can i bake a chocolate cake the night before? cake, night before

A cake should always be baked at least 24 hours before it's going to be iced and served. You can turn a cake out of its pan to cool within about 15 minutes of coming out of the oven. Once it is COMPLETELY cool, double-wrap it with good quality plastic wrap, and hold it at room temperature. Alternatively, bake it several days in advance and freeze it. Transfer it to room temperature about 12 hours before you plan to ice and serve it.

Thanks mrslarkin and Susan W for your answers, I am heading straight to my kitchen!

Thanks! how can I store it so it won't dry out?

Sure. I usually do.