Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake
This delicious, easy homemade chocolate cake recipe is perfect for dessert after a family dinner, for birthday parties, or a holiday celebration.
The cake recipe can be cut into as many servings as you need. And, I’ll show you how to make a thick buttercream frosting to spread on the cake.
Are you a little nervous about making a homemade chocolate cake for a birthday or a treat? I used to be.
As a kid, I watched my grandmother whip up food from scratch on a daily basis.
She would get up early before work, make a pie, including the crust, and have it ready before we even got out of bed.
Biscuits, cakes, pies, you name it, she made it. And most of the time, it all turned out beautifully. I always had a tough time making things from scratch. Practice may not make perfect, but it sure helps.
So, this year when my husband’s birthday rolled around and I asked him what kind of cake he’d like, and he said he wanted a homemade cake.
Normally, I’d bake a box mix, or run down to the store to get a cake from the bakery. But, he requested homemade, so that’s what I set out to do.
I’ve always been somewhat afraid of making things from scratch. Either the cake would come out hard, or tasteless. And, inevitably, I’d mess something up (I did this time, too–didn’t mix things in the right order, and it came out ok).
Most recipes are pretty forgiving, so if you mess it up, keep going, and chances are, it will turn out great.
For a super easy cake, try this slow cooker chocolate cake.
What do I need to make the moist chocolate cake and frosting?
-
- Butter (softened)
- Eggs
- Milk
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Sugar
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
- Half-and-half
Full recipe and printable instructions listed below
Chocolate Cake
Start by adding the softened butter, eggs, and milk to a bowl and mix.
I am not always great about setting the butter out to soften, so I will put it in the microwave for a few seconds to help it out.
I now have a setting on my new microwave that will soften the butter without melting it, so I use that on occasion, as well. Who knew I’d get excited over a microwave setting one day?
Next, add the flour, unsweetened cocoa, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder to the bowl. Mix everything until it is well blended.
Pour the cake batter into a greased 9″ x 13″ pan and cook for approximately 35 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.
Once the cake is done, set it to the side to cool, and start working on the buttercream frosting.
Buttercream Frosting
Beat the butter until it’s creamy and then add the powdered sugar and mix.
Next, add the unsweetened cocoa, vanilla, half-and-half, and mix until creamy.
Annnnddd, put the spatula down. Just do it–otherwise it will end up in your mouth. You’ll have frosting all over your face and people will know what you’ve done.
This has never happened to me. Well, ok, that’s not true, it has happened every single time, but we don’t have to dwell on that, right? Oh my goodness, this frosting is amazing.
So, try not to stand there and eat the frosting before you frost the cake. It’s hard, I know. But, look at it–it looks, and smells amazingly delicious. Ok, let’s talk about something else.
Oh, you can add some peanut butter to the frosting to make it a different flavor. It’s pretty interchangeable, and that makes it a great recipe.
Spread the frosting on top of the cake and you’re all done. See how easy that was? It’s a cinch.
Check out the homemade chocolate cake with buttercream frosting recipe card below, grab those ingredients, and start baking! This is a great dessert any time of the year and I think you’ll love it.
Then, share your comments below and click here to share a picture of your cake on the Pinterest Pin! If you made any changes or added something different, be sure to share it with us so we can try it, too!
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Other cake recipes you might like:
Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 3 eggs
- 1-1/2 cups milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2-3 Tbsp. half-and-half
Instructions
- CakePreheat oven to 350-degrees.
- Grease 9" x 13" cake pan with butter or non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, eggs, and milk.
- In another large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until well blended.
- Pour into greased pan and cook for approximately 35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Allow to cool.
- Frosting
- Add the butter to a large bowl and beat until fluffy.
- Next, add the powdered sugar and combine (it will still be a little dry).
- Now, add the vanilla and half-and-half. Beat until well blended. If the frosting is still a little dry, add more half-and-half (a tsp. at a time). If it's too thin, add a small amount of powdered sugar and mix.
- Frost the cake and enjoy!
Nutrition
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