We have the best chocolate cake recipes for you to bake at home. Whether you’re after a moist chocolate sponge cake recipe or a rich chocolate fudge cake, we’ve got both classic cakes and show-stopping bakes to make for special occasions (take a look at our favourite chocolate birthday cake ideas).
First up, how do you make the best chocolate cake?
How do you make a chocolate sponge cake?
It’s easy to make a simple chocolate sponge cake. You just need to replace some of the flour amount with cocoa powder. Just scoop 3 tbsp. of flour from the measured amount on the basic sponge recipe and replace with 3 tbsp. cocoa powder.
Here’s our super easy chocolate sponge cake recipe to make as a base, with ideas for decorating…
Can you use drinking chocolate instead of cocoa powder?
Don’t be tempted to use drinking chocolate instead of cocoa powder. Drinking chocolate is a blend of cocoa powder and sugar and is typically only has 25% cocoa so will give you a very pale chocolate cake with not much chocolate flavor. Good cocoa powder will be 100% cocoa and nothing else so just 3 tbsp will give a cake a lovely deep chocolatey flavor.
How long does chocolate cake last?
Sponge cakes are best eaten on the same day they are made or the next day as they tend to go dry quite quickly. Chocolate fudge cakes, flourless chocolate cakes, and brownies have a higher fat content and will easily keep for 2-3 days.
How do I store chocolate cake?
It’s best to store chocolate cake in an airtight plastic container in a cool place. Avoid putting cakes uncovered in the fridge as fridges are designed to be a very low moisture enviroment so will dry out cakes more quickly.
How do I decorate chocolate cake?
There are loads of different ways to decorate a cake. You can make a simple shiny glace icing by adding a spoonful of cocoa powder to icing sugar and water. Try making a chocolate buttercream icing by beating icing sugar with half the amount of butter (so 200g icing sugar/100g butter) then adding cocoa powder until you get the desired level of chocolate flavour. You can make an easy chocolate ganache by combining equal amounts of chopped dark chocolate and hot cream and stirring until smooth and silky. Try our icing and cake decorating tips here.
Ingredients
- Our chocolate cakes use cocoa powder, dark chocolate and more for ultimate indulgence
Best chocolate cake recipes to make
Chocolate almond cake with amaretto cream
Looking to take your chocolate cake up a notch? Check out this Italian inspired almond cake with dark melted chocolate and a hint of coffee. Topped with velvety amaretto cream, this cake is pure indulgence.
Easy chocolate fudge cake
Try our easy chocolate fudge cake. Super easy and quick to make, this gooey chocolate cake number is perfect for when you need to bake a last-minute treat for a special occasion.
Coffee, chocolate and walnut cake
The combination of coffee and walnut is a classic but the addition of chocolate adds another layer of flavour to this beautiful cake, ready in just one hour.
Ultimate chocolate fudge cake
Enjoy a slice of heaven! Our decadent chocolate cake is covered in silky smooth frosting and we teach you how to create dark chocolate curls for an artisan finish.
Banana and chocolate cake with maple cream and crispy bacon
Chef Chris Gillard of London restaurant EartH Kitchen has created an impressive banana cake with chocolate - the addition of maple cream transforms it into a delicious dessert. Read our full restaurant review of EartH Kitchen here.
Chocolate truffle cake with amaretto cream
Check out our chocolate truffle cake recipe. An extremely smooth, flourless chocolate cake similar to the consistency of a chocolate torte. As well as lending a boozy hit, the amaretto also lifts the deep richness of the chocolate.
Chocolate and passion fruit layer cake
Check out this stunning chocolate cake with a creamy passion fruit curd. This moist and indulgent creation is a real showstopper and will make for an epic celebration dessert. Just look at that shine!
Milk chocolate and mint loaf cake
Check out this stunning loaf cake with fresh mint and zesty lime from baker, Edd Kimber. This seriously moreish recipe makes for a show-off sweet treat to serve your friends and family. Try our other loaf cake recipes here.
Milk chocolate mousse cake
Satisfyingly smooth and indulgent, this chocolatey malt mousse cake topped with crunchy salted pretzels is a perfect pudding to make for the holidays. Try our fun sweet and salty recipe ideas here.
Chocolate and burnt butterscotch layer cake
One of our best chocolate cake recipes. Our deliciously indulgent, grown-up chocolate and burnt butterscotch cake looks really impressive and is definitely worth the effort. Who's a fan of layer cake? We have plenty more layer cake recipes here.
OTT chocolate smores cake
S’mores, bonfire-torched marshmallows sandwiched between biscuits with chocolate, are a classic in the US for a reason. This recipe mashes up all of those flavours into one seriously epic cake.
Rich chocolate cake
Dense, sticky and decadent… just what we want in a chocolate cake. The frosting is pure heaven, and difficult to resist eating straight from the bowl!
Best chocolate layer cake
Looking for the best chocolate layer cake? Here's our recipe... simply make the chocolate cake mixture, divide into four layers, and sandwich together with dollops of icing.
Brooklyn blackout chocolate cake
Edd Kimber has put his own twist on this American chocolate cake classic by flavouring the custard filling with white chocolate and cardamom and, to keep the original’s chocolate flavour intact and the look of the cake the same, decorating the outside with a silky-smooth chocolate frosting. Find plenty more of Edd Kimber's incredible chocolate recipes here.
Triple chocolate caramel cake
This beautiful chocolate caramel cake is what’s known as an ‘ombre’ cake; each layer sports a different shade, using dark chocolate, milk chocolate and caramel (we have some great caramel baking recipe ideas here).
Chocolate, tahini and honey celebration cake
Check out this chocolate celebration cake with tahini and honey. This indulgent layer cake is a real crowd pleaser and looks impressive too. This chocolate cake recipe was created by Georgina Hayden for the Cook For Syria recipe book.
Pistachio and chocolate stripe cake
Our pistachio and chocolate stripe cake is a delicious combination of flavours and it looks fantastic – a real show-stopper. It is a little tricky, but completely worth the effort. Make sure you use pistachios with a good, strong colour.
Chocolate hazelnut cake (torta alla nocciola)
This recipe for chocolate hazelnut cake celebrates a classic combination and is deliciously indulgent. It makes for a great dinner party dessert. The recipe comes from Sharing Puglia: Simple, Delicious Food From Italy's Undiscovered Coast (£25, Hardie Grant). Try our best Italian dessert recipes here for more dinner party inspiration.
Chocolate and ginger brownie cake
A stupendous cake for tea, our chocolate brownie cake has chopped preserved ginger in the mix to give it an extra spice and a bit of a grown-up twist to really impress. Fancy sticking to chocolate brownies? We have plenty of chocolate brownie recipe ideas here.
Chocolate marble cake with mocha glaze
This chocolate marble cake with mocha glaze looks really impressive and tastes just as good.
Oreo Baileys fridge cake
Chocolate Oreos add an indulgent filling to this fridge cake. Icebox cakes are popular in America and are incredibly simple to make – simply layer thin, crisp chocolate biscuits with sweetened whipped cream. Left overnight, the biscuits soften and become ‘cake’. Here we've used Oreos and Baileys cream to make ours extra-indulgent. It uses lots of biccies, but it feeds lots of people!
Pistachio and chocolate icebox cake
The icebox cake is a US staple – the biscuits become pleasantly softened by the ice cream and the whole thing holds together so you can cut it into wedges.
Chocolate gâteau with raspberry, rose and vanilla cream
Flavours of raspberry, rose and vanilla give this show-off chocolate cake a very grown-up twist. Our indulgent chocolate cake is perfect for entertaining, and is surprisingly easy to prepare.
Rum-raisin chocolate torte with brown sugar crème fraîche
Surely the photo speaks for itself. A decadent, boozy chocolate torte that's just perfect for the festive season. If you don't have it on Christmas Day, knock it up a couple of days later for maximum appreciation by your holiday guests. Dollies are great for decorating.
Baking one of our chocolate cakes for someone special? Check out more of our birthday cake ideas here.
If you're after some tips about working with chocolate, check out our expert chocolate guide here.
Plus, check out our quick and easy buttercream recipes here...
