Chocolate Cake Recipe

Serve everyone’s favorite comfort food with the classic and timeless Chocolate Cake baked to perfection!

You won’t have to buy Chocolate Cake from now on because you can cook it at home using basic ingredients. This recipe will certainly give you sweet, moist, and chewy results.

It’s the perfect cake to bake to make every celebration special. You can easily bake Chocolate Cake any time. I especially suggest making it for desserts, weekends, and occasions. Chocolates have never tasted this delicious!

It’s truly the best cake to serve for kids and adults. Make it a fun bonding experience for you and your family, from baking to eating every bit of the Chocolate Cake!

How to Make Chocolate Cake

Have you tried baking Chocolate Cake before? With simple cake ingredients, you can make the best cake recipe yet! If you have a sweet tooth, then you need to bake this easy, quick, and fun Chocolate Cake recipe.

Get ready to bake your heart out with this Chocolate Cake recipe!

Ingredients

Here’s a list of everything you will need to make Chocolate Cake at home.

Cocoa powder

When baking Chocolate Cake, you can’t forget about cocoa powder.

It’s the primary ingredient that gives the cake its chocolate flavor. Cocoa powder is not the same as chocolate. Chocolate is actually the finished product with a milky and creamy quality.

There are two kinds of cocoa powder: Dutch and natural cocoa powder. Natural cocoa tends to have a stronger flavor, while Dutch cocoa is milder in taste. Since it’s already in powder form, it’s easy to mix into the cake batter.

According to The Spruce Eats, you can use cocoa powder for baking cakes, making ice cream, or preparing chocolate drinks. I personally use cocoa powder for Dark Chocolate and Chocolate Almond Drink!

Plain flour

You can’t make a cake without plain flour, can you?

It helps with the cake’s form and structure. The flour raises the cake as it bakes light, airy, and moist crumbs. It’s one of the main ingredients for almost any baking recipe.

In fact, you can also use it to bake bread, cookies, pizza, and more! I also suggest using plain flour for recipes like Almond Loaf Cake, Pound Cake, and Almond Chocolate Chip Cupcakes.

Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda

Get the perfect cake texture and form inside out by adding baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. These are powerful rising agents that will allow the cake to rise.

When used properly, it will make the cake light and fluffy. Along with baking powder, bicarbonate soda is also an excellent rising ingredient for pastry recipes. 

I often use it for Banana Bread, Fried Fish Fillet, and Nigerian Coconut Egg Rolls!

Caster sugar

Your cake recipes will surely taste better with caster sugar. Once it melts into the cake, it will add a sweet taste, smooth texture, and golden brown goodness.

The Sugar Association also mentioned that sugar can make baked recipes moist and soft. It goes well with salt and vanilla extract to improve the flavor of the cake.

Eggs

You need to add eggs to your cake recipes because of how they can improve the flavor and texture. Aside from the added flavor, it also binds the dry ingredients for the cake’s shape.

It can also change the texture of the cake sponge and the crumbs. If you don’t want eggs in your chocolate cake, then I suggest using egg alternatives. You can go for ripe bananas, yogurt, or oats and water.

Milk

Activate your leavening agents with milk in the cake batter. It certainly adds texture, color, and flavor to the recipe. The cake will be lighter, softer, and creamier.

It creates an impression that the cake is so tender that it almost feels like it’s melting in your mouth. Aside from fresh or evaporated milk, I also like using Almond Milk or Chocolate Almond Milk as alternatives.

Sunflower oil

You might be surprised that you can also use the oil for frying and baking! According to Epicurious, it’s better to bake cakes with oil than butter.

While it won’t make the cake tastier, the oil will make your cakes lighter and moister. In this recipe, we will use both butter and oil for the best quality yet.

Butter

Tenderize the cake with fats like butter. It also makes the cake rich and moist for an amazing texture. In fact, the butter can also add a creamy and soft quality to the cake.

Once it melts into the cake, you will love how soft and tender the cake will be. Now, your butter will never go to waste!

The Chocolate Cake requires basic baking ingredients, but the most important part lies in how you actually make it. With these ingredients, I can guarantee you a no-fail chocolate cake!

Directions

Get ready to bake and taste the best Chocolate Cake recipe!

1. Use a scale or measuring cups and spoons to make measurements.
2. Grease all of the edges of the pan with butter.
3. Coat all sides of the baking pan with plain flour.
4. Then, preheat the oven to 170°C for 15 minutes.
5. Using a sieve, filter the plain flour, caster sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda.
6. Add the eggs, whole milk, oil, and vanilla extract.
7. Whisk them together to combine. 
8. While mixing, add hot water to melt the dry ingredients.
9. Pour the batter into the cake pan. 
10. Bake the cake at 350° C for 35 to 40 minutes or until done.

Decorate the Chocolate Cake

Let’s go to the fun part: frosting the Chocolate Cake!

1. Carefully remove the cake pan from the oven.
2. Then, use a small palette knife to level the cake, creating a flat cake surface.
3. Place the cake board on top of the cake and turn it over. 
4. Spread your chocolate icing evenly on top of the cake and along its side.
5. Then, use an icing scraper to level the cake.
6. Use a piping bag to design the cake with more chocolate icing.
7. Set it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. 
8. Finally, you can relish this delicious Chocolate Cake!

Now, give yourself a pat on the back because you just made a delicious Chocolate Cake! You will certainly make everyone happy with this dessert!

Tips

How to Make Better Chocolate Cake

• Always buy quality ingredients, especially cocoa powder.
• Go for darker cocoa powder for a richer flavor.
• Grease your baking pan with butter or oil.
• Measure all of the ingredients, especially the flour and sugar.
• Don’t skip the milk!
• Add salt to enhance the combined flavors of the ingredients. 
• Use eggs and milk at room temperature.
• Avoid opening the oven door to let the cake bake properly.

How to Store Basic Cake Ingredients

• Store the cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, plain flour, salt, and sugar in containers in cool and dark places.
• Meanwhile, keep baking soda in its original container.
• Store the milk in the fridge or in a sealed container or glass bottle. 

Ingredient Substitutes

• Cocoa powder is vegan and gluten-free, but you can also use chocolate, hot chocolate mix, or chocolate chips. 
• I suggest using plain flour because it is accessible and best for baked goods.
• However, you can still replace it with other kinds of flour, such as cake, almond, and whole wheat flour. 
• You can also use self-rising flour that already comes with baking powder.
• Aside from caster sugar, you can also use powdered sugar, plain sugar, brown sugar, and even coconut sugar.
• If you don’t have bicarbonate of soda, then you can add a bit more baking soda for leavening.
• You can use vegan alternatives like almond milk, chocolate almond milk, or soy milk.

Chocolate Cake Variations

You can never know too many Chocolate Cake recipes!

For vegan Chocolate Cake, I suggest using almond milk and sugar to replace whole milk and sugar. I also suggest using egg alternatives for more vegan options.

On the other hand, for a chocolate cake recipe without gluten, go for gluten-free ingredients. There are gluten-free versions of plain flour, baking soda, vanilla extract, milk, and plain cocoa powder, too. 

In case of the no-dairy cake, use either cashew milk, chocolate almond milk, almond milk, or coconut milk. Also, buy or make your own dairy-free chocolate pudding to frost and coat the cake. 

For the chocolate, I suggest using dark chocolate as a healthy option. However, you can also use other kinds of chocolates, such as milk chocolate. There’s always a way to make Chocolate Cake!

No-Oven Chocolate Cake

You can still make Chocolate Cake even without an oven!

1. Use your steamer to boil water.
2. Place the lined baking pan in the middle.
3. Then, cover the steamer with a lid.
4. Let the cake cook for up to 45 minutes over medium to low heat. 

Use the cake tester to check for doneness before taking it out of the steamer. 

Recommended Tools

• Oven: Bake the Chocolate Cake in the oven.
• Hand mixer: Mix the batter in a hand mixer.
• Mixing bowl: Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
• Balloon whisk: Use this to mix the ingredients together
• Sieve: Make sure to sift your dry ingredients using a sieve.
• Measuring cups and spoons: Measure your ingredients with cups and spoons.
• Kitchen scale: Use it as an alternative to measuring tools.
• Spatula: Use a spatula to mix the ingredients. 
• Cake tin: Pour the cake batter into a cake tin.
• Cooling wire rack: Let the cake rest on a cooling rack.
• Palette knife: Use this knife to level the cake’s surface. 

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How to Serve Chocolate Cake

You deserve some dessert, so serve the Chocolate Cake now!

I usually serve Chocolate Cake as a dessert, but I also prepare it for my kids and husband for breakfast and even as a snack. Sometimes, I use chocolate ganache or icing for the decoration.

You may also include fruits as garnish. Strawberries and cherries are popular choices for Chocolate Cake garnish. Alternatively, arrange various kinds of chocolates on top or along the sides of the cake to add flavor and design. 

According to a study by researchers at Tel Aviv University, you can eat cake and other desserts for breakfast. The study shared that eating cake in the morning can be good for your metabolism.

For drinks to go with your yummy Chocolate Cake, make sure to consider the following:

• Almond Milk
• Iced Tea
• Hibiscus Lemon Tea
• Strawberry Banana Milkshake
• Zobo Drink

Storage Tips

• At room temperature: You can wrap the cake in cling film for five days at room temperature for chocolate cakes without icing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which chocolate cake is best?

The best chocolate cake for me is the one you make at home. It will turn out great if you bake it with the right ingredients and love. Don’t forget to bake it with leavening agents and quality cocoa powder to make it a real cake recipe.

What is so special about chocolate cake?

Even if Chocolate Cake is a classic cake flavor, it remains to be special because it’s easy to make at home. Everyone loves chocolate cake because of its subtle sweet flavor and moist and tender texture.

You can make it more special by baking Chocolate Cake at home!

What is the description of a cake?

Cake is a popular baked delight that comes in different flavors. It has soft and tender crumbs for the best experience. You can cook it with flour, rising agents, spices, and other cake ingredients.

Is chocolate cake better hot or cold?

It depends on your preference. Most people want to serve the chocolate cake warm. You can serve it hot if you plan on adding a gooey filling inside or cold if you want to top it off with some ice cream.