Chocolate Cake Recipes (8 Classics)
Explore eight classic chocolate cake recipes from vintage community cookbook traditions—ranging from rich layer cakes and chocolate chip cakes to old-fashioned “black” chocolate cakes, a salad dressing chocolate cake, and a fruit-topped upside-down cocoa cake.
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Recipes on this page
Use the links below to jump directly to each Chocolate Cake Recipe.
- Perfect Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Chip, Dates, Cherries Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cake
- Salad Dressing Chocolate Cake
- Black Chocolate Cake - 1
- Black Chocolate Cake - 2
- Chocolate Cake
- Upside Down Cocoa Cake
Perfect Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup butter or margarine
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Preheat oven: 350°F
Instructions
- Combine cocoa and boiling water; mix until smooth. Let cool.
- Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
- Grease and flour three 9-inch pans.
- Beat butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla about 5 minutes.
- Beat in dry ingredients alternately with cooled cocoa mixture.
- Bake 25–30 minutes. Cool before frosting or serving.
Total Cook Time: 25–30 minutes
Equipment: three 9-inch pans
Servings: 10 to 12
Chocolate Chip, Dates, Cherries Cake
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, well beaten
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 stick margarine, melted
- 1 1/2 cups sifted flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chopped nuts
- 1 large package chocolate chips
- 1 cup cut-up dates
- 1 cup quartered maraschino cherries
Preheat oven: 325°F
Instructions
- Beat eggs. Add sugar and melted margarine; beat well.
- Stir flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- Add chocolate chips, nuts, dates, and cherries to the flour mixture; mix thoroughly.
- Fold dry mixture into egg mixture until flour is moistened.
- Pour into a greased pan lined with greased paper (9 1/2×5 1/2×2 1/4 inches) or an angel food pan.
- Bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours at 325°F, until top is light brown.
- Remove from pan, pull off paper, and cool several hours.
Total Cook Time: 1 to 1 1/4 hours
Equipment: loaf pan or angel food pan
Servings: 10 to 12
Chocolate Chip Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Preheat oven: 350°F
Instructions
- Measure all ingredients into a large mixer bowl.
- Blend 30 seconds on low speed, scraping bowl constantly.
- Beat 3 minutes on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally.
- Pour into a greased 13×9×2-inch pan (or smaller pan).
- Bake 40–45 minutes, or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Total Cook Time: 40–45 minutes
Equipment: 13×9×2-inch pan (or smaller pan), optional blender for chopping chips
Servings: 12
Salad Dressing Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 cup salad dressing
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup cold water
Preheat oven: 350°F
Instructions
- Sift ingredients together.
- Beat until smooth.
- Bake in a greased 7×11-inch pan for 30–35 minutes.
Black Chocolate Cake - 1
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1 cup hot water
- 3 tablespoons shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Preheat oven: 350°F
Instructions
- Boil cocoa in water until thick.
- Add shortening and sugar; cool.
- Sift flour, baking soda, and salt; add to cocoa mixture.
- Add egg, vanilla, and vinegar; mix thoroughly.
- Pour into greased 8×8-inch pan(s).
- Bake about 30 minutes at 350°F (double batch in a sheet pan bakes about 1 hour).
Total Cook Time: 30 minutes
Equipment: 8×8-inch pan(s)
Servings: 12
Black Chocolate Cake - 2
Ingredients
- 2 cups hot water
- 4 squares baker's chocolate
- Dash of salt
- 4 tablespoons margarine
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Preheat oven: 350°F
Instructions
- Cook water, chocolate, and salt in a double boiler until thickened.
- Add margarine while still hot; cool.
- Add flour, baking soda, eggs, sugar, and vanilla; mix thoroughly.
- Pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
- Bake 30–35 minutes. Serves 12.
Total Cook Time: 30–35 minutes
Equipment: 9×13-inch pan
Servings: 12
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
- 1/2 cup sour milk (use 1 teaspoon vinegar to sour sweet milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup boiling water
Preheat oven: 350°F
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a bowl in the order given. Do not mix until all ingredients are added.
- Beat well, then pour into greased and floured round, square, or cupcake pans.
- Bake about 50 minutes at 350°F.
Total Cook Time: 50 minutes
Equipment: round, square, or cupcake pans
Servings: 8 to 10
Upside Down Cocoa Cake
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 (29 oz) can peach slices or pear halves, well drained
- Maraschino cherries, halved
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups sifted flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven: 350°F
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter with brown sugar and corn syrup; heat until blended.
- Grease sides of a bundt or tube pan and pour syrup mixture into the bottom.
- Arrange well-drained fruit and cherries in a decorative design (optional: sprinkle with chopped walnuts).
- Cream 1/2 cup butter (or margarine) until light; gradually beat in sugar.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time; add vanilla.
- Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add alternately with buttermilk to the creamed mixture.
- Spoon batter evenly over fruit and bake about 50 minutes or until cake tests done.
- Invert immediately onto a serving plate; leave pan over cake for a few minutes. Serve warm (plain or with unsweetened whipped cream).
Total Cook Time: 50 minutes
Equipment: bundt or tube pan
Servings: 10 to 12
Chocolate Cake FAQ
Which recipe is best for a layer cake?
Perfect Chocolate Cake is designed for three 9-inch layers and works well for classic frosted layer cakes.
Can I substitute coffee for the boiling water in chocolate cake?
Often yes—hot coffee can deepen chocolate flavor in cocoa-based cakes. Use the same amount unless the recipe specifies otherwise.
How do I know when chocolate cake is done?
A cake is done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs and the top springs back lightly.
How should chocolate cake be stored?
Store covered at room temperature for 1–2 days, refrigerate for longer storage, or freeze tightly wrapped for up to 3 months.