One bowl chocolate cake is moist and decadent and cleanup is a breeze.
This one bowl chocolate snack cake is the easiest chocolate cake you will ever make.
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Cake is my love language. Especially chocolate cake.
But what I don’t love is the cleanup.
Made from scratch chocolate cake usually requires several bowls, cake pans, beaters and spatulas. And that doesn’t even include the frosting! Lately, I just don’t have time for all of that.
So while I love a decadent chocolate cake, I want something easy, so I can “have my cake and eat it too!”
This one bowl chocolate cake from scratch fits the bill. It uses basic ingredients you likely already have on hand, so it makes a great last-minute dessert.
The best part is that this cake is so moist that you don’t even need frosting. Of course, you can add frosting if you like, but a simple dusting of powdered sugar is really all you need.
Oh, and be ready for the recipe requests because everyone will want to know your secret for the best chocolate cake ever!
More Chocolate Cake Recipes You’ll Love:
- Old-Fashioned Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes
- Easy Homemade Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
- Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake (from a Mix!)
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Instant Pot Chocolate Mug Cake
- Decadent Chocolate Fudge Cake

Decadent One Bowl Chocolate Sour Cream Cake
Cake from scratch can be tricky to make well, and nothing is more disappointing than a dry, flavorless cake. The secret to moist, decadent cake is to use sour cream.
What does sour cream do in baking? Simply put, it adds moisture, richness, and acidity for a sweet and delicious cake with a texture that is to die for.
Trust me, you’ll definitely never make a chocolate cake the same way.
How to Make Chocolate Snack Cake
It’s really easy to make one bowl chocolate cake from scratch.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- All-purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- Salt
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Hot Water
- Sour Cream
- Egg
- Unsalted Butter
- Optional: Powdered Sugar for dusting

How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Combine the dry ingredients. Next, you’ll combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Add the wet ingredients. Then, you’ll mix in the sour cream and the hot water until smooth.

Add egg and butter. Next, you’ll add the egg and melted butter to the batter, mixing to combine.

Bake the cake. Last, you’ll pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for 30-35 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool before slicing. When cool, dust with powdered sugar if desired. You can also top with a dollop of whipped cream if you’d like.

Notes and Adaptations:
- Feel free to add in a cup of chocolate chips if you’d like, or some chopped walnuts or pecans.
- We love to eat this snack cake plain, but it’s also delicious dressed up with whipped cream or ice cream, berries, and/or chocolate sauce.

Recommended Equipment:
One Bowl Chocolate Cake

This delicious chocolate cake recipe is mixed in just one bowl, making it an easy way to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Optional: powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8x8" baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Stir in hot water and sour cream, mixing until combined.
- Add egg and melted butter, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool, then dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Feel free to add in a cup of chocolate chips if you'd like, or some chopped walnuts or pecans.
- We love to eat this snack cake plain, but it's also delicious dressed up with whipped cream or ice cream, berries, and/or chocolate sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 273Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 271mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 1gSugar: 36gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

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It looks amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you–I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
What a fabulous recipe! I subbed vegetable oil for melted butter and added a teaspoon of instant coffee to the hot water. I also used a chocolate pudding cup for ‘frosting’. It was gone in minutes.
Thank you for your kind words, Niki! Also, using a pudding cup for frosting is brilliant–thank you for the suggestion! 🙂