Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake Recipes: 16 Family Favorites

There's a special kind of love baked into these Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake Recipes —a love that transports you back to Grandma's kitchen, where the smell of cocoa filled the air and a freshly baked cake was the ultimate treat. This collection is more than just a list of ingredients; it's a journey through time, carefully curated from treasured family recipe cards, Mom's 1920s scrapbooks, and vintage newspaper clippings.

Each recipe tells a story of simple ingredients, time-honored techniques, and the pure, uncomplicated joy of a homemade dessert cake. Whether you're looking for Aunt Wilhelmina's famously easy "Never Fail" cake or a nostalgic Southern Coca-Cola® cake, you'll find a piece of history here waiting to be baked and shared with your own family.

Mom's Favorite Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake Recipes

Mom's Recipe Scrapbooks (c. 1920s)

Aunt Wilhelmina's "Never Fail" Chocolate Cake

This is one of the best old fashioned chocolate cake recipes for busy moms, as it involves just two easy steps in its making:

First Bowl:

1 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Second Bowl:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 unbeaten egg

Mix the ingredients in each bowl, then combine the two, and bake 350°F for 1/2 hour. Imagine... a two bowl cake recipe. It really is that simple!

Dependable Chocolate Layer Cake for Any Occasion

2-1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1-3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk

Preheat your oven to 350°F, then grease and flour a couple of 9-inch round baking pans.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Beat on medium-high speed until well creamed.

Then, gradually add the milk and dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the large bowl while mixing on medium speed.

Continue mixing for about 2 minutes, then pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and place them in your preheated oven.

Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until your cakes test ready. You can easily tell whether your cakes are done when you insert a toothpick, and it comes out clean.

Or, by simply pressing down on the middle of the cake with your finger and if it springs back, it should be done and ready to remove from the oven for cooling.

Mrs. Johnston's "Read Good" Easy Chocolate Cake

1-1/2 cups of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of butter or shortening, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup of cocoa, 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda sifted with flour, 2 teaspoons vanilla. Bake in a long pan at 350°F; don't make the batter too stiff. Real good. —Mrs. T. M. Johnston

Classic Chocolate Marshmallow Cake

2 cups sifted cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate (melted), 1 egg well beaten, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3/4 cup milk, marshmallows.

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy.

Add chocolate and blend; then add egg and vanilla. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth.

Bake in greased pan, 8 x 8 x 2 inches, in moderate oven (325°F) 1 hour. Turn from pan and while still warm, cover bottom with marshmallows that have been rinsed with cold water and cut in halves crosswise. When cake is almost cold, cover with chocolate icing (below).

Rich, All-Purpose Chocolate Icing Recipe

4 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate (melted), 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon water, 1 egg well beaten, 2 tablespoons butter.

Combine chocolate, sugar and water. Cook in pan over hot water several minutes, stirring occasionally. Add egg and remove from fire. Stir occasionally until lukewarm. Add 1 tablespoon butter and blend. Add remaining butter and beat thoroughly. —Mrs. G. Worboy

Vintage Chocolate Walnut Layer Cake

Yolks of 2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2/3 cup grated chocolate
1 cup walnut meats
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift the soda and cream of tarter with the flour. Bake (350°F) in two layers, and ice with white boiled icing. Use orange filling between layers.

The Famous Southern Coca-Cola® Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup sour milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Combine flour and sugar in large bowl. Heat butter, cocoa, and Coca-Cola to boiling point in saucepan. Pour Coca-Cola mixture over flour and sugar and mix throughly.

Add sour milk, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and marshmallows. Mix well. Pour batter into greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350°F for about 35 minutes, until done.

Coca-Cola® Icing

1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons Coca-Cola
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup walnuts

Combine butter, cocoa, and Coca-Cola in saucepan. Heat to boiling point and pour over sugar in another bowl. Beat well, then add nuts. Pour over cake when still hot from the oven. The icing will firm as the cake cools.

Old-Time Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake

1-3/4 cups flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces grated chocolate
1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda (dissolved in tablespoon water)

Immediately before adding the soda, add to the ingredients 3/4 cup boiling water. Bake in two layers at 350°F.

Refreshing Chocolate Mint Cake

1/2 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2-1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 egg whites
1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candy

Beat shortening and sugar until light and airy. Sift dry ingredients. Add alternately with water to shortening mixture. Add lemon juice. Fold in egg whites beaten stiff but not dry. Pour into greased 8x12-inch oblong pan.

Bake in a moderate oven (350°F) 30 to 40 minutes. After cake has baked 5 minutes, sprinkle top with crushed peppermint candy. After cake is cooled and iced (below), it can be cut in squares.

Rich Chocolate Icing

Blend 1/4 cup of shortening with 2 egg yolks and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 3 squares melted bitter chocolate. Add 2 cups confectioner's sugar alternately with 3 tablespoons thin cream. Beat until thick enough to spread on cake.

Impressive Three-Layer Chocolate Layer Cake

For this old fashioned chocolate cake recipe, cream 1/3 cup shortening with 1 cup sugar, beating well; add 1 beaten egg, 1 cup milk slowly, and mix well.

Add 1-3/4 cups flour sifted with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 4 teaspoons baking powder; mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla and bake in 3 greased layer cake tins in moderate oven (375°F) about 15 to 20 minutes.

Put layers together with chocolate cake filling and icing made with 3 cups confectioner's sugar to which is added slowly sufficient boiling water to make smooth paste; add 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 ounces unsweetened melted chocolate, and 1/2 teaspoonful grated orange peel.

No Bake Chocolate & Date Icebox Cake

2 dozen lady fingers
1/2 pound chocolate
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/2 pound chopped dates
4 egg yolks, beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
1/2 cup pecan halves
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 cup cream, whipped
Colored sugar for decorating

Line a deep pan with waxed paper. Cover bottom and sides with lady fingers — brown side out. Melt chocolate in double boiler, add sugar, water, dates, and beaten egg yolks.

Cook, stirring frequently, until chocolate is smooth, and dates are soft. Cool, add flavoring and nuts and fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

Pour one half of mixture into pan, cover with layer of lady fingers and add remainder of filling. Cover with waxed paper. Chill for several hours.

To serve, remove from pan and top center of cake with whipped cream. Sprinkle with colored sugar or chopped nuts to decorate.

Miss Kemp's Chocolate Cake with Raisins & Citron

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup grated chocolate, 3/4 cup butter or shortening; 5 eggs; 2 cups flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 cupful sultana raisins; 1/2 cup candied chopped citron peel. All measurements level.

Directions:

To begin this old fashioned chocolate cake recipe, cream butter or shortening; add sugar, gradually, yolks of eggs well beaten, milk, flour, salt, baking powder, grated chocolate, citron, and raisins. Mix and beat two minutes, then fold in stiffly beaten whites of eggs.

Turn into greased floured tin and bake for one and a quarter hours in a moderate oven (350°F). When cold, cover with chocolate frosting (below). —Miss. H. E. Kemp, Peterborough

Miss Kemp's Creamy Chocolate Frosting

2 tablespoons butter or shortening; 2 squares melted bitter chocolate; 2 cups powdered sugar; 6 tablespoons coffee; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Knead butter or shortening into sugar. Melt chocolate, add coffee, sugar, salt, and butter or shortening and stir until thick, then add vanilla and put away to cool. When cold spread on cake.

This frosting may be used anytime. It is just as good when made one day and used the next by adding a little more hot coffee. It always turns out soft, creamy and delicious. —Miss H. E. Kemp, Peterborough

How to Make Easy Chocolate Cake Squares for a Crowd

This isn't a recipe, but rather Mom's brilliant method for serving cake elegantly and efficiently. Baking any of the sheet cakes from this collection and cutting them into squares before frosting makes serving a breeze. This method is perfect for parties, picnics, or packing a special treat in a lunchbox.

Make any of the Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake Recipes and once your baked cake has cooled, cut it in squares beforehand, and decorate each piece with icing and a colorful maraschino cherry on top. Ice only the top or cover the sides of the cake squares as well for a fancier presentation.

This method makes perfect little cake squares for taking to a last-minute picnic or party, or to slice for school lunches as a special treat. Yum! Chocolate!

From the Kitchen of Fannie Farmer: Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake Recipes

The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book (1896)

Fannie Farmer's Chocolate Nougat Cake

1/4 cup of butter, 1-1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup of milk, 2 cups of bread flour, 3 teaspoonfuls of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoonful of vanilla, 2 squares of chocolate - melted, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 2/3 cup of almonds blanched and shredded.

Cream the butter, add gradually one and one-half cups of sugar, and egg unbeaten; when well mixed, add two-thirds milk, flour mixed and sifted with baking powder, and vanilla.

To melted chocolate add one-third cup of powdered sugar, place on range, add gradually remaining milk, and cook until smooth. Cool slightly and add to cake mixture.

Bake fifteen to twenty minutes in round layer-cake pans till done. (Try 300°F.)

Put between layers and on top of cake White Mountain Cream frosting sprinkled with almonds.

White Mountain Cream Frosting

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cold water
White 1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Put sugar and water in saucepan, and stir to prevent sugar from adhering to saucepan; heat gradually to boiling-point, and boil without stirring until syrup will thread when dropped from tip of spoon or tines of silver fork.

Pour syrup gradually on beaten white of egg, beating mixture constantly, and continue beating until of right consistency to spread; then add choice of flavoring and pour over cake, spreading evenly with back of spoon. Crease as soon as firm.

If not beaten long enough, frosting will run; if beaten too long, it will not be smooth. Frosting beaten too long may be improved by adding a few drops of lemon juice or boiling water.

This frosting is soft inside, and has a glossy surface. If frosting is to be ornamented with nuts or candied cherries, place them on frosting as soon as spread.

Vintage Newspaper Clipping: Two More Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake Recipes

Old Newspaper Clipping (1920s)

Vintage Chocolate Cake Recipe No. 1

1/4 cup butter
1 cup fine granulated sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
Yolks of 2 eggs
White of 1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1-1/8 cups pastry flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Directions:

Sift together three times, the flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Beat egg yolks and one white, saving the other egg white for Special Frosting.

Put butter into mixing bowl, add sugar; pour boiling water on the shaved chocolate, stir quickly and when melted add to butter mixture.

Add beaten eggs, then dry ingredients alternately with milk, add vanilla. Beat all together. Pour into a greased cake tin and bake in a moderate oven at 350°F.

Vintage Sour Milk Chocolate Cake Recipe No. 2

1/4 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
6 tablespoons cocoa dissolved in hot water
1 cup sour milk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Cream butter and sugar, add beaten eggs, then the cocoa dissolved in hot water; beat well. Sift flour and soda together and add alternately with the milk. Add vanilla and bake in a moderate oven (350°F).

Grandma's Chocolate Cake Success Tips

Baking from old fashioned recipes can sometimes feel like translating another language. Here are some tips and explanations to help you navigate these timeless classics and ensure your cakes turn out perfectly every time.

• Can I use butter instead of shortening? Yes, in most cases. Butter provides a richer flavor, while shortening can create a slightly more tender and taller cake. They can often be substituted 1:1.
• Understanding "Sour Milk": Many vintage recipes call for "sour milk." This isn't spoiled milk! It was simply milk that had been left to clabber, similar to today's buttermilk. You can easily make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of regular milk and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes.
• The Toothpick Test: The most reliable way to know whether a cake is done is the toothpick test. Insert a wooden toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs, the cake is done. If it comes out with wet batter, it needs more time.