This Amish chocolate cake is moist, fluffy, and full of rich chocolate flavor. It's made from scratch with oil, cocoa powder, and hot coffee, giving it a tender texture and deep chocolate taste.
I grew up New Order Amish in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where homemade chocolate cake was a common dessert for Sunday lunch and family gatherings. You can bake this cake in a 9x13-inch pan, make a layer cake, or use the batter for cupcakes.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Amish Chocolate Cake
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Chocolate Cake From Scratch
- Can I Use Butter Instead of Oil?
- Can I Make Layer Cake or Cupcakes with this Chocolate Cake Batter?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Best Chocolate Cake
- Dessert for Sunday Lunch
- More Amish Cake Recipes
- 📖 Recipe Card
- Moist Amish Chocolate Cake Recipe
Why You'll Love This Amish Chocolate Cake
- Moist and fluffy: This cake has a light, tender texture without being dense or dry.
- Rich chocolate flavor: Cocoa powder and hot coffee give it a deep chocolate flavor.
- Made from Scratch: This recipe uses basic ingredients you likely already have on hand.
- Versatile: Bake it in a 9x13-inch pan, make a layer cake, or use the batter for cupcakes.
- Family favorite: Even my son, who isn't usually a big cake fan, loves this cake.
Ingredient Notes
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: I often use Hershey's Special Dark cocoa, but regular unsweetened cocoa powder also works. (I recommend sifting it if it's lumpy.)
- Baking powder and baking soda: Act as leavening agents. (I prefer aluminum-free baking powder.)
- Oil: Helps keep this cake moist and tender. (Use your favorite baking oil.)
- Whole milk: Whole milk gives the cake a little more richness, but 2% milk also works.
- Hot coffee: Strongly brewed coffee deepens the chocolate flavor. (You can substitute hot water if you prefer.)
How to Make Chocolate Cake From Scratch
- Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Prepare the Baking Pan:
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients:
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat Wet Ingredients:
- In another large bowl, beat eggs.
- Add oil, vanilla extract, and whole milk to the eggs.
- Beat well until combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Mix to combine.
- Add Hot Coffee:
- Slowly pour hot, strongly brewed coffee into the batter while mixing on low speed.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix only until everything is well combined. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour and Bake:
- Pour the batter into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a couple of crumbs.
- Cool and Frost:
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Once cooled, top with your favorite frosting.
Can I Use Butter Instead of Oil?
Yes, you can, but I recommend using oil for this recipe. A lot of recipes such as my Amish coffee cake recipe use butter, and it adds a good flavor.
However, this homemade Amish chocolate cake uses oil instead of butter for a reason. 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. Your cake may turn out with a drier crumb if you use butter instead of oil.
Can I Make Layer Cake or Cupcakes with this Chocolate Cake Batter?
Yes. You can use this chocolate cake batter to make a layer cake or chocolate cupcakes.
Layer Cake: Divide the batter between two greased 9-inch round cake pans. For easier removal, line the bottoms with parchment paper. Since the cakes are smaller, start checking them for doneness after about 25 minutes.
Cupcakes: This recipe makes about 24-28 cupcakes, depending on how full you fill the tins. Bake the cupcakes for approximately 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can substitute hot water for the coffee. The coffee doesn't make the cake taste like coffee; it simply adds depth to the chocolate flavor. I recommend using strongly brewed coffee if you have it, but hot water works fine.
The batter for this chocolate cake is supposed to be thin. The hot coffee adds a lot of liquid, but that helps create the cake's soft, tender texture. Don't add extra flour to thicken the batter. Just pour it into the prepared pan and bake as directed.
You can store this chocolate cake at room temperature, depending on the kind of frosting you use. If you use buttercream frosting, keep the cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to four days. Storage time can vary depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen.
For longer storage, wrap the cake well and refrigerate it for up to a week, or freeze it in an airtight container.
The Best Chocolate Cake
I'll admit it. If I'm at a party with several dessert choices, I'll probably choose a good-looking piece of pie or a fancy dessert over cake. Especially if the cake looks like a box mix covered with canned frosting. I'd rather save the calories for something I really enjoy.
But I'm a sucker for chocolate. Give me a moist, fluffy chocolate cake topped with light and airy chocolate buttercream, and I have a hard time saying no. A friend once told me, "I thought I made a killer chocolate cake, but yours is even better!" That made me smile because I happen to agree with her.
This Amish chocolate cake has a tender crumb, rich chocolate flavor, and a light texture that makes it hard to stop at just one piece. I especially like it with my whipped chocolate buttercream frosting, but you can use any frosting you enjoy.
Dessert for Sunday Lunch
I grew up New Order Amish. We had church every other Sunday, followed by a traditional churchmeal of buns and peanut butter spread. On the Sundays in between, we had Sunday School.
After the Sunday School service, the hosts usually invited close friends, the youth group, and visitors to stay for lunch. This was often a large, full-course meal with several dishes and desserts.
We had a variety of desserts, but homemade cake, cornstarch pudding, and strawberry Danish dessert were some of the most common ones served with Sunday lunch. These are easy-to-make and inexpensive dessert dishes that go together very well.
More Amish Cake Recipes
If you're looking for more Amish cake recipes, here are a few of my favorites to try:
Enjoy this made-from-scratch chocolate cake on its own, with a scoop of ice cream, or alongside fresh berries for an extra-special treat. Its light, fluffy texture and rich chocolate flavor make it a crowd-pleaser for any occasion. If you try this moist Amish chocolate cake recipe, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
(One reader commented that she made this cake for her granddaughter's 18th birthday and topped it with peanut butter frosting. She said everyone at the party thought it was the best chocolate cake they had ever eaten.)
A mini spatula (affiliate link) is perfect for serving cake.
📖 Recipe Card
Moist Amish Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 c. flour
- 2 c. sugar
- ¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ¾ 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, ¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted), 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt
- Beat eggs. Add oil, milk, and vanilla. Beat well.2 eggs, room temperature, ¾ 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 approximately 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with only a couple of crumbs.
- Cool and top with your favorite frosting.
D. Smith
I prefer icing to heavy frostings, so I just use less powdered sugar when I'm slapping the icing together! I sometimes add maraschino cherry juice to the icing when making a chocolate cake and it's delicious. I am looking for a cinnamon-sugar muffin recipe that was in my church cookbook years ago. My copy of the cookbook was lost in a move and I cannot remember exactly how to make those, it's mostly a butter cake and the tops of the muffins were dipped in butter and then in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Even with my stroke I remember that much. Do you have a coffee cake recipe or a muffin recipe that I could substitute? Someone from my hometown sent me a recipe but it was for a donut like cake and that is waaaay too heavy.
Anna
This is one of my favorite cinnamon coffeecakes - https://amish-heritage.org/amish-coffee-cake-recipe-cinnamon-streusel/
And here's a coffeecake muffins recipe - https://amish-heritage.org/coffee-cake-muffins/
Anytime you are looking for a recipe on my website, simply go to the magnifying glass in top corner, tap on it and then type into the search bar whatever recipe you are looking for. If I have the recipe, it should pull it up for you.
Greg
Made this for my granddaughter's 18th birthday. She requested a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. Everyone at the party said this was the best chocolate cake they had ever eaten! Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Anna
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to leave a lovely review! I appreciate it!
Anna
The best chocolate cake ever!!
Jeanne Kolcun
I have been making this chocolate cake recipe for many years. It is the best chocolate cake !
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a kind comment. I agree, it's the best!
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!