Our Best Chocolate Cake Recipes

"Milk chocolate gives this cake a lighter flavor and lets the vanilla side shine as well," says baking expert David Bonom.

Katrina Markoff, recipe creator and founder of Vosges Haug-Chocolat, calls this cake "Love Goddess Cake." This inventive dessert couples luscious chocolate with smoky bacon. If you prefer, you can omit the bacon.

Cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and a creamy chocolate frosting give this rich cake lots of chocolatey goodness.

This rich cake developed by Nigella Lawson is one of her all-time favorites. It's ideal for a dinner party or served as a mid-morning treat.

With just five minutes of prep time, you can put this luscious chocolate cake recipe together in no time. Serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream.

Sturdy, dense, and loaded with chocolate, this is the cake that chocolaholics dream of -- and it travels beautifully, making it the ideal potluck dessert.

A rich chocolate-and-buttercream drizzle takes classic Bundt cake to the next level. Serve it as the grand finale at your next dinner party.

This rich chocolate cake is layered with peanut butter and topped with its own warm sauce.

A creamy layer of cherry-flavored frosting, between each tier of rich chocolate cake, makes this dessert unforgettable. Chocolate-covered cherries make a gorgeous topper.

The ultimate chocolate cake is topped with a heavenly chocolate butter frosting.

This decadent chocolate cake from food star Nigella Lawson is spiked with lime and served with tequila-infused cream.

For an easy yet impressive birthday cake, try this recipe -- it starts with a boxed cake mix and butterscotch pudding. A rich, chocolaty icing adds a sweet finishing touch.

Espresso deepens the chocolatey flavor of this rich bundt cake.

An easy sauce of blended blueberries and light whipped dessert topping dresses the decadent dessert.

A triple chocolate treat, this deep chocolate cake uses cocoa powder plus unsweetened and semisweet chocolates.

This dark, chocolatey cake is a classic. And you don't get to the stature of being labeled a classic by being anything less than wonderful.

This recipe, originally made in 1952, has been perfected over the years. We think you'll agree that this version is the moistest, richest, "chocolatiest" cake ever. And, of the many ways to frost it, we vote for our classic Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting.

Dense chocolate cake hides a rich torrent of caramel in this pint-size dessert.

These delightful little cakes bake in just 18 minutes and are embellished with both a White Chocolate Cream Frosting and a White Chocolate Zabaglione Sauce.

Caramelized pecans, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are placed into the pan before the batter is poured over -- giving this cake its "upside-down" name.

Miniature chocolate chips are added to the cake batter before it's poured over a layer of nuts and coconut. After baking, invert onto a platter and sprinkle a few more chocolate chips over the topping. Let stand about 30 minutes before slicing.

Make the easy Cocoa Mascarpone Frosting using mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese), butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla.

These little cakes can be made ahead and warmed in the microwave. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, and raspberries.

Bake this sweet treat in an 8-inch springform pan, then cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove side of pan and let cake cool completely. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Brush the warm cake with Molasses Glaze, then serve with Molasses Whipped Cream.

Make a 9-inch one-layer cake. Top with whipped dessert topping and cherry pie filling. Serves 8.

Like many Greek desserts, these chocolate diamonds are brushed with sugar syrup.

Check your oven temperature occasionally. If it's too hot, cakes may develop tunnels and cracks; if it's too cool, your cake may become coarse.

A chocolate glaze and apricot preserves spread on a dense chocolate cake are characteristics of this dessert, named for the Viennese hotel owner who created it in 1823.

Cook dried cherries in brandy or orange juice to plump them up for this luscious chocolate-glazed cake.

Add a little coffee to buttermilk chocolate cake batter and you create a java lover's dream dessert. Then fill with a creamy spread of ricotta cheese, chocolate pieces, and maraschino cherries.

This cake recipe is easy, elegant, and delicious.

This chocolate-and-cherry cake is great for the holidays or whenever you need a special dessert.

American restaurants made these rich cakes that ooze with chocolate popular; we made them easy.

Layers of tender chocolate cake and a creamy coffee filling are topped with chocolate curls in this impressive low-fat dessert.

Chocolate cake encases ice cream in a beautiful concentric swirl. Raspberry sauce adds to the dessert's charm.

Definitely an indulgence, this chocolate-and-cream cake is perfect for a birthday party or any special occasion.

Chocoholics will love the intriguing flavors of chocolate and strawberry in every bite. Starting with packaged pound cake and canned frosting makes these sophisticated-looking mini sweets a snap to prepare.

Baked in a deeply fluted tube pan, this fine-grain, red-brown cake turns out nothing short of spectacular. A light dusting of powdered sugar adds to the drama.

The heart and soul of this decadent layered sponge cake is zabaglione, an airy dessert sauce of egg yolks whipped with Marsala. With added chocolate and whipping cream, this cake turns into a super chocolate sensation.