Moist Amish Chocolate Cake
This Amish chocolate cake recipe makes the most fluffy and moist chocolate cake ever! It's a made-from-scratch chocolate cake that will have you coming back for another piece.
Amish chocolate cake is easy to make and a great dessert for any occasion. Once baked and cooled, top the cake with whipped chocolate buttercream or your favorite frosting.
My son is not a huge fan of cake, and he prefers pie or a giant chocolate chip cookie for his birthday. So I was surprised when I caught him indulging in my homemade chocolate cake. But he informed me that he loves this cake because it's so delightfully light and fluffy.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour forms the base of the cake batter. It provides structure and stability.
- White sugar sweetens the cake batter and provides moisture.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder adds rich chocolate flavor and deep color to the cake. Cocoa powder is the primary source of chocolate flavor. (I recommend sifting it to remove any clumps and make sure it gets incorporated properly.)
- Baking powder acts as a leavening agent, helping the cake batter rise, and contributing to the light and airy texture.
- Baking soda is another leavening agent that contributes to the cake's tenderness.
- Salt enhances the flavors.
- Eggs bind the ingredients together, provide structure, and add moisture and richness.
- Oil (canola or vegetable) adds moisture to the cake and helps keep it moist and tender. It also contributes to the cake's texture, making it softer and more delicate than if butter were used.
- Whole milk adds moisture, richness, and tenderness.
- Vanilla enhances the flavor.
- Hot coffee (strongly brewed) helps intensify the richness and depth of the chocolate, making the cake more decadent and flavorful. The hot temperature also helps bloom the cocoa powder, enhancing its flavor.
Butter or Oil for Moist Chocolate Cake?
A lot of recipes such as my Amish coffee cake recipe use butter, and it adds a good flavor.
But this homemade chocolate cake uses oil instead of butter. While butter provides a lot of flavor in recipes, oil gives cakes a lovely light and moist texture. And since we already have a rich chocolatey flavor, we don’t need the flavor of butter to compete with the chocolate.
Amish Cake Recipe
Shall we talk about cake for a minute? Some folks might think that cake is kinda boring. They'd rather have a piece of Amish pie, cheesecake, or some luxurious layered dessert.
I've been there. And if I'm at a party or gathering where there are several dessert choices, I'll probably choose a fancy dessert or a good-looking slice of pie over a piece of cake. Especially if it looks like a box cake mix type of cake that's slathered with a can of store-bought icing. I'd rather not put on extra calories with something that doesn't taste that great.
But let me tell you, when I get ahold of a moist and fluffy homemade cake that's topped or layered with an out-of-the-ordinary frosting (such as my Tiramisu Torte Cake or Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Frosting), you've got me hooked.
And I'm a sucker for chocolate. So I tend to lose self-control when a moist and fluffy homemade chocolate cake, with light chocolate buttercream on top, is set in front of me.
And this is one of those recipes for homemade chocolate cake that is amazing! Especially when it's topped with my delicious fluffy chocolate buttercream.
But if chocolate on chocolate is not your thing, feel free to top this cake with your favorite frosting.
Can I Make Layered Cake or Cupcakes with this Classic Chocolate Cake Recipe?
Yes, you can use this recipe for chocolate cake from scratch to make a layered cake or chocolate cupcakes.
Layered Cake - Divide the batter between two greased 9-inch cake pans. (Cut a circle out of parchment paper to place into the bottoms of the pans for easier removal.)
When making round cakes, the baking time will vary slightly since the cakes are smaller. Check the cakes for doneness after 25 minutes.
Cupcakes - this cake batter can also be made into chocolate cupcakes! This recipe will make anywhere from 24 - 28 cupcakes, depending on how full you fill the tins. And the cupcakes only need to be baked for about 20 - 22 minutes.
Does Homemade Cake Need to be Refrigerated?
Can you store chocolate cake at room temperature or does it need to be refrigerated? The answer depends on how long you want to keep it and what kind of frosting you use.
Chocolate cake can be stored, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to four or five days (this can depend on temperature and humidity).
But to make it last longer, you can tightly wrap and refrigerate the cake for up to a week or even freeze it for a few months - make sure it is airtight.
If you use cream cheese frosting, the cake must be stored in the refrigerator.
I prefer to eat room-temperature cake. So even if I store my cake in the refrigerator, I bring it back to room temperature before eating it.
And remember, frosted cakes taste the best in the first three days. After that, the texture won’t be quite the same.
A mini spatula (affiliate link) is perfect for serving cake.
Dessert for Sunday Lunch
I grew up New Order Amish. We had church every other Sunday with a traditional church meal of buns and peanut butter spread served afterward. Then we had Sunday School on the in-between Sunday.
And after the Sunday School service, the hosts usually invited a few of their close friends, the youth group, and any visitors, to stay for lunch. (This was usually a big full-course cooked meal.)
We had a lot of various dishes, desserts, etc. But homemade cake, cornstarch pudding, and strawberry Danish dessert were the most common desserts that were served with Sunday lunch. These are easy-to-make and inexpensive dessert dishes that go together very well.
More Amish Cake Recipes
I hope you enjoy this delightfully moist Amish chocolate cake. If you try this recipe, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
Moist Amish Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 c. flour
- 2 c. sugar
- 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 c. oil (canola or vegetable)
- 1 c. whole milk, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 c. hot coffee (strongly brewed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Grease a 9x13" baking pan.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. (Make sure to sift the cocoa powder if it's at all lumpy.)2 c. flour, 2 c. sugar, 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted), 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt
- Beat eggs. Add oil, milk, and vanilla. Beat well.2 eggs, room temperature, 3/4 c. oil (canola or vegetable), 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 c. whole milk, room temperature
- Add the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed and slowly pour the hot coffee into the mix. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix only until combined. The mixture will be very thin.1 c. hot coffee (strongly brewed)
- Pour into the greased pan and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with only a couple of crumbs.
- Cool and top with your favorite frosting.
Jon P
Looking forward to trying this but since I don't drink coffee, I don't even have any in the house - any substitute?
Anna
I'm guessing you probably don't have any espresso powder either? You can use hot water, the coffee just adds a depth of flavor. Enjoy!
Angie
This is by far the best chocolate cake we've ever tasted!!! Incredibly moist and the coffee gives the chocolate a richer, bolder flavor. I copied the recipe and will now be my go-to chocolate cake recipe for now on.
Anna
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Baishakhi
It looks amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Anna
My pleasure!