Best Chocolate Cake Ever
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Best Chocolate Cake Ever

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If you want to know the secret to how to make 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 the frozen cake 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.

Best Chocolate Cake Ever

Kitchen Items You May Need:

  • Hand or Stand Mixer
  • Spatula
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • 12-Cup Bundt Pan
  • Parchment Paper
  • Cooling Rack
  • Plastic Wrap

Ingredients

  • Chocolate Cake Mix: I prefer the Duncan Heinz brand but any kind will work
  • Pudding: Makes the cake have a little extra moistness
  • Eggs: Eggs bind the cake batter together – I usually use large eggs
  • Sour Cream: Sour Cream is the moisture additive
  • Oil: Oil helps make the cake moist
  • Chocolate Chips: These add a little tiny bonus to the cake – you might call it the secret ingredient
  • Water: Helps make the cake more moist

Best Chocolate Cake Ever Instructions

Step One: Preheat Oven

Preheat oven to (350°F) = (176°C) degrees. 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.

Best Chocolate Cake Ever

Step Two: Combine Ingredients

Combine the dry ingredients 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.

Kitchen Aid Mixing Ingredients

Step Three: Fold In the Chocolate Chips

After thoroughly mixing the cake batter, fold in the chocolate chips.

Add 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) degrees for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Best Chocolate Cake Ever

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.

Trace the parchment paper

Step Six: Cool the Cake

When the cake is finished baking, I pull the cake out of the oven and put it on a cooling rack/wire rack. I wait 5-10 minutes depending on what else is happening in the kitchen. I 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.

Best Chocolate Cake Ever

The cake comes right out of the pan and I take it out to the freezer until I want to frost it, say in 5 days or so. If you take any one 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

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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 one 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

Best Chocolate Cake Ever

Step Eight: Cover With Plastic Wrap

The SECOND TIP TO MAKE A MOIST CAKE is to cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter for a couple of hours before frosting.

I remember picking up one of those very 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

Cover with Plastic Wrap

Step Nine: Frost The Cake

You can make my cream cheese frosting listed below if desired. Cut a small hole in a gallon-size freezer bag (they are heavier) fill the frosting and start squeezing the tube of frosting into a design you like. Because it’s cream cheese frosting, I recommend storing the cake in the refrigerator after frosting the cake.

Best Chocolate Cake Ever

Best Chocolate Cake Ever Recipe

5 from 1 vote
Best Chocolate Cake Ever
Best Chocolate Cake
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 people
Author: Linda Loosli
Ingredients
  • 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
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to (350°F) = (176°C) degrees.

  2. I place everything but the chocolate chips into the mixer bowl. I blend until completely mixed, about 1-2 minutes.

  3. Fold in the chocolate chips.

  4. Grease a Bundt pan and scoop the mixture into the Bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

  5. I wait for about 5-10 minutes before inverting the baked cake onto a parchment paper-lined dinner plate.

  6. I freeze the cake overnight or until I need it for a party.

  7. 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.

Frosting The Cake
  1. 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 whipping 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 as well, but this is one of my favorite frosting substitutions when you want a change in taste.

best chocolate cake
5 from 1 vote
Best Chocolate Cake Ever
Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep Time
12 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 36 cookies or Bundt Cake
Author: Linda Loosli
Instructions
  1. Cream the butter with the cream cheese and slowly add the powdered sugar to the thickness you desire

  2.  Add the vanilla until blended.

Recipe Notes

Add 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa to make chocolate frosting.

One thing I want to mention is 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 really is the best chocolate cake ever!

5 from 1 vote
Best Chocolate Cake
Ganache Frosting by Food Storage Moms
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Total Time
18 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 cake
Author: Linda Loosli
Ingredients
  • 3 cups chocolate chips (I buy semi-sweet)
  • 3/4 cup butter (softened)
Instructions
  1. 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.

  2. Once the mixture is totally melted be ready to spread the mixture over the cold cake you have removed from the freezer.

  3. 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, you will love it if you love chocolate! It’s important to me to share recipes so people will cook from scratch again. Most of us who consider themselves as preppers do cook from scratch, which is awesome.

Of course, this recipe uses a cake mix, but who cares, right? I watch for the cake mixes to go on sale and buy 12 or so of the cake mixes when they go on sale for 2 for $2.00. Those of you who buy Duncan Hines cake mixes know that $1.00 is awesome 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

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11 Comments

  1. 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!

    1. 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

  2. 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?

    1. 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

  3. 5 stars
    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!

    1. 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

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