Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes One-Bowl Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Frosting 3.7 (494) 34 Reviews This easy, impressive layer cake is perfect for any occasion. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 20, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 25 mins Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Yield: 12 Serves This one-bowl chocolate cake is luscious enough for a special occasion, but easy enough for an everyday dessert. Making the two-layer chocolate-buttermilk cake is so simple—and the recipe gets brownie points for using just one bowl for faster prep and easier cleanup. Following our simple but delicious theme, we use a decadent chocolate frosting to both fill and frost the cake (you will need another bowl or your mixer for that). Once it's covered in frosting, this marvelous cake is ready for its star turn at a birthday, anniversary, or pretty much any celebration. Jacob Fox Our Favorite One-Bowl Baking Recipes That Make Cleanup a Breeze Make Ahead Unfrosted cake layers can be baked ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic, at room temperature or refrigerated overnight. The fully frosted cake can also be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving. Ingredients Softened unsalted butter, for pans 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pans 1 ½ cups sugar ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder ¾ teaspoon baking powder ¾ teaspoon baking soda 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal) 2 large eggs, room temperature ¾ cup low-fat buttermilk, room temperature ¾ cup hot tap water 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 6 tablespoons vegetable oil Chocolate Frosting (Optional) 2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 pinch salt 6 ounces cream cheese 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate 3/4 cup creme fraiche Directions Jacob Fox Preheat oven, prep pans, and combine dry ingredients: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Jacob Fox Add wet ingredients: Whisk in eggs, buttermilk, water, vanilla, and oil. Jacob Fox Jacob Fox Move batter to pans and bake: Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 30 minutes. Jacob Fox Cool cakes on rack: Transfer pans to a wire rack; let cool 15 minutes. Jacob Fox Remove cakes from pans and cool: Invert cakes onto rack, remove parchment, then turn top-side up (to prevent sticky tops from sticking to rack); let cool completely. Jacob Fox Trim top layer: For a more refined look, trim the domed top of the cake so it is flat before layering and frosting. Jacob Fox Combine sugar, cocoa, and salt for frosting (optional): Sift together sugar, cocoa, and salt. Jacob Fox Mix cream cheese and butter: Beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Jacob Fox Add sugar-cocoa to butter mixture Reduce speed to medium-low; gradually add sugar-cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Jacob Fox Add chocolate: Pour in chocolate in a slow, steady stream. Jacob Fox Mix in crème fraîche: Add crème fraîche; beat until combined. Jacob Fox Fill cake with frosting: Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over top of one cooled cake layer. Jacob Fox Assemble cake: Top with remaining layer. Jacob Fox Add crumb coat: Spread a thin coat (about 1 cup) of frosting over top and sides of cake to create a "crumb coat." Jacob Fox Frost cake: Refrigerate about 20 minutes, then frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Jacob Fox Storing One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Store the frosted cake at cool room temperature for a couple of hours. For longer storage, keep in the refrigerator and remove from the fridge one hour before serving. Leftovers should be covered, refrigerated, and used within 3 days. Cupcake Variation You can also use this cake batter to make two dozen cupcakes: Fill lined cupcake tins two-thirds full and bake for 20 minutes, rotating once. Other Easy Chocolate Cake Recipes to Try: Double-Chocolate Pound Cake Basic Chocolate Cake Busy-Day Chocolate Dump Cake Chocolate Sprinkle Sheet Cake Easy One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes Easy Chocolate-Peppermint Cake Frequently Asked Questions What type of cocoa do you use for this cake? For this cake, be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder. Do not use hot cocoa mix as it contains added sugar and sometimes spices. These additional ingredients will impact the cake. Can you freeze this one-bowl chocolate cake? Yes, you can bake, cool, and freeze the unfrosted cake layers. Wrap them in plastic wrap, then in foil and label before freezing. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. We do not recommend freezing the frosted cake. Why do you use cream cheese in the frosting for this chocolate cake? Cream cheese is one of the key ingredients in our favorite frosting for this one-bowl chocolate cake. It brings a slight tang and its thick creamy texture to the rich frosting. There is also sour cream or crème fraîche in the frosting. Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, April 2010 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.