Best Chocolate Cake Ever
If you want to know the secret to making the very best chocolate cake ever, I have the recipe today! This is a very moist chocolate cake recipe I make all the time! I used to buy a certain well-known chocolate Bundt cake until I came up with the best chocolate cake recipe so I could make my own.
My family loves this recipe because I can make the cake a few days before I need it. With so many holidays this time of year, I wanted to update this post from a few years ago. On the day of the party, I pull the cake out of the freezer and place it on the platter I want to use to let it thaw. I have done this for years because I have four daughters, and I always made their birthday cakes ahead of time.
Kitchen Items You May Need:
Ingredients
Best Chocolate Cake Ever Instructions
Step One: Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Gather the ingredients, as shown below. This is the most moist cake you will ever make. Be ready to hand out the recipe and share this delicious treat.
Step Two: Combine Ingredients
Combine the dry and wet ingredients in your mixing bowl, and set aside the chocolate chips for later. I like to use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer when mixing the ingredients for this cake, it does such a nice job.
Step Three: Fold In the Chocolate Chips
After thoroughly mixing the cake batter, fold in the chocolate chips.
Step Four: Grease the Bundt Pan and Bake The Cake
Grease a Bundt pan as shown and scoop the cake batter into the pan. Bake the cake in your oven at 350°F (176°C) for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step Five: Cut Parchment Paper
The next step is to trace a circle for the cake with some parchment paper. I fold the paper in half and place the plate halfway on the fold. Next, cut the circle of parchment paper to place on the plate.
Step Six: Cool the Cake
When the cake is finished baking, I pull it out of the oven and put it on a cooling rack or wire rack. I wait 5-10 minutes, depending on what else is happening in the kitchen. I then place some parchment paper over the cake (still in the pan), put a plate on top, and flip it over onto the large dinner plate.
The cake comes right out of the pan, and I take it to the freezer until I want to frost it, say in 5 days or so. If you take any of these cakes to a party, I promise it’ll disappear. This chocolate cake recipe is the last one you will ever use when you want to make the best chocolate cake. My favorite Bundt cake pan: Nordic Ware Pro Form Anniversary Cake Pan, 12 Cup
Step Six: Freeze The Cake
You will freeze the cake (uncovered) in the freezer on the parchment paper placed on the plate. THIS IS THE SECRET TO MOIST CAKES!!
Step Seven: Remove the Cake From the Freezer
When the day comes that you want to serve the cake, remove the cake from the freezer, take the parchment paper off the cake, and place the cake on the platter you will serve it on to let it thaw. If you take any of these cakes to a party, I promise it’ll disappear. This chocolate cake recipe is the last one you will ever use when you want to make the best chocolate cake. My favorite Bundt cake pan: Nordic Ware Pro Form Anniversary Cake Pan, 12 Cup
Step Eight: Cover With Plastic Wrap
The SECOND TIP FOR MAKING A MOIST CAKE is to cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter for a few hours before frosting.
I remember picking up one of those popular chocolate Bundt cakes and thinking, “Yep, it’s been frozen.” That’s what makes your cakes moist. In case you missed my Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake
Step Nine: Frost The Cake
If desired, you can make my cream cheese frosting listed below. Cut a small hole in a gallon-size freezer bag (they are heavier), fill the bag with frosting, and start squeezing the tube into a design you like. Because it’s cream cheese frosting, I recommend storing the cake in the refrigerator after frosting it.
Best Chocolate Cake Ever Recipe
- 1 package chocolate cake mix (Duncan Hine’s)
- 1 package INSTANT Chocolate pudding 5-5.9 ounces
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips or regular size chocolate chips
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Preheat oven to (350°F) = (176°C) degrees.
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I place everything but the chocolate chips into the mixer bowl. I blend until completely mixed, about 1-2 minutes.
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Fold in the chocolate chips.
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Grease a Bundt pan and scoop the mixture into the Bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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I wait for about 5-10 minutes before inverting the baked cake onto a parchment paper-lined dinner plate.
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I freeze the cake overnight or until I need it for a party.
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The day of the party I remove the frozen cake and place it on the platter I will use to serve it. Remove the parchment paper and cover the cake with plastic wrap until partially thawed and ready to frost and serve.
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Frost with cream cheese frosting or whipped cream and sprinkle with crushed candy canes or chocolate ganache.
Frosted with Whipping Cream
The chocolate cake below is made with whipped cream on top. This one is very popular at Christmas time or New Year’s Day with fun new flavors! The combination of chocolate cake, whipping cream, and crushed candy canes is always popular for holiday parties! You can also make my very moist chocolate cake with my cream cheese frosting, but this is one of my favorite frosting substitutions when you want a change in taste.
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1-eight ounce cream cheese softened
- 3 to 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla
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Cream the butter with the cream cheese and slowly add the powdered sugar to the thickness you desire
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Add the vanilla until blended.
Add 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa to make chocolate frosting.
One thing I want to mention is that this recipe can be made into TWO Bundt cakes, so you can keep one and take one to a friend: Nordic Ware 6-Cup Bundt Pan. If you decide to make two small 6-cup Bundt cakes, then the baking time will be only 43 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. It is the best chocolate cake ever!
- 3 cups chocolate chips (I buy semi-sweet)
- 3/4 cup butter (softened)
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If you don’t have a double-boiler to melt the chocolate chips and the butter then use your microwave. I microwave for one minute, stir, and repeat this process.
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Once the mixture is totally melted be ready to spread the mixture over the cold cake you have removed from the freezer.
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Spread the ganache quickly, covering the top of the cake as best you can. Place the cake in the refrigerator until ready to cut and enjoy!
Final Word
I really hope you try making this cake. If you love chocolate, you will love it! It’s important to me to share recipes so people will cook from scratch again. Most of us who consider ourselves preppers do cook from scratch, which is awesome.
Of course, this recipe uses a cake mix, but who cares? I watch for the cake mixes to go on sale and buy 12 or so when they go on sale for 2 for $2.00. Those who buy Duncan Hines cake mixes know that $1.00 is incredible for that brand! I have to admit, I’m a snobby cake mix chick.
Duncan Hines is the only one I will buy. Please remember, we need to have some sweets to survive an emergency, so it may as well be this chocolate cake. May God bless this world, Linda
Yummy!
Ohhhh Linda, this looks like it would be so moist. Tell me, could you spread that batter out in a cookie sheet and make a Texas cake out of it? Oh my, I remember when relatives would get together the ladies made Texas cake that was really moist like this one must be. And they’d make slab pies, which is also made on a cookie sheet but it’s pie with drizzled icing on top.
Very nice recipe. I must try it!
Hi Debbie, oh I’m not sure this recipe would work with a cookie sheet because it might overflow in the oven. I’m guessing because I haven’t tried it. My Texas sheet cake is really yummy. It’s a popular one here in Utah! Happy holidays, Linda
I can hardly wait to make this cake as well as your Watergate Cake. The picture at the top shows what looks like a thick chocolate glaze on the chocolate cake. Is there a recipe available for this?
Hi Kathy, I have what I call a Ganache frosting. Let me find it. I will add it that that post. Linda
Linda, Do you cover the cake with anything while it is in the freezer? How long can it stay in the freezer?
Hi Jamie, no I do not. But I only keep it in there for a week at the most. BUT, once you pull it out place it on the platter you are going to serve it on. THIS is when you cover it with plastic wrap. Let it thaw and frost it. Here’s the deal with a freezer, if it’s a frost-free freezer it may dry out the cake. I have never had trouble but I serve it within a week. I remember picking up a cake from Nothing Bundt Cake and their cakes were cold. So I realized what my mom did with her cakes, they must do it as well. You will be so happy at how moist these cakes are!! Linda
I’ve been making this cake for decades and it is amazing! Except the original name I’ve usually seen it called is Better Than Sex Cake. ;-). The last 5 years or so I’ve seen it with multiple names. I’ve never frozen the cake so I’ll have to try that – if I can find room in my freezer! LOL. Make sure you grease the bundt pan well so it releases without leaving pieces of the cake attached to the pan. I finally only use shortening to guarantee a good release after problems with cooking sprays. Thanks for sharing this recipe with everyone Linda!
Hi Kay, thank you for the 5 stars, my friend!! That’s so funny, I have heard the name of that cake but never thought it was the same one!! LOL! Love it! I may try using shortening again when I make bundt cakes!! Linda
Is there any substitute for the sour cream since my body doesn’t tolerate it well?
Hi Chris, I wonder if vanilla yogurt would work. Just a thought. Linda
I love this recipe! I got tired of tracing & cutting parchment paper to fit my cake rounds and found you can buy a pack of parchment rounds on Amazon! I’m loving making layer cakes or ones that need parchment like this cake a lot more now.
Hi Kay, thanks for the 5 stars, my sweet friend! I had no idea they sell circles of parchment paper. I am going to order some right now! Great tip! Linda
ENOUGH!!!! Just reading the recipe, I gained 3 pounds!!!! Turning the recipe over to my husband, our baker, who does the baking while I gain the weight. 🙁
Hi Chris, thank you for the 5 stars, my sweet friend! Tom will making this cake! You are lucky to have a baker in the house. Love it! Linda