From mug cakes to showstoppers: The best chocolate cakes to bake

Whether you're after a rich and fudgy cake for a dinner party, want to make a chocolate birthday cake or are looking for a decadent free-from option, this guide to the best chocolate cake recipes has the answer.

Best for rich, fudgy flavour:Chocolate fudge cake

Best for a light, classic sponge: Mary Berry's chocolate sponge

Best for a quick fix:Chocolate mug cake

Best for feeding a crowd:Chocolate traybake

Best for special diets: Gluten‑free chocolate cake or Nigella's vegan chocolate cake

Best for dessert:White chocolate and raspberry cake

Best for a flavour twist: Chocolate orange cake

Best all‑rounder: Easy chocolate cake

This is a foolproof, forgiving cake with moist, fudgy results. There's no creaming or folding – just mix everything together, then add hot water at the end.

It stays fresh for four or five days, too.

The cake mixture is very runny, so you do need to use leakproof cake tins, like standard sandwich tins.

Using melted chocolate (instead of cocoa powder) and brown sugar gives this sponge a fudgy texture.

Topped with a rich and glossy chocolate ganache, this is a decadent bake to go alongside a cuppa or serve warm as a dessert.

There's nothing here to intimidate occasional bakers, and a step‑by‑step video from food writer Benjamina Ebuehi guides you through the process.

Light and not overwhelmingly chocolatey, this cake is a doddle to make and uses Mary Berry's favourite all‑in‑one method.

She suggests a filling of cream and jam, but anything goes (it's great with chocolate buttercream if you're making a kid's birthday cake).

It's best eaten on the day it's made, but freezes well unfilled.

If you like brownies, you'll love this cake. Rich and gooey, it's made with just five ingredients in a single tin, with no filling or decoration required.

Alternatively, try Becky Excell's gluten-free chocolate cake, a traditional sponge cake with a surprise filling.

Even if you're not vegan, this is an undeniably great chocolate cake.

It's fabulously chocolatey without being overly sweet or heavy.

Espresso powder adds depth of flavour, but it can be left out if you are baking for children or anyone with an aversion to coffee.

This is easy to make and lasts well. Plus, Nigella has provided lots of ideas for ingredient substitutions in the recipe tips.

Mug cakes are so quick (we're talking five minutes, max) and easy to make. Even if you're not the best baker, you can be sure this is well within your capabilities.

It's best eaten when still slightly warm, though you will need to let it cool for a few minutes.

As with all microwave cakes, it's important not to overcook it as it will make the cake rubbery.

This chocolate traybake serves lots of people with little effort required.

Traybakes can be cooked in roasting tins. Something with high, straight sides and 30x23cm dimensions is ideal, but they are pretty forgiving. Just adapt your cooking time slightly if it's smaller or larger.

Mary's milk chocolate ganache is poured over the cooled cake here while still warm, but if you want a thicker icing, cool it until it spreads like a fudge topping. You can swap in a buttercream icing too – use our cake calculator to help with that.

It keeps for a week in an airtight tin or can be frozen in slices for up to three months.

This chocolate orange cake gets a citrus hit with fresh orange zest in a basic cake batter.

The icing's made with dark chocolate, but you can use a mixture of dark and milk, if you like.

If you want the icing to have lots of orange flavour, add a few drops of orange extract or use orange-flavoured chocolate.

Because it's already rich and moist, this doesn't actually require icing (a dusting of icing sugar on the cooled cake will give a pretty finish).

For special occasions, the indulgent cream cheese and white chocolate frosting is a real treat.

Add the fresh raspberries just before serving.

Any layered cakes can be filled with whipped cream, ganache (melted chocolate mixed with cream), or chocolate buttercream (if you are vegan or need a dairy-free frosting, this vegan chocolate fudge icing is great).

Covering a cake in a perfectly smooth layer of buttercream makes a great base for decorations, but it can be tricky to get a professional finish, so watch our technique video to make sure you're prepared.

If you really want to go to town, try adding a drip finish like in our chocolate drip cake recipe or a mirror-finish chocolate glaze.

Decorations can easily be made from chocolate; just pipe melted chocolate onto baking paper and leave to set. Or use shop-bought chocolates to decorate the top like Mary Berry does on her chocolate birthday traybake.

Easy (and cheap) options include topping with a layer of chocolate spread or shop-bought icing. Finish with chocolate buttons, chocolate beans or sprinkles on top.

Originally published June 2024. Updated April 2026.

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