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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:
Lorraine says
Made this last night for my son’s birthday. We were so sick of buying expensive and insanely sweet bakery cakes. This was perfect. I did cut the oil to 3/4 c and cut the frosting in half because I was using a 9×13 pan. It was theperfect ratio of frosting to cake for us and not overly sweet. They loved the crunch of the chips. I dusted the crumbs of 6 oreo cookies over it as well. By adding 10 min to box suggestion the cake was perfectly cooked as suggested. This is our new go to chocolate cake and so easy! Thank you for sharing.
Sharon says
I’m not a chocolate cake fan. I was ask to bring chocolate cake to a dinner party. I found this easy recipe. It was a big hit. I will definitely make again.
Nomnomhead says
I made this with lemon cake, lemon jello and added lemon juice and was so tart and yummy!
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
Sounds delish!
Renae Harmelink says
I think this was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made or eaten!!! Melts in your mouth, lip smacking good!!!
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
So glad you loved it too!
Shanitha RollinsGardner says
Easy recipe, super moist and great chocolate flavor. I will definitely bake again!! Luv it
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
It’s a good one – glad you loved it.