Name: Best One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g); 2 cups granulated sugar (400g); 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (65g); 2 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp salt; 1 cup buttermilk (240ml, room temperature); 1/2 cup vegetable oil (120ml); 2 large eggs (room temperature); 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup hot coffee (240ml, freshly brewed, or hot water)

Last updated on October 15, 2026

Every baker needs one chocolate cake recipe they can make with their eyes closed. This is mine. It’s a one-bowl, no-mixer, 35-minute chocolate cake that’s so moist it doesn’t even need frosting (though I won’t stop you). The secret ingredient? Hot coffee — and before you ask, no, it doesn’t taste like coffee. It just makes the chocolate taste more like itself.

I’ve made this chocolate cake recipe for birthdays, dinner parties, and more than a few Tuesday nights when only cake would do. It works as a sheet cake, two layer rounds, or even cupcakes. One bowl, one whisk, one very happy kitchen.

Why Hot Coffee?

Cocoa powder contains flavor compounds that bloom in hot liquid — similar to how tea steeps. Hot coffee dissolves the cocoa completely and intensifies the chocolate flavor without adding any coffee taste. The coffee flavor bakes out entirely; what stays is a deeper, richer chocolate cake.

One Bowl, No Mixer

Everything goes into one large bowl: dry ingredients first, then wet, then the hot coffee last. The batter will look thin — almost like chocolate milk. That’s correct. Thin batter = moist cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (240ml) hot coffee

Chocolate cake ingredients arranged on a kitchen counter — Simple pantry ingredients for the best chocolate cake.

For the frosting (optional):

1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (45g) cocoa powder
3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

How to Make It

1. Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan and line with parchment.

2. Whisk the dry. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

3. Add the wet. Add buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.

Mixing chocolate cake batter in a large bowl until smooth — Mixing the batter until smooth.

4. Stream in hot coffee. Slowly pour in hot coffee while whisking. Batter will be thin — this is correct.

Pouring chocolate cake batter into a round cake pan — Pouring the batter into the prepared pan.

5. Bake. 30-35 min (9×13), 28-32 min (rounds), 18-20 min (cupcakes). Toothpick should have moist crumbs.

6. Cool completely before frosting.

7. Frosting: Beat butter creamy. Add cocoa, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, salt. Beat until smooth.

Freshly baked chocolate cake layers cooling on a wire rack — Baked to perfection — moist and deeply chocolatey.

Troubleshooting

Sank in the middle? Usually overmixing. Whisk just until combined.

Dry cake? Overbaking. Check 5 minutes early.

Make ahead? Unfrosted keeps 2 days room temp, 3 months frozen.

Variations

Sheet cake: 9×13, frost in the pan.
Layer cake: Two 9-inch rounds.
Cupcakes: 24, bake 18-20 min.
No coffee: Use hot water.

More Chocolate to Love

Try my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies or Best Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Caleb Cooper

Best One-Bowl Chocolate Cake

Incredibly moist one-bowl chocolate cake with deep chocolate flavor. No mixer needed — the hot coffee trick makes all the difference.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings: 12 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour 250g
2 cups granulated sugar 400g
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 65g
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk 240ml, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil 120ml
2 large eggs room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee 240ml, freshly brewed, or hot water

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan (or two 9-inch rounds) and line bottom with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until lump-free.
Add buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth, about 1 minute.
Slowly pour in hot coffee while whisking constantly. Batter will be thin — this is correct.
Pour into prepared pan(s). Bake 30-35 min (9×13), 28-32 min (rounds), or 18-20 min (cupcakes), until toothpick has moist crumbs.
Cool completely in pan on wire rack before frosting or serving.

Notes

Hot coffee intensifies chocolate flavor without coffee taste — sub hot water if preferred. Don’t overbake: check 5 min early. Keeps 2 days room temp (wrapped), 3 months frozen.