Easy Chocolate Milk Cake Recipe

If you’re looking for the perfect Chocolate Milk Cake Recipe, you’ve come to the right place. This homemade chocolate cake is incredibly soft, wonderfully moist, and topped with a rich chocolate buttercream frosting that’s easy to spread and even easier to love. Using chocolate milk instead of regular milk gives the cake a little extra chocolate flavor while helping create a tender crumb that stays moist for days.

Whether you’re baking for a birthday, holiday, family gathering, or simply because you’re craving chocolate, this cake with chocolate milk is an easy dessert that looks impressive without requiring complicated techniques or specialty ingredients.

If you’ve never baked a cake with chocolate milk before, you’re in for a treat. It’s a simple ingredient that adds richness, moisture, and just the right amount of extra chocolate flavor without making the cake overly sweet.

From My Kitchen

I’ve baked a lot of chocolate cakes over the years, and this Chocolate Milk Cake Recipe remains one of my favorites because it’s so reliable. The batter comes together with simple pantry staples, the layers bake up beautifully every time, and the finished cake stays soft and moist for days.

It’s one of those recipes I know I can count on, whether I’m making dessert for family, celebrating a birthday, or taking a cake to a potluck.

What Is a Chocolate Milk Cake Recipe?

A Chocolate Milk Cake Recipe is exactly what it sounds like: a homemade chocolate cake made with chocolate milk instead of plain milk. While cocoa powder provides most of the chocolate flavor, chocolate milk adds another layer of richness and helps keep the cake soft and moist.

The finished cake has a tender crumb and a balanced chocolate flavor, and pairs perfectly with a fluffy homemade chocolate buttercream frosting. It’s an easy dessert that’s elegant enough for celebrations but simple enough for an ordinary weeknight.

Why This Recipe Works

Every ingredient in this Chocolate Milk Cake Recipe plays an important role.

Cake flour creates a lighter crumb because it develops less gluten than all-purpose flour.

Chocolate milk adds moisture while boosting the chocolate flavor without overpowering the cake.

Creaming the butter and sugar until fluffy incorporates tiny air pockets into the batter. As the cake bakes, those air pockets expand, helping create soft, tender layers.

Using room-temperature ingredients also helps everything blend more evenly, resulting in a smoother batter and a more consistent bake.

How to Make This Chocolate Milk Cake Recipe

NOTE: This section includes a step-by-step guide. Find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below.

Making this Chocolate Milk Cake Recipe is easier than you might think.

1. Prepare your cake pans and preheat the oven.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
4. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and chocolate milk.
6. Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
7. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool completely.
9. Make the chocolate buttercream frosting.
10. Frost, decorate, slice, and enjoy.

What to Serve with Chocolate Milk Cake

This Chocolate Milk Cake Recipe pairs perfectly with:

• Vanilla ice cream
• Fresh strawberries
• Fresh raspberries
• Homemade whipped cream
• Chocolate-covered strawberries
• Hot coffee
• Cold milk
• Hot chocolate
• Caramel sauce
• Fresh berries

Make Ahead Instructions

Bake the cake layers up to 2 days ahead and wrap them tightly once completely cooled.

Prepare the frosting 1 day ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Before frosting the cake, let it come to room temperature and beat it briefly until smooth.

The unfrosted cake layers can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

If You Enjoyed This Chocolate Milk Cake Recipe

If you loved this Chocolate Milk Cake, you are going to want to check out some of my other chocolate cake favorites! The Death By Chocolate Bundt Cake is pure chocolate bliss in every bite, and the Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake is a showstopper that feels a little fancy without a whole lot of extra effort.

For something a little different, the Chocolate Strawberry Cake combines rich chocolate layers with a gorgeous strawberry buttercream that is absolutely stunning.

If you are more of a cupcake person, I have you covered there, too! The Cherry Cordial Cupcakes start with a chocolate base and get topped with the most dreamy cherry frosting – they are a total crowd-pleaser.

And if you are craving that deep chocolate flavor in cookie form, the Cosmic Brownie Cookies are fudgy, chocolatey, and almost impossible to stop eating.

Of course, if you want another cake experience with a little twist, the Death By Chocolate Poke Cake is one of the most popular recipes on the site for good reason – it is rich, gooey, and absolutely over the top in the best way!

4.34 from 42 votes

Servings: 18 servings

Chocolate Milk Cake

By Jamie Sherman

Make this Chocolate Milk Cake Recipe for a soft, moist homemade chocolate cake with rich frosting. Perfect for birthdays and holidays.

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Additional Time: 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

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Equipment

• cake pans
• mixing bowl (large and medium)
• hand mixer
• rubber spatula
• whisk
• measuring cups and spoons
• wire cooling rack
• offset spatula or butter knife for frosting

Ingredients 

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For the cake:

• ▢ 1 cup butter, softened, 2 sticks
• ▢ 1½ cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 3 cups cake flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup chocolate milk

For the frosting:

• ▢ ⅔ cup butter, softened
• ▢ 5⅓ cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1⅓ cups cocoa powder
• ▢ ⅔ cup chocolate milk
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Instructions 

Make the cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  1 cup butter, softened, 1½ cups granulated sugar
• Beat in the vanilla extract.
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3 large eggs
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
  3 cups cake flour, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
• Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the chocolate milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined after each addition.
  1 cup chocolate milk
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting

• Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy.
  ⅔ cup butter
• Gradually beat in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
  5⅓ cups powdered sugar, 1⅓ cups cocoa powder
• Add the chocolate milk and vanilla extract.
  ⅔ cup chocolate milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Beat until the frosting is light, fluffy, and spreadable. If needed, add a splash of additional chocolate milk to thin the frosting or a little more powdered sugar to thicken it.

Assemble the cake

• Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate.
• Spread an even layer of frosting over the top.
• Add the second cake layer.
• Frost the top and sides of the cake.
• Slice and serve.

Notes

🥡 Storage

• Store the frosted cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• Allow refrigerated slices to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

♨️ Reheating

• This cake is best served at room temperature and does not require reheating.
• If desired, microwave an individual slice for 8 to 10 seconds for an extra soft texture.

❄️ Freezing

• Freeze unfrosted cake layers tightly wrapped for up to 3 months.
• Freeze individual frosted slices in airtight containers for easy desserts.
• Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.

💡 Tips for Best Results

• Use room temperature butter, eggs, and chocolate milk.
• Measure cake flour using the spoon-and-level method.
• Do not overmix after adding the flour.
• Bake just until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool the cake completely before frosting.
• Chill the frosted cake for 20 minutes before slicing for cleaner cuts.

🍳 Alternate Cooking Methods

• Bake in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan for a sheet cake. Increase or decrease the baking time as needed until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Divide the batter into cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

♻️ Leftovers

• Cube leftover cake for parfaits, then layer with whipped cream.
• Turn slices into cake pops.
• Crumble over vanilla ice cream.
• Use leftovers in a chocolate trifle.

📝 Notes

• Cake flour gives the softest texture, but all-purpose flour may be substituted if needed.
• Chocolate milk adds moisture and enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cake overly rich.
• For the smoothest frosting, sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar before mixing.
• This cake is even better the next day, after the flavors have had time to develop.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 478kcal, Carbohydrates: 74g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 79mg, Sodium: 219mg, Potassium: 183mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 54g, Vitamin A: 593IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 87mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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