, but I only used less sugar in yours. The butter I added was only for good taste. I topped the cake up with real whipped cream topping and toasted chopped pecans, and my husband and I have enjoyed it to the max. Thank you so much for this recipe and others, and next time I’ll try your easy bread rolls.
Ina, love your variations!! I wondered if melted butter would work and also how melted coconut oil would be.
I told Dee in above comment how I used (soft) coconut oil in place off the butter for the frosting. It came out pretty nice. Not AS creamy as butter but better than not using any.
Thx for your ideas!
Thank you for posting this. I am in CO as well and want a cake for something special today, so it’s good to know that this will work without adjustments!
I am wondering if an 8″ pan would work instead of a 9″ ? How di I calibrate the baking time knowing it will be a denser cake? Thanks so much, Jeannie
Hi: I made it in an 8” quick release pan and cooked it 40 minutes. Mine was perfect. Husband loves this easy cake. 😊
i dont have any chocolate powder. is it okay if i use the hot cocoa powder from starbucks. pl reply as i am pure vegetarian and i can use some of ur recipes
You can find baking cocoa in almost every stores, and that works just as good in my opinion.
Asha,
I had baking cocoa but added Ovaltine to it too (and just decreased the cocoa). If you use sweetened cocoa if any kind, just decrease your sugar a bit.
Also I have Cacao powder I thought I might try sometime and maybe sub a couple other ingredients (or halve and halve them) to make a healthier version!!
Hi! I made this last week. Super easy fast and easy to clean. I really liked it! I need to add more cocoa as I love my chocolate! Thank you for the recipe!
I love recipes that are easy: one-bowl, combinIng dry ingredients together before adding all the wet ingredients, etc. This cake is so simple and quick to make. The bonus in it all is that the cake tastes just like Devil Dogs without the cream. Thank you Jenny for your sensible and easy recipes to follow!
Is this VEGAN??????
What can I use for sweetener besides sugar? Is a banana and applesauce okay? thank you
I honestly enjoy every video you make but I think your title should be changed to ” Jenny Can Make Me Gain Weight”. Great recipes and fast and easy.
My chocolate cake had a very strong baking soda taste. Any reason why? I used the right amount.
My guess is you used baking soda istead of baking powder? That would explain the difference in taste for sure.
This recipe actually calls for baking SODA, but I don’t know why she would taste it unless she used more than indicated.
She may have used 1 T instead of 1 tsp baking soda. Easy mistake to make.
This is a delicious chocolate cake, vegan or not! I made it for my family, some vegan, some not and everyone loved it. It’s so easy to make, which for me means I’m much more likely to make! I have never tried a recipe from Jenny that didn’t work or wasn’t super tasty and I enjoy watching the videos.
This is so delicious and insanely easy! The perfect treat for sheltering at home.
Dziekuje Ci
Great cake and easy to make. One trip for snacks by my teenagers and no more cake!
Made this cake yesterday, even though it was a hot day, couldn’t resist. It’s perfect for two of us and very easy. Will make again! Thanks for recipe.
Cake was delicious and easy peasy to make. Not a substitute for my favorite chocolate birthday cake, but a wonderful addition to my recipe book. Thank you, great cake!
LOVE IT!!!!
I have made this cake about 5 times, with gluten free flour as well, while also using vinegar as Jenny mentions because I have no fresh fruits while in quarantine. It always turns out fabulously! My family absolutely loves it!