The Best Ever Chocolate Cake with Ganache
This is the easiest, one-bowl, five-minute chocolate cake from scratch you’ll ever make. I originally posted this recipe August 27, 2012 and in that time, there have been thousands of very satisfied readers out there who swear by this cake. If you’re addicted to cake mix, you can break free. I’ve been there. I made this chocolate ganache cake without a mixer and it was ready to go from bowl to oven in less than five minutes with just a couple turns of the whisk. I’m the first to admit that cake mixes can be great because they’re convenient, the results are nearly guaranteed, and they produce moist and light cakes. But this chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting does the same. Except it’s darker, richer, and more intensely chocolaty than a cake mix chocolate cake, which is a good thing if you like a nice dark, deeply chocolaty, chocolate cake. One way in which I kept this homemade chocolate cake moist was by adding yogurt, which can be replaced with sour cream if that’s what you have on hand. Just don’t use light or fat-free yogurt or sour cream. Use thicker or Greek-style full-fat yogurt. You’re making a moist chocolate cake recipe, not diet food, so forego the watery diet yogurt. I also kept the use of baking powder to a bare minimum because I find it dries out cupcakes, muffins, and cakes. This moist chocolate ganache cake recipe uses just enough to give the cake lightness and lift so that it isn’t confused with the denser and flatter chocolate slab that we all know as a brownie. Finally, I do love butter and will almost always choose butter over oil in baking; except when baking a cake. Oil produces a moister cake in my experience. And since all that lovely buttery flavor is going to be masked anyway from the cocoa powder, you’re not giving up anything in the flavor department and gaining worlds in the moisture category by using oil rather than butter. A win-win for oil.
What is Ganache?
Not sold on this easy chocolate cake recipe yet? Allow me to sell you on the chocolate ganache frosting. Ganache is made by heating cream and pouring it over chocolate and I kept this ganache super simple by heating the cream in the microwave. You could heat it over the stove, but why bother? The beauty of the ganache frosting is that even after it sets up, it still has a juicy quality to it in comparison to, say, buttercream frosting, which can become a bit hardened around the edges after it’s been exposed to air for a few hours. Crunchy frosting is never a good thing.
What’s in Chocolate Ganache Cake?
For this easy homemade chocolate cake with ganache, you’ll need:
Egg Granulated sugar Yogurt Canola oil Vanilla extract Brewed coffee Cocoa powder All-purpose flour Baking soda and baking powder Salt
And for the chocolate ganache frosting, you’ll need:
Semi-sweet chocolate Heavy cream Vanilla extract
How to Make Chocolate Ganache Cake
If making chocolate cake with chocolate ganache sounds like a hassle, it’s not! Here’s an overview of how the ganache cake is made:
Can I Use Another Type of Chocolate for the Ganache?
There’s no sugar added to the ganache, so it’s only as sweet as the chocolate you select, which in my case was semi-sweet chocolate chips. Go as milky or dark as you enjoy. If you don’t have chocolate chips, you can chop a bar of chocolate instead.
Do I Have to Use Brewed Coffee in the Batter?
The coffee does not make the cake taste like a coffee-flavored cake. Rather, it brings out and enhances the flavor of the cocoa powder and adds depth of flavor. I highly recommend using coffee in the chocolate cake batter, but use water if you must.
However, I have had readers write in the comments that they’ve doubled the cake recipe, baked in a 9×13-inch pan, cut the cake in half, doubled the ganache recipe, added ganache on top of the bottom layer, topped with the other half of the cake, and added more ganache on top. Definitely give the comments section a read if you have a very specific question about turning this chocolate ganache cake recipe into anything other than a 9×9-inch square cake. And if you do switch up this recipe and are successful, please leave a comment so you can help future readers!
Can I Make This Recipe Into Cupcakes?
Yes, that will likely be fine. Cupcakes generally take about 20 minutes to bake, but some are done in 18 minutes, but baking times vary depending on how full you fill your cupcake liners, your oven and climate, and so forth.
Can I Make This Recipe in a 9-Inch Round Cake Pan?
Can I Use an 8×8-Inch Baking Pan?
No, an 8×8-inch pan will be a little small and the cake could overflow unless you discard a bit of batter. You need to use a 9×9-inch pan for this recipe, if possible.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes, this homemade chocolate cake recipe doubles quite easily. Just note that if you double the ingredients you’ll need to bake this homemade chocolate cake in a 9×13-inch pan.
Can I Substitute the Eggs in This Recipe?
I’ve only made the chocolate ganache cake as written, so I can’t speak to whether an egg substitute (like a flax or chia egg) would work. If you use an egg substitute, please leave me a comment so I know what does / doesn’t work!
Should I Refrigerate Homemade Chocolate Cake?
Once the chocolate ganache frosting is on the cake and it’s had 30 minutes at room temperature to set up, yes, I refrigerate the leftover cake I have.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Cake
Coffee temp: When adding the brewed coffee to the cake batter, note that it can be any temperature other than piping hot. If you add the coffee while it’s still hot, you’ll scramble the egg! Ganache add-ins: I typically use vanilla extract in the ganache frosting, but feel free to spike your ganache with a couple tablespoons of bourbon, rum, Kahlua, or a complementary liqueur. Freezer tip: Note that the unfrosted homemade chocolate cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or it can be frozen and thawed for later. If freezing the chocolate cake, I recommend making a fresh batch of chocolate ganache frosting just before you plan on serving it.
What Readers Are Saying
To say this chocolate cake with ganache is a reader favorite is an understatement. If you keep scrolling to the bottom of this post, you’ll find almost 700 comments from readers who have made this recipe! Here are just a handful of 5-star reviews readers have left on this ganache cake recipe: “I made this chocolate cake for my granddaughters 18th birthday. It was absolutely delicious!” — Jackie “Love this cake! My go to chocolate cake recipe when it’s just my husband and myself and we NEED cake!! Also besides the size, I love it is no mixer needed.” — Sharon R. “Best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten. Perfectly balanced as all things should be. The ganache quality depends on the quality of the chocolate you use so pick a chocolate you love the taste of!” — GR “This is one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever had. Rich, decadent, moist, chocolatey just as described. I have found my new go to recipe and I am never looking back.” — Lidia “This recipe is AMAZING!! And so simple to make! My mom was the first to try this out and she loved it so much, she froze a piece for me for a couple of months, and when I had it, it was so moist and decadent, it felt like it had been made that very same day! Definitely a keeper, thank you so much :)” — Roshni
More Easy Chocolate Cake Recipes:
Flourless Chocolate Cake – A classy, elegant cake that’s ultra rich, fudgy, and tastes better than what you’d get in a fancy restaurant and it’s so EASY!! Your friends and family will think you slaved over it and be so impressed! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Cabernet Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache – Now you don’t have to choose between dessert or wine since this is BOTH!! Rich chocolate cake spiked with Cabernet and topped with a silky ganache that also has Cabernet in it! Better-Than-Anything Chocolate Cake — This is an amazing cake, worthy of its alter-ego name, one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever had, and so easy. Triple Chocolate Cherry Cake — This cake is loaded with juicy cherries and topped with an easy homemade chocolate frosting. I used a few shortcuts in this recipe to save time, but this cake tastes completely homemade! The Best Triple Chocolate Layer Cake — This is the chocolate layer cake to beat all and the best. It’s rich, decadent, and everything you want in a chocolate cake. Chocolate Turtle Cake — This decadent poke cake is topped with whipped topping, salted caramel sauce, mini chocolate chips, and chopped pecans. It’s so easy to make, and a huge hit at parties! Peppermint Chocolate Cake — The cake is soft, moist, decadently chocolaty, and perfectly pepperminty, and the ganache is fudgy, silky, smooth, and rich. Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Chocolate Cake — This is an easy, no-mixer cake that’s super soft, gooey, moist, rich, and fudgy. As the cake cooks, it creates its own hot fudge sauce! For the full experience, serve with ice cream or whipped cream. The Best and Easiest Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes — One bowl, no mixer, so easy! The warm, gooey, fudgy chocolate lava cake center is heavenly! Better than any restaurant versions! Best chocolate cake EVER!! Coca-Cola Cake — One can of Coke in the cake and another can of Coke in the frosting!! EASY no-mixer cake that’s supremely moist! Tastes like a Texas sheet cake spiked with Coke!!
