Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. I only link products I use and personally recommend. These earnings help support this website. Thank you!
Once you make your own chocolate cake mix from scratch it’s hard to go back to the box. Not because the box version is terrible but because this one is so simple and so much better and once you know what’s actually in it you’ll wonder why you ever paid for a box full of ingredients you can’t pronounce. Six pantry staples whisked together into a dry mix that stores beautifully in a jar on your shelf until you’re ready to use it. When you need a cake you just add eggs, milk, oil, and warm water, pour it into a pan, and bake. Rich, deeply chocolatey, incredibly moist, and made entirely from real ingredients you already have at home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Six ingredients you already have in your pantry and nothing you can’t identify. That’s the whole mix.
- Make a big batch of the dry mix and store it in jars so you’re always one step ahead when you need a quick dessert. It’s the kind of prep that pays off repeatedly.
- The finished cake is genuinely moist and rich in a way that feels like a special occasion cake even on a Tuesday night.
- It freezes beautifully which makes it one of the best make-ahead desserts in the rotation.
Ingredients Needed To Make Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix
- All-purpose flour: the structural base that holds the cake together and gives it a tender crumb.
- Granulated sugar: sweetens the cake and helps retain moisture throughout the bake.
- Cocoa powder: the primary chocolate flavor driver — use a good quality unsweetened cocoa for the deepest, richest result.
- Baking powder: helps the cake rise and produces a light, even crumb.
- Baking soda: works alongside the baking powder to produce lift and a slightly deeper color in the finished cake.
- Salt: balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor throughout.
- Eggs: add structure, richness, and help the cake set during baking.
- Milk: adds moisture and a slight richness to the batter.
- Neutral oil or butter: keeps the crumb moist and tender. Oil produces a slightly more moist result. Butter adds a richer flavor.
- Warm water: the ingredient that makes this cake specifically moist. Don’t be alarmed by how thin the batter looks once it goes in.
How to Make Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix
Step 1: Make the Dry Mix
Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until completely combined with no pockets of any single ingredient remaining. Use immediately or transfer to a sealed jar or airtight container.
Step 2: Mix the Batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease your pan. Add the eggs, milk, oil or melted butter, and warm water to the dry mix. Whisk until smooth. The batter will be thin and that’s completely normal.
Step 3: Bake
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting or slicing.
Storing the Dry Mix
Store the dry mix in a sealed airtight container or mason jar at room temperature for up to 3 months. Label the jar with the wet ingredients needed and the bake temperature so everything is right there when you’re ready to use it. Making multiple batches at once and lining them up on a shelf means you always have a homemade cake mix ready to go.
Storing the Baked Cake
Store the finished cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze wrap the completely cooled unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap then a layer of foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature and it will be just as moist as the day it was baked. Frost after thawing.
How to Serve Homemade Chocolate Cake
Serve as a simple sheet cake dusted with powdered sugar or frosted with a classic buttercream or chocolate ganache. The two 8-inch round layers stacked with frosting between them make a beautiful layer cake for birthdays or celebrations. A scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside a warm slice is always the right call.
What People Ask About Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix
Why is the batter so thin?
The warm water in the wet ingredients produces a thinner batter than most standard cake recipes and that’s exactly what makes this cake so moist. Don’t add extra flour to thicken it. The thin batter bakes into a perfectly structured, incredibly moist cake. Trust the process and pour it into the pan as-is.
Can I use butter instead of oil?
Yes. Melted butter produces a slightly richer, more buttery flavor throughout the finished cake. Oil produces a slightly more moist result since oil stays liquid at room temperature while butter firms up as the cake cools. Both work beautifully and the choice comes down to personal preference. You can also use half butter and half oil for the best of both.
Can I use this mix to make cupcakes?
Yes. Fill lined cupcake tins about two-thirds full and bake at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. One batch makes about 24 standard cupcakes. They freeze just as well as the full cake.
How do I know when the cake is done?
Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. If it comes out with wet batter the cake needs more time. Check in 5-minute increments after the 30-minute mark. The edges will also pull slightly away from the sides of the pan when the cake is fully baked.
Can I make this cake dairy-free?
Yes. Substitute the milk with any unsweetened plant-based milk in the same amount. Oat milk and almond milk both work well and don’t noticeably change the flavor of the finished cake. Use a neutral oil rather than butter to keep it fully dairy-free.
Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix (Easy From-Scratch Recipe)
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until completely combined. Use immediately or store in a sealed airtight container or jar until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease your pan of choice.
- Add the eggs, milk, oil or melted butter, and warm water to the dry mix. Whisk until smooth and no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thin. That is normal.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
Notes
- The batter will look thinner than you expect. Don’t add more flour. The warm water is what makes this cake incredibly moist and it produces a batter that is looser than a standard cake batter.
- Make several batches of the dry mix at once and store them in labeled jars. When you need a cake you already have everything pre-measured and it comes together in about five minutes.
- This cake freezes beautifully. Bake, cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature and it comes out just as moist as the day it was baked.
- Let the cake cool completely before adding any frosting. A warm cake will melt frosting right off the surface.
