Description
Chocolate lovers will adore this easy chocolate cake recipe that brings sweet comfort from scratch. Moist chocolate layers combine rich cocoa with simple ingredients, delivering pure dessert satisfaction you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (65 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsps baking powder
- 1 ½ tsps baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml, 8 fl oz) whole milk or buttermilk
- ½ cup (120 ml, 4 fl oz) vegetable oil
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml, 8 fl oz) boiling water
- ½ cup (115 g, 4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ⅔ cups (330 g, 11.6 oz) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (45 g, 1.6 oz) cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup (80 ml, 2.7 fl oz) milk (adjust for consistency)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Thermal Preparation: Calibrate oven to 350F (175C) and coat cake pans with a thin layer of grease and flour to prevent adherence.
- Dry Component Fusion: Blend flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, ensuring uniform distribution of dry ingredients.
- Liquid Integration: Combine eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract into the dry mixture using an electric mixer until achieving a smooth, homogeneous consistency.
- Batter Transformation: Incorporate boiling water at low mixer speed, creating a fluid chocolate base with enhanced flavor complexity.
- Baking Execution: Pour batter into prepared pans, maintaining even distribution and surface smoothness, then position in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes depending on pan shape.
- Doneness Assessment: Verify cake completion by inserting a toothpick into the center – a clean removal indicates perfect baking.
- Cooling Protocol: Rest cake in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete temperature equalization, ensuring structural integrity and optimal texture before final decoration.
Notes
- Precise Temperature Control: Maintain exact 350F oven temperature for consistent chocolate cake texture and even baking, using an oven thermometer for accuracy.
- Moisture Management: Add boiling water slowly to create a light, tender crumb structure, preventing potential dryness and enhancing chocolate’s rich flavor profile.
- Ingredient Temperature Harmony: Ensure eggs and milk are at room temperature before mixing, which helps ingredients blend smoothly and creates a more uniform cake batter.
- Avoid Overmixing Caution: Blend ingredients just until combined, stopping when no flour streaks remain to prevent developing tough, dense cake texture that reduces delicate chocolate cake quality.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 295
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 276 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 37 mg