One Bowl Chocolate Cake

This classic one bowl chocolate cake is an old-fashioned dessert I stole from my Southern grandma’s recipe box (try our amazing chocolate dump cake, too!). It’s easy to make and comes out moist with a rich frosting on top, and the secret ingredient, coffee, which enhances all of that delicious chocolate flavor.

Busy Day Chocolate Cake Ingredients

This recipe yields a decadent chocolate cake using key ingredients like unsweetened cocoa powder, buttermilk, coffee, and vanilla extract.

The icing, made with cocoa powder, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and coffee, complements the cake beautifully, providing a creamy, sweet, and chocolatey finish.

You’ll need:

For The Cake:

• 2 cups of white sugar
• 2½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ teaspoons of baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of hot coffee
• 1 cup of vegetable oil

For The Icing:

• ½ cup of butter, softened
• ½ cup of cocoa powder
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• ½ tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of coffee

Substitutions And Additions

BUTTERMILK: You can make your own buttermilk using whole or 2% milk and lemon juice or distilled vinegar.

For every one cup of milk, stir in one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Add a little bit extra to this moist chocolate cake with chocolate chips mixed into the batter.

NUTS: If you like nuts in your cake, add chopped walnuts or pecans to your cake batter.

COFFEE: If you absolutely do not want to use coffee in this recipe, you can substitute the same amount of hot water for the coffee.

How To Make This One Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe

Let’s have a look at how to whip up the simple cake batter all in one bowl using our step-by-step instructions.

For The Cake

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 375°F.

Grease a 9×13-inch cake pan by rubbing shortening on the pan and using cocoa powder to dust the pan instead of white flour.

STEP TWO: Using a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together.

STEP THREE: Add the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, coffee, and oil. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for about two minutes, the batter will be thin.

STEP FOUR: Pour batter evenly into the prepared pan.

STEP FIVE: Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

STEP SIX: Cool ten minutes in the pan before icing.

For The Icing

STEP ONE: In a medium saucepan on medium-low heat melt the butter. Remove frrrom heat.

Whisk in cocoa powder. Return to stove on medium-low heat and cook until just begins to boil.

STEP TWO: Remove from heat. Whisk in the powdered sugar — you can sift it to remove any lumps before adding.

Add the vanilla and coffee and stir until mixed.

STEP THREE: Let the frosting cool for ten minutes to let it set up just a bit.

STEP FOUR: Spread the icing over the cake.

How To Serve

This delicious cake is perfect with a freshly brewed cup of hot coffee.

You could also serve the warm cake and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

During the holidays, you can serve this with a scoop of peppermint ice cream, or dsuring the spring, add fresh berries. 

Check out more of our easy cake recipes such as our eclair cake and Boston cream poke cake.

Storage

We’ve got you covered with some handy storage tips!

MAKE AHEAD: If you want to get a head start on your busy day, you can prepare the cake a day in advance.

Once the cake has completely cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out.

Store it at room temperature until you’re ready to serve.

Just remember to hold off on adding any frosting until you’re ready to enjoy, as frosting can become less appealing when made too far in advance.

ON THE COUNTER: This simple cake will store in an airtight container on the counter for three days. 

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze this cake, either in slices or as a whole.

It is helpful to freeze the cake unwrapped first, and then to wrap the frozen slice or pan once the frosting will no longer transfer to the wax paper or other wrapper.

Why We Love This Recipe

SIMPLICITY: This recipe is incredibly easy to make since it requires only one bowl. It minimizes the hassle of cleanup and is perfect for novice bakers or those looking for a quick and straightforward option.

RICH CHOCOLATE FLAVOR: The cake boasts a deep and satisfying chocolate flavor, thanks to the generous amount of cocoa powder used. It’s a true indulgence for chocolate lovers.

MOIST TEXTURE: The inclusion of buttermilk, eggs, and vegetable oil results in a moist crumb. The cake’s texture is velvety and delightful, making each bite a pleasure.

This one bowl chocolate cake is so simple to make but it tastes absolutely amazing! The cake is dense and moist, with the perfect balance of sweet and chocolate richness. The homemade icing is everything. It’s so good, I could happily eat it with a spoon on its own. 

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Lunch Lady Brownies
• Chocolate Easter Eggs (Coconut Cream)
• Boston Cream Cupcakes
• Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream
• Chocolate Orange Cupcakes
• Lemon Blondies