This chocolate cake is one you’ll return to again and again. It bakes up extra moist with a tender, fudgy crumb and a deep chocolate flavor — and it only needs two bowls (no mixer required). If you’re new to Amycakes Bakery recipes, this Mix and Match chocolate cake is an easy, reliable place to start.
About the secret bakery ingredient in this recipe
This recipe uses instant ClearJel, a food starch commonly used in commercial baking as a thickener and binder. It’s neutral in taste and contains no artificial ingredients. When instant pudding mix is listed as an option, it works because many pudding mixes contain Instant ClearJel as a primary ingredient.
Professional bakers favor Instant ClearJel because it yields a smoother, glossier texture than cornstarch or tapioca, and it helps cakes retain moisture while stabilizing frostings. Make sure any ClearJel you buy is labeled “INSTANT” — cook-type or original ClearJel behaves differently and won’t produce the same results.
Nuts.com Instant Clearjel
*Make sure the ClearJel you purchase is labeled INSTANT
Instant ClearJel isn’t common in grocery stores but is widely available online and at specialty markets. It improves cake moisture and structure and performs especially well in bakery-style recipes.
The Mix and Match concept lets you customize this cake with your favorite fillings and frostings. Try a moist chocolate layer with chocolate ganache and peanut butter buttercream — or alternate these chocolate layers with vanilla-almond cake layers and classic vanilla buttercream for a zebra-inspired cake. Use the Cut and Stack method to create multi-layer round cakes from sheet-baked layers and explore different flavor combinations.
Thanks for reading. ❤️
📖 Recipe & Step-by-Step Instructions
Moist Chocolate Cake: a Mix and Match Bakery Recipe
Extra moist, fudgy chocolate cake with a soft, tender texture and a strong chocolate flavor. Made with just two bowls — no mixer required.
This is a Mix and Match recipe, meaning it provides the cake base to pair with your favorite frosting and filling recipes. Use the Cut and Stack method to create layered round cakes from sheet-baked layers.
1x batch yields one three-layer 6″ cake cut from a ¼ sheet pan. 2x batch yields one three-layer 8″ cake cut from a ½ sheet pan. You can also bake in sheet cake pans or round pans — see the pan chart for details.
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 170 grams (1 ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp) All-Purpose Flour (I use Gold Medal)
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ¾ tsp Salt
- 2 Tbsp Instant ClearJel (must be labeled “INSTANT”)
- 26 grams (¼ cup) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (I use Hershey’s)
- 100 grams (½ cup) Sugar
- 113 grams (½ cup) packed Brown Sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large Eggs
- ¾ cup Buttermilk
- ¼ cup brewed Coffee
- ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 3 Tbsp Dark Corn Syrup (or light corn syrup)
- 1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Butter Mixture
- ¾ stick (3 oz) Salted Butter
- 43 grams (¼ cup) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (I use Nestle)
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 1″ tall ¼ sheet pan with parchment, spray the parchment and sides lightly with cooking spray, or choose other pans per the pan chart.
- Mix dry: Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, instant ClearJel, cocoa powder, and sugar into a large bowl. Add brown sugar and whisk until blended, breaking up any large brown sugar clumps.
- Mix wet: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, brewed coffee, vegetable oil, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
- Chocolate butter: Melt the butter until just melted. Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and whisk until fully melted and smooth.
- Combine: Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the chocolate-butter mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth and free of lumps (a few tiny brown sugar pieces are fine).
- Fill pan: Pour batter into the prepared sheet pan and smooth the surface; the batter will sit about ¼” from the top of a 1″ pan.
- Rest: Let the pan rest 5–10 minutes to allow the instant ClearJel to hydrate and thicken the batter for a better rise.
- Bake: Bake on the middle or upper rack at 325°F for 16 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce temperature to 300°F and bake another 8–10 minutes. Test by gently touching the cake (avoid moving the pan). If the cake jiggles, bake 1–5 more minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out with only a few moist crumbs — not wet batter.
- Cool and cut: Cool completely. For a sheet cake, follow the Baker’s Shortcut or use cake rings and the Cut and Stack method to cut rounds. Optionally brush cut layers with simple syrup.
- Freeze for layering: Wrap the cooled cake well in parchment and plastic wrap and freeze in the pan for 2 hours or overnight. Freezing makes the cake easier to layer and assemble.
Notes
Notes for doubling: 1 ½ tsp = ½ Tbsp; 3 tsp = 1 Tbsp.
- Instant ClearJel must be whisked thoroughly with dry ingredients to avoid clumping. Make sure the product you buy is labeled “Instant.” Different ClearJel types have different properties.
- Baking in a sheet pan produces even, flat layers with minimal dark edges. Use cake rings to cut precise rounds for stacking.
- Simple syrup (optional) seals in moisture for refrigerated or frozen cakes. To make a small amount, dissolve 1 Tbsp sugar in 1 Tbsp water; heat briefly until the sugar dissolves. Brush on cut layers before stacking.
Calories are estimated and do not include additional fillings or frostings.