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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.
- Sour Cream. 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 always use 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
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.
Yes, you can. Just follow the bake time on the bake of the cake box mix.
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!
And just to top it off with some sprinkles! Perfection!
Some of my other favorite desserts include:
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The BEST Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz. box devil’s food cake mix
- 1 small pkg 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 bow 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:
Nutrition Facts:
Kimberley Joyce Coronado says
I also use a can of cherry pie filling instead of the milk
Iva Biggs says
Can you put actual pudding in the batter? I happen to have it on hand instead of pudding mix.
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
I have never tried it but my guess is that it would change the batter as there is liquid in the pudding, where pudding mix is just powder.
Rose says
Hello,
What if Jello pudding is not available, is that okay? Any tip for substitute?
I plan to make this today for my bf’s birthday.
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
Try to find a cake mix that incudes a pudding mix.
Lily says
Can I make this a day ahead?
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
Absolutely