One bowl single layer chocolate cake is so easy to make. This chocolate cake is moist, fudgy, and so delicious. Perfect for a few people to share!

About this Chocolate Cake
This single layer chocolate cake recipe is the best! It only requires one bowl and one cake pan. A rich layer of chocolate cake that’s slightly fudgy, with a moist crumb. This cake serves about 6-8 people depending on how you slice the cake. I topped the cake with a Caramel Buttercream to really take it over the top, but you could definitely just use vanilla butter cream or chocolate if you’d like.
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour
- Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 Egg
- Vegetable Oil
- Sour Cream
- Hot Water
- Chopped Semi-sweet Chocolate

How to Make
Before starting, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, while the oven is heating up lets make the batter!
Grease a 8 inch cake pan with non- stick baking spray or coat the pan with butter and cocoa powder, making sure to dump out the excess. Grab a large bowl and sift in your dry ingredients, the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar and sugar together. Next, add in the vegetable oil, sour cream, and egg. Stir until just combined, then add in the hot water and finely chopped chocolate. Stir until fully combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Why a single layer cake
This single layer chocolate cake is perfect for Valentine’s day or simply whenever. Since we are still in the middle of a pandemic and not having guests over, there isn’t a need to make a huge cake. This cake has the perfect amount of servings and won’t have so much left over like a double layer cake.
One Bowl Chocolate Cake
Any recipe that require the least amount of dishes, sign me up! I love simple recipes that don’t create a huge mess with a sink full of dishes. All of the ingredients are dumped into a large bowl and whisked until fully combined. So easy !

Cake Pan for chocolate cake
I used a 8 inch cake pan for this recipe but a 9 inch cake pan will work as well, just adjust the baking time accordingly.
Caramel Buttercream
The buttercream possibilities for this cake are endless but I went with a caramel buttercream for this cake. If your using the caramel buttercream, you can certainly use store bought caramel or follow the recipe for homemade caramel sauce. Here are a few other buttercream ideas if caramel isn’t really your thing.
- Vanilla: Only add in the vanilla and omit the caramel.
- Chocolate: Add in 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder.
- Strawberry: Add in 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam.
- Caramel: Add in 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce.

Homemade Caramel Sauce
In heavy bottomed sauce pan, add in 1 cup of sugar stirring occasionally so it evenly melts. Once the sugar is melted continue to stir to get out any sugar lumps. When the sugar turns a light amber color, remove from the heat and add in the cubed room temperature 7 tablespoons butter slowly. Be careful as the hot caramel will bubble up. Then whisk in the 1/2 cup heavy cream and stir until well combined. Allow to cool before adding the caramel to the buttercream.

Single Layer Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 cup Hot Water
- 2 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate Finely Chopped
Caramel Buttercream
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 tablespoon Caramel Sauce Store Bought or Homemade
Homemade Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream Room Temp
- 7 tablespoon Butter Room Temp
Instructions
Single Layer Chocolate Cake
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 inch cake pan with Non-Stick baking spray. 2. In a bowl, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Add in the sour cream, egg and vegetable oil, stir until just combined then add in hot water. Mix until well combined. Add in chopped chocolate. 4. Pour the batter into the greased 8 inch cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Caramel Buttercream
- 1. In a stand mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar and milk together for about 3 minutes. Add additional milk if icing is too stiff. 2. Add in 2 Tablespoons of caramel and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed for 5-6 minutes. 3. Dollop the icing on the cake once the cake cools.
Caramel Sauce
- In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add in sugar and melt over medium heat. Stir occasionally to make sure all of the sugar is melting evenly. Once the caramel reaches a light amber color, remove from heat and add in cubed, room temp butter slow. The caramel will bubble up and that's completely normal. Next add in the room temperature heavy cream and whisk until fully combined. Allow to cool before adding to buttercream. Store the rest of the caramel in the fridge for a later use.
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