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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
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!
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 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 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
Cat says
Do you find if you substitute a lower fat product, such as 5% our cream or creamed cheese or 1% milk, in baking, it makes a significant difference? I try to cut back where I can. I see this one has sour cream. I’m not sure I’d do the no-fat substitutions but lower fat?
Valerie H. says
When serving this cake, ALWAYS have extra copies of the recipe made. People always ask for it!
Mary Kathryn says
I have made the same recipe (or at least similar) in a crockpot. Minus the frosting and using mini chocolate chips. It is good and may be in need of making sometime soon. I LOVE chocolate!!
Danielle Parry says
I get rave reviews about this cake every time I make it. It is delicious!
Red Velvet Cake:
2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (15 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 1/2 (360 ml) cups heavy whipping cream
1 – 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1 – 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (115 grams) confectioners’ (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted
Red Velvet Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two – 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.
Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)
Cream Cheese Frosting: In your food processor, or with a hand mixer, process the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and process until smooth. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Then, in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. With a large spatula, gently but quickly fold a little of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream, in two stages. If the frosting is not thick enough to spread, cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour, or until it is firm enough to spread.
Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting. Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut
Makes one – 9 inch (23 cm) four layer cake.
ENJOY!!
kelly says
our standard b-day cake is skor cake
1 devils food cake mix prepare and bake , then poke holes in the top with a straw. pour caramel ice cream topping over the holes ( i use the whole jar). cover in whip cream and top with crushed skor, or heath bar!