The Best Homemade Chocolate Ganache Cake — This truly is the best homemade chocolate cake EVER. It’s topped with a smooth chocolate ganache frosting, and it requires just 10 minutes of hands on prep!
Table of Contents
- The Best Ever Chocolate Cake with Ganache
- What is Ganache?
- What’s in Chocolate Ganache Cake?
- How to Make Chocolate Ganache Cake
- Can I Use Another Type of Chocolate for the Ganache?
- Do I Have to Use Brewed Coffee in the Batter?
- Can I Make This Recipe as a Layer Cake?
- Can I Make This Recipe Into Cupcakes?
- Can I Make This Recipe in a 9-Inch Round Cake Pan?
- Can I Use an 8×8-Inch Baking Pan?
- Can I Double This Recipe?
- Can I Substitute the Eggs in This Recipe?
- Should I Refrigerate Homemade Chocolate Cake?
- Tips for the Best Chocolate Cake
- What Readers Are Saying
- Chocolate Ganache Cake Recipe
- More Easy Chocolate Cake Recipes:
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:
- Make the cake: Whisk together the egg, sugar, yogurt, oil, and vanilla.
- Add in the cocoa powder and coffee and stir to combine.
- Then add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk until just combined.
- Pour the homemade chocolate cake batter into a greased 9×9-inch baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Make the ganache: Once the chocolate cake is out of the oven, make the chocolate ganache frosting. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave until just starting to boil, then pour over the chocolate chips.
- Let it stand for about a minute before whisking to combine.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, then let the chocolate ganache cool for around 10 minutes to thicken up.
- Once the homemade chocolate cake is completely cool, pour over the ganache frosting. The frosting will need about 30 minutes to set up before you can dig in.
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.
Can I Make This Recipe as a Layer Cake?
Many readers have asked me if they can make this easy chocolate cake recipe as a double layer cake, as a bundt cake, and so on, and the answer to all of those questions is that I’ve only made the cake exactly as the recipe is written below.
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?
A 9-inch round cake pan is probably okay, but just make sure when you’re filling it that it’s not getting too full.
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
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Chocolate Ganache Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 ounces plain, vanilla, or chocolate yogurt (thicker Greek-style preferred, do not use diet, fat-free or light yogurt; sour cream may be substituted)
- ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup brewed coffee, room temperature or warm*
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, optional
Chocolate Ganache
- 9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, about 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract**
Instructions
- Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9-by-9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine egg, sugar, yogurt, oil, vanilla, and whisk until smooth and combined.
- Add coffee, cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s), and whisk vigorously until batter is smooth and free from lumps.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and whisk vigorously until batter has just combined, about 1 minute.
- Pour batter, which is a loose and fairly runny batter, into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until top has set and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool in pan completely, at least 30 minutes, before adding ganache or frosting the cake, or before slicing and serving.
- Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power for 1 minute to soften chocolate; set aside.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, heat the cream (I used half-and-half) on high power just until it begins to bubble and show signs of boiling, about 60 to 75 seconds.
- Pour hot cream over chocolate and let it stand about 1 minute. Whisk vigorously until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth and velvety.
- Add vanilla or optional flavorings and stir to combine. Set bowl aside for about 10 minutes, allowing ganache to cool and thicken a bit.
- Whisk mixture briefly before pouring all of it over the cake. Lightly smooth and spread the ganache with a spatula or offset knife.
- Allow ganache to set up for at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving the cake; or speed this process up by placing pan in the refrigerator or freezer briefly.
Notes
- Unfrosted cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or store frosted cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- *Note about the coffee: 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 coffee but use water if you must. The coffee can be any temperature other than piping hot; you don’t want to scramble the egg.
- **Or optionally use 1 to 2 tablespoons rum, bourbon, coffee-, orange-, raspberry-, chocolate-flavored liqueur.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I found your recipe via Pinterest and made it for a friend’s birthday who requested chocolate on chocolate! It was such an easy recipe, thank you for all of your notes and tips- it turned out AMAZING! Everyone loved it, especially and most importantly the birthday gal! This recipe instantly made my favorites list and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you, Thank you!
Im glad you loved it! Thanks for trying it & I hope your friend had a happy bday :)
I’m not much of a baker, but your pictures make me want to make this cake! To use the batter for cupcakes, though, how many cupcakes would it make and what temperature and timing would I use? Thanks very much.
I would bake at 350F until they’re done. Normally cupcakes take 18-20 mins but it really depends on your oven, the batter, how full they’re filled, etc.
I hardly comment on any food blog sites, but this one I will.
Made it the other day…and yeah… this was as good as it looks, and too dangerous because it was to easy to make too. Hubby and I fought over the last piece, of course I won because I had leftover coffee to go with it. I used Hershey’s dark cocoa powder and for the frosting used half-n-half and Ghirardelli’s 60% & some 70% dark chocolate and it was perfect.
You are so right about the butter vs. oil, because this cake kept its original texture even after being in the fridge for 3 days. Love that it only has 1 egg and 1/4 cup of oil – not crazy about chocolate cake recipes that require 2 sticks of butter!
Hubby said I need to make another one tonite. Thanks for the recipe!
not crazy about chocolate cake recipes that require 2 sticks of butter! = neither am I!
Glad you loved it and thanks for commenting and that’s cute that you fought over the last piece :)
hi, i live in the uk and this cake looks ridiculously good, but i’m just wondering- what is half and half? i’m assuming heavy cream is simply double, but i’m a bit stuck when it gets more complex haha.
thanks for the amazing recipes, this site is definitely saved onto my bookmarks bar!
half-and-half is just that, half the fat content of full cream, usually about 17% as compared to heavy cream, which is about 33-37%. Use your favorite cream.
Well I can honestly say you have sold me on cakes made with oil. I used to only look for cakes with butter, but this cake was absolutely delicious. Already made it 3x. Thanks
Thanks for trying this and yes, butter is over-rated in cakes IMO. Think about it. At cool temps, butter turns solid. Oil doesn’t. I want my cakes/muffins/quicbkreads to stay soft and not ‘solid’ so I use oil. It just adds so much moisture and I don’t miss the buttery flavor anyway since it’s masked by all the chocolate :)
Wow! This cake is AMAZING! I don’t drink coffee so I used Pero (coffee substitute) instead, and it turned out great! Thank you so much for a great recipe!
Thanks for trying it & glad you love it. I’m very familiar with Pero & glad to know it worked well for you here.
Made this cake yesterday, oh my, it is the best cake ever. It’s a cake that makes me want to get up at midnight and “sneak a slice”!
I didnt call it ‘the best’ for nothing :) Glad you agree! And yes, it’s totally a slice-sneaker, isn’t it!
This is the dumbest question, I’m sure..
You recommend lining a 9×9 square pan with aluminum foil OR using cooking spray to grease a 10″ round cake pan? I just want to do this right. Using the aluminum foil scares me bc of presentation.
Well are you really going to present the cake in the same pan you bake it in, as opposed to a cake stand, a pretty plate, or just plating it up? I always do one of the above and with a foil-lined pan, you can just pick the whole thing up so easily without mutilating it, and transfer to your serving plate. Do whatever you think will work best for you, foil or not. I prefer it since it’s so much easier, cleaner, and neater.
I agree a chocolate cake is always best topped with chocolate ganache. I have also made a similar one previously but with a twist in the ganache, hope you can check it out :)
https://andresthehomebaker.blogspot.hk/2013/11/chocolate-slice-with-nutella-ganache.html
Thank you so much for this recipe! This is definitely one of the best chocolate cake recipes I’ve ever used. Turned out extremely moist (definitely very chocolate-y) and I used some milk choc chips (ran out of dark!) and some nutella with the ganache, and sprinkled some m&ms on top. So perfect! I’ll definitely be using this for layer cakes or cupcakes :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and love your idea of using Nutella and sprinkled M&Ms, too :) The cake is a keeper, I agree. Always turns out and it’s so easy. Thanks for being a fan of it!
Wow. I’ve been baking for years now and I dont think I’ve ever said “this is THE perfect chocolate cake” until I made this. Seriously, thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
Thanks for the glowing praise and compliments! I agree with you that it’s the perfect cake :) Thanks for trying it!
super cool!!!!!!!!! I made a vegan chocolate mud cake the other day because i just saw this post and was inspired to do so!
That’s awesome to hear!
This cake is unbeatable – it is fantastic! I have made it so many times and realised I hadn’t let you know. We love it and so does everyone else who tastes it!!
I am so glad to hear it’s a big hit and you’ve made it so many times and it always turns out and that people love it!