The Best Rich and Moist Chocolate Cake
This Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe from a box mix is professional bakery-quality, but anyone can make it at home with simple ingredients.
Our family recipe adds sour cream, instant pudding, extra eggs and chocolate chips to make a box of cake mix so much more moist and delicious!
Easy Chocolate Box Cake Recipe
This is a bakery-quality cake recipe that anyone can make at home with common ingredients!
This chocolate cake is super moist because it is made with pudding and sour cream. A cup and a half (or the whole bag) of semi-sweet chocolate chips add to the rich flavor. The combination of all of these ingredients is truly unforgettable and very popular on Pinterest and TikTok, just like our Easy Chicken Cobbler.
When I’m craving a delicious dessert this is our go to for a super easy chocolate box cake recipe. Not knowing what to name it we say it’s the BEST rich and moist chocolate cake from a box mix, and love sharing that is unbelievably EASY to make!
We typically use this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, but check out the Chocolate Cool Whip Frosting on our Chocolate Poke Cake to put a spin on this recipe.
A Moist Cake With Pudding Mix Added
A popular birthday cake, this is a secret recipe that was stolen from my mother-in-law’s kitchen. She was sworn never to give the recipe away, to never let people know about the instant pudding and sour cream that are added in. Being a woman of her word she didn’t.
I hope I never forget the day my husband was looking for something in the kitchen and he found this recipe.
We couldn’t tell her for the longest time that we had the family favorite recipe. Then a few years passed and the small town restaurant that supposedly shared the recipe closed, so I think it’s safe to share with you.
Adding instant pudding creates a wonderful dessert with very little effort.
Our Easy Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake, White Chocolate Cupcakes, and Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake were all inspired from this method and recipe.
Ingredients Needed:
A few simple ingredients elevates a box mix of cake to taste homemade in about 15 minutes!
- Box of Devil’s Food Cake Mix – or another type of chocolate cake mix will work fine too
- Instant Chocolate Pudding – only instant pudding will do, make sure not to buy the cook and serve type
- Eggs – adding more eggs than a typical box mix calls for helps tenderize every morsel of cake
- Sour Cream – makes the cake have a deeper flavor and adds so much moisture
- Warm Water – helps activate the pudding and allows all of the ingredients to mix together
- Vegetable Oil – adds fat and moisture for tender crumbs
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – more chocolate flavor makes the cake even better
The Best Chocolate Birthday Cake
This cake is almost always requested at family birthday parties. And Joe comes from a big family so there’s a lot of birthday parties which means a lot of the best chocolate cake ever!
Faith, family, farming and food are big in my husband’s family. All the prerequisites for a great relationship! I’m so grateful for the values that Joe’s family has instilled in him. He has carried these values into our family and our marriage!
Simple family traditions and big parties are so valuable. Part of feeding a crowd on a budget has included learning how to make box cake better.
My husband just said this week (in January) that he would like to get marinated pork chops or ham loaf from a local market for his birthday in April. Cheers to the time and effort to create traditions that are special.
Tips for Making Box Cake Better
- Mix ingredients very well before adding chocolate chips
- Be careful not to add liquids to pudding mix only as it can begin to set up like pudding
- The pudding makes this cake so moist, but it also means the cake takes longer than normal to bake
- Baking times vary, so I use a toothpick to test the cake a couple times to prevent burning
- After removing cake from the oven cover with a piece of foil to help hold in ALL of the moisture – this is key to keeping a super moist cake
- Cake can be made in two 9 inch pans or in a 9 x 13-inch pan – bake for about 30 minutes
- I always use 1 1/2 to 2 cans of chocolate store bought icing to save time, but feel free to make homemade icing
- My husband loves this cake with a couple cans of cream cheese icing too
Easy Add Ins To Make A Box Cake Better
- Eggs – makes the cake richer
- Pudding Mix – adds sweetness and improves the texture to be softer and more enjoyable
- Sour Cream – adds so much richness and helps make the cake super moist
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips – more chocolate makes it sweeter, more chocolatier and even more like a professional cake
- Coffee – substitute coffee in place of the warm water as it amplifies the chocolate flavor
How to Make Moist Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan; 2 – 9 inch round pans also work well.
- Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips on medium speed for up to 1 minute.
- Gently fold in chips and pour into greased pan.
- Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step By Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF and coat a 9 x 13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large electric mixing bowl pour in box of cake mix.
Break eggs and add to bowl. Add sour cream, vegetable oil and warm water.
Then add the instant chocolate pudding mix and be ready to mix fairly quickly.
You don’t have to race, but you don’t want to wait and let the pudding set up.
Begin mixing.
Then scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Mix for about a minute, but be careful not to over mix.
Then lift the beater and clean it off with the spatula.
Remove the bowl from the base and add chocolate chips.
Use spatula and fold in by hand.
Pour cake batter into a greased baking dish.
Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes in a 9 x 13″ pan OR for about 30 minutes in two round cake pans until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow cake to cook and then cover with icing. We typically use one to one and a half cans of chocolate or cream cheese frosting.
Storage Instructions
Store covered in a container with a lid or covered tightly with foil to keep moist. Keep on the counter for 3 – 4 days.
Storing in the refrigerator helps extend the life of the cake up to a week.
More of our Favorite Cake Recipes:
Here are a few other of our favorite cake recipes to make for birthdays, special occasions and everyday desserts. We hope you enjoy these cakes as much as we do!
- Oreo Dirt Cake
- Cream Puff Cake
- Cinnamon Applesauce Cake
- Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake
- Heath Bar Cake
- Punch Bowl Cake recipe
The Best Rich and Moist Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box Devil’s food cake mix
- 3.4 ounce package instant chocolate pudding
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
- Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips at medium speed for 2 minutes.1 box Devil’s food cake mix, 3.4 ounce package instant chocolate pudding, 4 large eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- Gently fold in chips.1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- I always use a 9 x 13 pan, by 2 – 9 inch round pans can also be used. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Video
Notes
- Baking times vary, so I use a toothpick to test the cake a couple times to prevent burning
- Cake can be made in two 9 inch pans or in a 9 x 13-inch pan – bake for about 30 minutes
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Substitute coffee for water to have a 5 star cake
Thanks for the idea. We’re not coffee drinkers, but I bet a lot of people would love that!
Look No further- this cake is the best cake on the Internet. I did not add Choc. Chips since we all like a smooth cake. Everyone was ranting and raving over this cake . I love that it’s in a sheet cake. Easy to decorate for a kids party
I melt the dark chocolate chips and fold it into the mix slowly not to mix completely. Yummy with my chocolate cream cheese buttercream.
OH YES!! Thank u for that suggestion!
Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor so it’s bolder. I wish more people would try it even if they don’t like coffee lol
The coffee just boosts the chocolate flavor you don’t really taste it. It’s used by a lot of bakers. I followed recipe exactly except added some instant coffee to the warm water and beat the eggs to a stiff peak then mixed in at the end before the chocolate chips. Also subbed melted browned butter instead of oil. Really great recipe. Thanks, yum!
YES…I thought the same about the coffee!
looks tasty – i love a good chocolate cake!
I have been making this kind of cake for about 5 years now. No recipe, it came from my head. Lol
Sorry to burst your bubble..
This must’ve been a popular recipe! Glad so many of us can enjoy a great chocolate cake!
well i’ll be waiting for you to mail it to me!
That was mean try harder to be nice
It was the best cake I’ve ever made – I made homemade buttercream frosting- which I highly suggest, huge difference in the texture instead of canned – did not add the Choc. chips BECUZ I like a smooth cake. Honestly everyone at the party had 2 huge pieces . I used parchment paper . The cake came right out . I love the back story on this cake. This is the ONLY Choc cake I will be making from now on. Highly highly recommend making this cake for any occasion – it was OUTSTANDING!!!!
Oh my gosh, I’m totally drooling over this cake! Our family will be devouring it shortly 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!!
Jennifer – this looks AMAZING. There’s no better dessert than a decadent chocolate cake, and this one fits the bill! Keep these chocolate recipe coming! Yum!
I apologize if this has been asked but can this be done in cupcakes??
Absolutely! They just take a bit longer to bake than typical box mix cupcakes because of the pudding. Use a cake tester to determine doneness and enjoy!
I’ve done the pudding in cake mix before but this time I do not have any but is it ok to still use sour cream
I’m not sure. I’ve never tested that version of the recipe, but please do let me know how it turns out!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! It looks very delicious I can’t wait to try it & the recipe seems very easy to follow! ♥️
Planning on making this cake next week. Can I add warm milk instead of water?
Yes! I’ve heard people use milk or coffee, just know the cake is plenty rich with dairy because of the sour cream. Hope you enjoy!
Can this be done minus the pudding and chocolate chips
I think the chocolate chips could easily be left out, but in my opinion the pudding really makes this cake so moist and delicious!
In the tips you say don’t add the liquids to the pudding…so do we just put the pudding mix in with the rest of the ingredients (no liquid)?
Great question. Mix several of the dry ingredients and then add liquid ingredients. Once I added the water to the pudding and got sidetracked and it started to set-up. Does that make sense?
Yes thank you so much… have you made this with any other cake flavor?
So are you adding all ingredients together and then basically just adding the pudding as the very last item? I shouldn’t actually make the pudding and then add it right?
Correct!
Apologize if this has been asked, I browsed quite a few comments and didn’t see this question, but do you think it would hold up as two 8 inch rounds stacked? Is there enough structure to the crumb or is it so moist that you can’t recommend it? Thanks in advance for replies!
Hey There! Great question! My mother-in-law always makes two round cakes and stacks…I think she may use 9″ pans though. If you don’t want to get new pans you could always make a few cupcakes. Hope you enjoy 🙂
What about sour cream? Could you leave that out?
I have made several variations of this recipe and always used sour cream. Let me know if you try it without how it tastes. Thanks!
I have used vanilla flavored greek yogurt before and it has turned out great!
I used lemon or banana yogourt instead of the sour cream a few times. It was sooo good.
Does this have to be baked in a metal pan or can it be baked in a glass pan?
Hey There! Either one works fine. Hope you enjoy!
Sounds yummy I wouldn’t change a thing make it like the recipe says then change it if you want.
Thank you! We love this cake!
I wouldn’t change it either! Sounds delicious
I only find cake mixes that already have pudding in them. Do you use these and add the pudding also? Or are there cake mixes out there that you suggest using?
I typically use Duncan Hines devil’s food cake mix, but I think other common brands should work fine too.
How do you store this cake? In fridge or not
We typically store in a pan with a tightly fitting lid on the countertop for 1 – 2 days, but you can store in the fridge if you’d like!
Can you use melted butter instead of oil?
I have never tried using melted butter, but I think it would be interesting to experiment. Please let me know how it turns out! Hope you love this cake!
Does the pan need to be greased before baking.
Yes! I always grease the pan. One time my son forgot and there was a layer of cake on the bottom and sides 🙂
No mention of greasing or flouring pan
Thanks for the note. I added grease the pan to the instruction list 🙂
I’ve always used pudding in my chocolate chip cookies, but I’ve got this cooling on the stove now. Hopefully it is just as good in the cake as in the cookies.
I hope so too! Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
Made these for a bridal shower and they were great! The tops turned out “crackled” and I did not ice them, I “shook” powdered sugar over them and they looked and tasted really good. Of course, had to have vanilla and chocolate ones as well. Thx for sharing the recipe!
So glad to hear your guests enjoyed them! Thanks for the kind note!
do I mix the pudding with the rest of the cake mix including the water and do I add the oil as well or is that for just greasing
Good question! You’ll want to mix the cake mix, instant pudding, eggs, water, oil and sour cream together. You will also want to grease your pan with a non-stick spray or flour your pan. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
What is a small box of instant pudding? Whole Foods has one that is 3.9 oz. Is this too much?
I typically use a 3.4 ounce, but I think 3.9 ounces should be just fine. Please let me know how it turns out for you!
This cake is amazing! We paired it with a homemade sour cream icing for my Dad’s birthday! Thank you so much!
So glad to hear that you loved it! Happy belated birthday to your dad!
Kristina,
Can you share that sour cream icing recipe?
Best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. Thanks for the recipe. So moist, tastes delicious
I really want to try this recipe tonight but all I have is cook and serve pudding. Will that work? What do you think will happen if it was used?
I think it will be important to wait and try it with instant chocolate pudding. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed with cook and serve, but I’ve never tried. So if you do please let me know!