I’ve baked more chocolate cakes than I care to admit, but this one? This is the cake I turn to when I need something rich, dependable, and stupidly easy. No fancy ingredients, no mysterious powders—just the kind of pantry staples you probably already have on hand. And here’s the kicker: there’s no buttermilk, no complicated steps, and definitely no sad, dry cake layers. If you’re the type of person who thinks homemade chocolate cake is intimidating, let me stop you right there. We’re using everyday stuff: flour, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs—and boom. Cake. It’s the kind of dessert you can whip up last-minute for a birthday, a bad day, or, let’s be real, a Tuesday. And when I say it’s moist? I mean, grab-a-fork-and-eat-it-straight-from-the-pan good. I’ll walk you through how to get a soft, deeply chocolatey crumb with a dreamy frosting that’s not too sweet and just thick enough to swipe across the top. So get ready. This one’s about to become your go-to, too.

1) Key Takeaways
2) Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe
3) Ingredients for Homemade Chocolate Cake
4) How to Make Homemade Chocolate Cake
5) Tips for Making Homemade Chocolate Cake
6) Making Homemade Chocolate Cake Ahead of Time
7) Storing Leftover Homemade Chocolate Cake
8) Try these Cakes next!
9) Homemade Chocolate Cake
10) Nutrition

1) Key Takeaways

How to make a chocolate cake from scratch without buttermilk
What makes this chocolate cake soft and flavorful
How to store and enjoy leftovers without losing texture
Why this recipe works for weeknight cravings and celebrations

2) Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe

Let’s be real. The phrase chocolate cake recipe easy homemade without buttermilk sounds like something pulled straight from a last-minute craving. That’s because it is. I’ve made this cake late on a Thursday night with nothing but a few pantry staples and a prayer.

You don’t need buttermilk. You don’t need a stand mixer. You don’t even need to pretend you read this whole post. You just need a bowl, a whisk, and a craving for a soft, rich cake that makes you feel like you’ve done something right today. And this? This does the job.

We’re keeping things relaxed here. If you mess up the frosting? No problem. Forgot the eggs until the last second? Toss them in. The beauty of this cake lies in its forgiveness and its chocolate. And really, isn’t that the dream combo?

3) Ingredients for Homemade Chocolate Cake

Granulated Sugar: Brings the sweet and helps the cake stay soft and tender.

All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cake its shape and structure. Don’t overmix or it gets dense.

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This is where the rich chocolatey magic happens. Use the good stuff.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These two do the heavy lifting, giving rise and fluffiness without any buttermilk involved.

Salt: Just a pinch sharpens the sweetness and deepens the chocolate flavor. It’s that tiny thing that makes a big difference.

Eggs: These bind the batter together and add richness. Room temp is best, but I’ve been impatient and it still works.

Milk: Regular milk is totally fine here. Adds moisture without needing fancy dairy.

Vegetable Oil: Helps create that soft crumb you want in a homemade chocolate cake.

Vanilla Extract: Adds a little background depth that makes the chocolate shine even more.

Boiling Water: Sounds weird, but trust me. It thins the batter so the cake bakes up soft and rich.

4) How to Make Homemade Chocolate Cake

Step 1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Don’t skip this. Sticky cakes are sad cakes.

Step 2. In a big bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. It looks like a dry mess now but hang in there.

Step 3. Crack in the eggs, pour in the milk, add the oil and vanilla. Stir until smooth. It’ll look glossy and thick, like you’re doing something very right.

Step 4. Now pour in that hot water slowly, stirring as you go. The batter thins out a lot. This is normal. Don’t panic. You want this.

Step 5. Divide the batter between the pans and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick poked in the middle comes out clean.

Step 6. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then flip them out gently. Let them cool fully before frosting or your frosting will melt and slide off. (Been there.)

5) Tips for Making Homemade Chocolate Cake

Don’t skip the boiling water. It feels weird, but it helps the cocoa bloom and keeps the cake light and tender.

If you want deeper chocolate flavor, stir in a teaspoon of espresso powder. It won’t make the cake taste like coffee—it’ll just deepen the flavor.

Don’t overmix the batter. Once the dry stuff’s mixed in, stop. Too much stirring makes tough cake, and that’s not what we want here.

6) Making Homemade Chocolate Cake Ahead of Time

You can bake the layers ahead and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap once cooled. Store them at room temp for a day or freeze them up to a month.

I like to make the frosting fresh, but you can store that in the fridge too. Just let it come to room temp before spreading, or it won’t be smooth.

If you want the cake to taste bakery-fresh after freezing, brush each layer with simple syrup before stacking. It brings the moisture right back.

7) Storing Leftover Homemade Chocolate Cake

Leftovers? Wrap slices individually and pop them in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to five days, maybe longer, but mine never last that long.

If you like cold cake (I do), eat it straight from the fridge. If you want it soft again, let it sit out for 20 minutes.

You can also freeze slices. Wrap each in plastic and slide into a zip-top bag. Great for late-night cake cravings when nobody’s watching.

8) Try these Cakes next!

9) Homemade Chocolate Cake