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With just a few secret ingredients, this will become the best chocolate cake from a box you have ever tasted. Moist, tender, delicious and full of chocolate, it’s your new go to recipe chocolate cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
The best part is that this recipe starts with a Devil Food’s cake mix making it so easy! It is then doctored up with some chocolate pudding and sour cream and a handful of chocolate chips giving it amazing texture and taste. No one will ever know it came from a box mix and isn’t made from scratch!
Everyone that tries this recipe agrees with me that this is indeed the best chocolate cake from a box or from anywhere!
Ingredients Needed
- Cake Mix, I use a 15.25 oz. Duncan Hines devil’s food cake mix. You can also use a chocolate cake mix but I prefer the devil’s food.
- Pudding, Jello instant chocolate pudding mix, small size which is 3.4 oz.
- Sour Cream, you can also substitute plain Greek Yogurt
- Oil, use a mild flavored oil such as canola, vegetable oil or avocado.
- Eggs, I always use large eggs.
- Milk, I usually have 2 percent on hand.
- Vanilla Extract
- Chocolate Chips, I prefer semi sweet but you can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate.
How to Make the Best Chocolate Cake From a Box
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips
- Stir in the chocolate chips
- Pour batter into two buttered and floured 9 inch cake prepared pans. You can also use cooking spray.
- For cooking time, use the bake times on the back of the cake box as a guide and add about 10 minutes to that. Check for doneness using a toothpick.)
- Allow cake to cool in pans for 5 minutes and then remove and cool completely before frosting on a wire rack.
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- Butter, I use salted butter but you may also use unsalted butter.
- Powdered Sugar, sift sugar to remove any lumps
- Salt
- Vanilla Extract
- Heavy Whipping Cream, can also substitute with whatever milk you have on hand.
How to Make Buttercream Frosting
- In a mixer cream butter until fluffy
- Add sugar and continue creaming until well blended
- Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream
- Blend on low speed until moistened. and then beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy
- Frost cooled cake
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this best chocolate cake from a box into cupcakes?
My neighbor turned this cake recipe into cupcakes and entered them into a dessert contest at work and won! This recipe is definitely prize worthy. Follow the cook time for cupcakes on the bake of the cake mix box.
Can I make this cake in a 9 x 13″ pan.
Yes, you can. Just follow the bake time on the bake of the cake box mix.
Can I freeze leftover cake?
Cake freezes really well. I like to freeze individual slices of cake by wrapping them tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and then placing them in a large zippered freezer bag or an airtight container. Remove one piece at a time and enjoy. Just allow the cake to sit in the refrigerator to thaw or on the counter at room temperature. Cold cake is delicious too!
Does this cake need to be refrigerated?
Leftover cake doesn’t need to be refrigerated but it will last longer if kept in the refrigerator, 3-5 days.
Check out more of my favorite dessert recipes:
- Poppy Seed Cake
- Mint Oreo Brownies
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Thin Mint Pizza
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.
The BEST Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz. box devil’s food cake mix
- 1 3.4 oz Jello instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup canola oil
- 4 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips
- Stir in the chocolate chips
- Pour batter into a buttered and floured cake pan
- I used two 9-inch cake pans
- For cooking time, use the cooking times on the back of the cake box as a guide and add about 10 minutes to that. Check for doneness using a tooth pick.)
Buttercream Frosting
- In a mixer cream butter until fluffy
- Add sugar and continue creaming until well blended
- Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream
- Blend on low speed until moistened. and then beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy
Tips & Notes:
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Nutrition Facts:
RJ says
This is by far the best chocolate cake I have ever had. It is salty, sweet chocolate perfection. I have made it twice so far. My kids raved about it and so did my parents.
Dianne says
Soooo Amazingly Wonderful!!!
Extremely Enjoyable!!! Especially if you Love Chocolate! I’ve made a 3 layer cake for our Bake sale at church and now doin cupcakes for our FallFest using the buttercream frosting with fall colors and sprinkles and they are Beautiful! Can’t beat beauty mixed with deliciousness Thx for sharing and great instructions .
Jen says
Can you be a little more specific on the pudding size? I always thought the 3.3-3.9 ounce box was the small size (since there’s a 5+ ounce size). But now I’m seeing 1.4 ounce boxes!
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
You want the 3.4 oz size
Debra Ann says
Amazing taste and texture! My home smelled so good while it baked. Tripled the recipe for a half sheet cake. Family was over for Mother’s Day and everyone loved it and commented that it was the best tasting cake they have ever eaten! They all asked for a piece to take home. I used semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips. This recipe will be my forever chocolate cake recipe!
Robbie Lynn says
This was a hit at the twins 7th birthday party! Absolutely delish