Chocolate Cake Recipes You'll Want To Make Again And Again

There's nothing quite like a good chocolate cake, is there? Arguably the classiest, most decadent, and most luxurious of all the desserts, the not-so-humble chocolate cake ought to be a cinch to prepare for any baker worth their salt. Still, you can only get so much enjoyment out of the most basic of recipes, and the sad truth is that it's not always easy to bring a fresh new perspective to a dessert everyone has had a thousand times before. But that's all the more reason to try, don't you think?

Each of these chocolate cake recipes adds something new and exciting to the classic chocolate cake recipe. We've got the tastiest loaves, Nutella delights, not-so-German German treats, zesty orange dreams, molten wonders, and the finest copycat recipes around. Good stuff, basically. So forget that diet plan, throw on an apron, and get baking ... 'cause these cakes aren't going to make themselves.

Everyone knows that Nutella goes with pretty much anything — from toast to ice cream to, uh, chicken — but nothing quite matches that rich, nutty taste quite like chocolate cake. And our 3-Ingredient Nutella Chocolate Cake recipe just happens to be so simple that quite literally anybody could make it. All you need is flour, eggs, and (obviously) Nutella. Beat the eggs and Nutella together, fold in the flour, bake it, frost it with a little more Nutella, and bam — you're done. When was the last time something so easy tasted so good?

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Nutella Chocolate Cake

Orange chocolate is a tragically underrated sweet treat. Still, anyone who knows their stuff will be able to tell you that it's also one of the tastiest — and nowhere is that more obvious than with this Orange Chocolate Loaf Cake recipe. It's more or less a simple chocolate loaf, like our Everyday Loaf, with the only real difference being the inclusion of orange zest and an orange-flavored glaze on top. The difference in taste, however, is palpable, making for a simple yet unique twist on a classic recipe.

Recipe: Orange Chocolate Loaf Cake

Aside from being the most delectable, delicious, and utterly decadent dessert on the face of the planet, lava cakes have the added benefit of making you look like an expert baker. The thing is, though, they're not necessarily all that difficult to pull off. Just take our Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes recipe, for example. With just a few ingredients and a very short baking time (a little less than 10 minutes), you don't need to have graduated from Le Cordon Bleu to nail this recipe. Get it right, though, and it might just look like you did.

Recipe: Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

This next recipe is a twist on a classic, first served up by Food Network's Ina Garten — and repurposed by Kate Shungu. The chocolate cake recipe uses a whole host of ingredients, some weirder than others (hope you've got coffee and jam on hand!), combining them all into a rich, melt-in-your-mouth, slice of utter joy. Throw on a little Nutella frosting (Shungu's idea) and you've got yourself something truly special. Nobody could blame you for going back for that second slice.

Recipe: Ina Garten's Chocolate Cake With a Twist

God bless the humble mug cake. If you ever have a hankering for a straight-up sugar hit but don't have the time to bake an actual cake — or get to a store — then this has got to be your best bet. Take our chocolate mug cake recipe, for example. You gather your ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, cane sugar, baking powder, milk, olive oil, and salt), whisk it all together, pour the mixture into a mug, then stick it in the microwave. It really is as simple as that — and the whole thing, start to finish, should take no longer than five minutes. Five. That's practically magic.

Recipe: Mug Cake

For many kids, the ultimate treat is chocolate cake. Grabbing a slice and digging into a double delight of rich cake and frosting is what childhood is all about, and the messier it is the better. To experience the full nostalgia, pour yourself a glass of cold milk, too. 

The secret ingredient in this recipe is coffee, which enhance rather than overwhelms the taste. You can quickly mimic buttermilk by adding lemon juice to milk, and if you don't want to use heavy whipping cream, half-and-half is just fine. 

Recipe: Classic Chocolate Cake

An Instant Pot isn't the first kitchen appliance you might think of when you want to bake a cake. But you're about to discover one of the best chocolate cake recipes you'll want to make again and again. 

Don't overmix your batter or the increased gluten will make the cake tough. Use cacao powder in place of cocoa if you prefer an extra dose of antioxidants. Frost the top and sides when the sponge has cooled down and add strawberries for a colorful, fruity pop of color.

Recipe: Instant Pot Chocolate Cake

Can't decide between cookies and cake? One of the best parts of being an adult is that you don't have to. Don't tell anyone, but you make this dramatic-looking cake with a boxed mix, too. By adding sour cream to the mix, the batter is less likely to dry out and will have a more complicated flavor.

Using whole Oreos as deocration is a creative touch, while you'll also crushed cookies to the frosting, with vanilla extract bringing out the taste of the well-known treats. 

Recipe: Easy Oreo Cake

What's wacky about this wacky cake recipe is that you don't need any eggs, milk, or butter. You don't need any chocolate, either. As with most chocolate sponges, you use cocoa, and instead of frosting dust some sparkling confectioners' sugar on top. It's baked in a loaf tin, too. 

If you want to add extra flavor, throw a few chocolate chips onto the batter before you put it in the oven. Whether white, milk, or dark they'll melt in and give the cake a gorgeous texture. 

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Wacky Cake

An ice cream cake with a salted caramel swirl and topping and a cookie crust needs absolutely no introduction. It's as good as it sounds. It's a deliciously decadent reminder that not all cakes have to be sponges.

This recipe calls for chocolate brownie ice cream, but the possibilities are endless. If you're adding caramel to vanilla ice cream then a chocolate variety pairs perfectly. Choose whatever chocolate flavor and brand you like best. 

Recipe: Chocolate And Salted Caramel Ice Cream Cake

If you think making a dairy-free, flourless sponge cake is pretty much impossible, that's only because you haven't come across this recipe. You'll need plant-based butter and kosher-friendly semisweet chocolate that doesn't contain dairy.

What gives the cake its light texture are whipped egg whites. Be careful that you don't add the melted chocolate to the eggs while hot or you might cause the mixture to cook a little and ruin the taste and texture. Serve with raspberries.

Recipe: Passover-Friendly Chocolate Cake

Going gluten-free doesn't make any difference as to how good this chocolate cake tastes. All the flavor comes from cocoa, which you add to both the batter and the frosting. To compensate for using a different type of flour you will need some extra ingredients not always in a cake mix, which comprise xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda.

For the icing, you might find it easier to use a blender or stand mixer to mix the cocoa powder and powdered sugar into the butter. For a thinner coating, add a little milk to get the right consistency. 

Recipe: Super Moist Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

If you're looking for a winter warmer chocolate dessert, this hot fudge cake is beyond desirable. As your spoon breaks apart the soft chocolatey sponge, you'll finda gorgeous melt-in-the-mouth hot fudge. You create this by adding, but not mixing, cocoa powder and sugar on top of your batter and then pouring boiling water on top. That way, you'll get a fudge-sauce sensation.

With such a rich treat, you need a cool contrast. Look no further than homemade whipped cream, a classic vanilla ice cream, or even both if you really want to indulge. 

Recipe: Hot Fudge Cake

Love a soda with a slice of cake? What about changing this up and actually making a chocolate cake with Coca-Cola? Of course, if that's not your brand, you can use whatever cola you like. Not only will you taste the bubbly beverage in the sponge, but it will help to make the cake light and airy. 

If you can't get enough of the flavor, then you'll be effervescently excited to know that you also make the glaze with cola. You could enjoy it with a glass of Coca-Cola, but that might be a little too much. 

Recipe: Cocoa Coca-Cola Cake

Chocolate and nuts already taste good together, yet this unique cake takes these flavor profiles to another level. Make this for a special occasion or to serve as an elegant yet indulgent dessert after a dinner party. 

Aside from a delicious chocolate sponge, what stands out is the filling and topping made from whipped cream sweetened with powdered sugar, as opposed to classic buttercream frosting. Don't forget to include a layer of homemade pralines that promise sweet and salty crunch, as well as dark chocolate chips to finish. 

Recipe: Chocolate Praline Layer Cake

In any list of best chocolate cake recipes, you must include a no-bake cake. They don't get much butter than classic chocolate eclairs. Make it with a topping of vanilla pudding and whipped cream, as well as graham crackers and chocolate ganache. 

The only downside is that you won't be able to enjoy it straightaway as it needs to be chilled for at least four hours in the fridge. That way, the crunchy layer softens, becomes more pastry-like, and absorbs the flavors of all the other ingredients.

Recipe: No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake

With its swirl of cream, a chocolate Swiss roll looks and tastes too amazing not to make. When you do, be sure to make the sponge nice and even so that it's simple to roll up. You won't be able to totally flatten it out when you add the Cool Whip filling. 

Once you've got your cocoa powder-coated roll, it's time for a chocolate chip and whipped cream ganache that you'll pour over top before chilling the whole thing.

Recipe: Easy Ho Ho Cake