An Incredibly Easy Chocolate Cake
Updated: 21 hours ago
I've always thought a good chocolate cake should be one of life's uncomplicated pleasures, and this easy chocolate cake recipe is my proof.
You shouldn't need three mixing bowls, a cupboard full of special equipment, and the organisational skills of an air traffic controller to produce something delicious. A little flour, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, oil, and a few everyday ingredients should be enough to create a cake that makes everyone at the table very happy indeed.
And the wonderful thing about a simple chocolate cake is that the science does much of the work for you. The cocoa provides that deep chocolate flavour. The oil helps keep the crumb beautifully moist. Baking soda and baking powder give the cake its lift. And a little hot coffee can intensify the chocolate flavour without making the finished cake taste like a cup of espresso.
TIME About 2½ hours | SERVES 10 to 12 | LEVEL Easy |
Why You'll Love It
DEEP CHOCOLATE RICHNESS Hot coffee in the batter deepens the chocolate without tasting of coffee. | EASY AND FORGIVING A forgiving cake that copes with small slips and still bakes up moist. |
SILKY CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM Sour cream and cocoa make a soft, light frosting that spreads like a cloud. | KEEPS FOR FOUR DAYS The finished cake keeps happily at room temperature for up to four days. |
Tested in my kitchen · As seen on TODAY and The Tonight Show · Parade magazine's chef for 10 years · About Chef Jon → |
An Incredibly Easy Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
¾ cup (180ml) neutral oil (such as canola or grapeseed), plus a little more for greasing
2¼ cups (450g) granulated sugar
2 cups (256g) all-purpose flour
1¼ cups (110g) cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (240g) sour cream
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240ml) hot coffee
For the Chocolate Buttercream
1½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3¾ cups (450g) confectioners' sugar, sifted if needed
1½ cups (140g) cocoa powder, sifted if needed
¼ cup (60g) sour cream
¼ cup (60ml) lukewarm milk, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
STEP 1 OF 9
Prepare the tins
Set a rack in the centre of your oven and preheat it to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease two 9-inch cake tins and line their bases with parchment paper. It's a small act of kindness that ensures easy release later
STEP 2 OF 9
Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until everything is thoroughly combined and beautifully uniform. Like soil ready for planting.
STEP 3 OF 9
Mix the wet ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. It should look smooth, rich, and golden, like something comforting on a Sunday morning.
STEP 4 OF 9
Make the batter
Pour the sour cream mixture into the dry ingredients. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Then turn the speed up to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides and bottom. Fold in the hot coffee gently with a spatula, the batter will look loose and glossy, like melted chocolate.
You'll know it's right when the batter is loose, glossy and pourable once the coffee is in. It is meant to be thin. |
STEP 5 OF 9
Bake the cakes
Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans. Tap them lightly on the counter to settle and release air bubbles. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cakes are risen, with a gentle spring to the touch and a skewer emerging clean. Let them rest in the pans for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
You'll know it's right when the tops spring back gently when pressed and a skewer comes out clean, or with just a crumb or two clinging to it. |
STEP 6 OF 9
Make the buttercream
While the cakes bake and cool, wash your bowl and beaters. Then beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and salt. Begin slowly, so the sugar doesn't billow, and gradually increase the speed to medium-high. Beat for about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides. If it feels too thick, add a teaspoon of milk at a time. You're after a soft, light cloud, something that would happily sit on a spoon without sulking.
If something's off: if the buttercream feels stiff and hard to spread, beat in lukewarm milk a teaspoon at a time until it turns soft and light. |
STEP 7 OF 9
Fill and crumb coat
When the cakes are completely cool, give the buttercream a vigorous stir to remove any large air bubbles. Place a small dab of frosting on your serving plate to anchor the base layer. Set the first cake, domed-side down, and spread about a cup of buttercream over the top. Add the second layer, also domed-side down, and press gently.
Coat the entire cake in a thin layer of buttercream to trap any rogue crumbs. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until firm.
Chef Jon's tip: frost the cake when it is cool, not cold. Room-temperature layers hold on to the buttercream, while a cold cake makes it skid. |
STEP 8 OF 9
Frost and decorate
Frost generously with the remaining buttercream, smoothing it over the top and sides. Finish with sprinkles, if you're feeling festive, or leave it bare, which is no less beautiful.
Feel free to get creative with the topping, scatter over a few salted pretzels, a handful of toasted nuts, or whatever little treats you fancy. This is a cake that welcomes adornment, not with fuss, but with quiet joy
STEP 9 OF 9
Slice and store
The cake will keep happily at room temperature for up to four days. For clean, defined slices, use a hot, dry knife. It pairs beautifully with a cold glass of milk or a cup of strong tea.
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The Secret to an Incredibly Easy Chocolate Cake: When Simple Ingredients Become Something Extraordinary
I've always been slightly suspicious of cake recipes that begin by telling you how wonderfully easy they are, then proceed to require seventeen ingredients, three mixing bowls, and a piece of equipment that costs more than my first car. That isn't easy. That's a small construction project.
A genuinely easy chocolate cake should be something you can make on an ordinary afternoon. Perhaps when friends are coming for supper. Perhaps when someone in the family announces, with remarkable confidence, that they need a cake for tomorrow. Or perhaps simply because you've opened the cupboard, spotted the cocoa powder, and decided the day would be considerably improved by a slice of chocolate cake. I think that's a perfectly respectable reason to bake.
And here's the interesting part. A simple chocolate cake can be every bit as delicious as one made with elaborate techniques and expensive ingredients. Sometimes more so. Because when you understand what the ingredients are doing, you can create a beautifully moist, tender cake without making the process unnecessarily complicated.
The flour provides structure. The sugar contributes sweetness and moisture retention. The cocoa gives the cake its chocolate flavour. The eggs help everything hold together. And the oil keeps the crumb wonderfully soft. Then, with a little help from baking powder and baking soda, the whole mixture rises into something rather magnificent.
It's a lovely example of kitchen chemistry. And it all begins with cocoa.
The First Stage: Why Cocoa Powder Is Such a Wonderful Ingredient
Chocolate cake doesn't always need melted chocolate. In fact, some of my favourite chocolate cakes are made primarily with cocoa powder. Good cocoa has an extraordinary depth of flavour. It's rich, aromatic, and slightly bitter, with a concentration of chocolate character that works beautifully in baking.
But here's something worth understanding. Cocoa powder isn't simply chocolate that's been ground into dust. It's produced from cocoa solids after much of the cocoa butter has been removed. This means it contains less fat than eating chocolate and has a particularly concentrated cocoa flavour. And that makes it extremely useful in cake batter. It allows us to create a deep chocolate taste without introducing the additional cocoa butter and sugar found in many chocolate bars.
There are two common types of cocoa powder. Natural cocoa and Dutch processed cocoa. Natural cocoa is generally more acidic. Dutch processed cocoa has been treated with an alkaline substance, reducing its acidity and changing its colour and flavour.
The difference matters because acidity influences how baking soda behaves. If a recipe relies on natural cocoa to react with baking soda, substituting Dutch processed cocoa may change the rise. Likewise, a recipe developed for Dutch processed cocoa may not behave identically with natural cocoa.
This doesn't mean one is better. It simply means they're different. And in baking, small differences can produce surprisingly noticeable results.
The Second Stage: Why Hot Coffee Makes Chocolate Taste More Chocolatey
Now we come to one of my favourite little baking tricks. Hot coffee. And before anyone objects, let me reassure you. We're not trying to make a coffee cake. We're making chocolate cake.
But coffee contains roasted, bitter, and aromatic compounds that can complement the flavour of cocoa. When used in a sensible quantity, it can make the chocolate taste deeper and more complex. The finished cake doesn't taste noticeably of coffee. Instead, the cocoa flavour becomes more pronounced.
There's another benefit. Hot liquid helps disperse cocoa powder more thoroughly. Cocoa particles can form little clumps when mixed with cold liquid. Introducing hot water or coffee helps wet and disperse them, allowing their flavour and colour to spread more evenly throughout the batter. Bakers sometimes refer to this as blooming the cocoa. It's a useful technique, particularly in recipes where cocoa powder provides most of the chocolate flavour.
But here's an important detail. You don't need to boil the cocoa aggressively. A little hot liquid and a gentle fold are generally sufficient.
And if you don't enjoy coffee, hot water can work in its place. The cake will still taste of chocolate. The coffee simply provides another layer of flavour.
The Third Stage: Why Oil Makes Chocolate Cake So Moist
Now for something that occasionally surprises people. Some of the moistest chocolate cakes are made with oil rather than butter. And there's a good reason.
Butter contains water, milk solids, and fat. Oil is almost entirely fat. But more importantly, most common baking oils remain liquid at room temperature. Butter, on the other hand, becomes relatively firm as it cools. This difference influences how the finished cake feels when you eat it. An oil based cake often remains soft and tender even after refrigeration. The crumb feels moist because the fat stays fluid.
Butter cakes can be magnificent, particularly when the butter is creamed with sugar to incorporate air. But for a simple chocolate cake, oil is wonderfully convenient. There's no need to soften butter. No lengthy creaming process. And no worrying whether the butter is at precisely the correct temperature. You simply combine the oil with the other wet ingredients. It's one of the reasons this style of chocolate cake is so approachable.
I generally prefer a neutral flavoured oil, such as canola or grapeseed. Something that allows the chocolate to remain the star. A strongly flavoured olive oil can be delicious in certain chocolate cakes, but it produces a different result. For a classic, easy chocolate cake, a neutral oil is the simplest choice.
The Fourth Stage: Why Sugar Does More Than Make Cake Sweet
Sugar is another ingredient that deserves a little more respect. Of course, it makes the cake sweet. That's the obvious part. But sugar also influences moisture, tenderness, browning, and structure.
Sugar attracts and holds water. This helps the finished cake retain moisture. It also affects how starch and proteins set during baking. In a properly balanced recipe, sugar can delay some of those structural changes, allowing the cake time to expand before the crumb becomes firm. This contributes to a softer, more tender result.
But balance matters. Too little sugar can produce a cake that's less tender and less moist. Too much can weaken the structure, encourage excessive browning, or leave the centre struggling to set. And this is why I don't recommend dramatically reducing the sugar in a cake recipe without understanding the consequences. You aren't simply removing sweetness. You're changing how the cake behaves.
A chocolate cake is a little like a good orchestra. Every ingredient has a role. And removing half the violin section because you think there are too many musicians may not produce the result you were hoping for.
The Fifth Stage: How Eggs Hold Everything Together
Eggs are rather remarkable ingredients. They contribute water, fat, protein, and emulsifiers. And each plays a useful role in cake batter.
The proteins in eggs begin changing structure as they heat. Eventually, they help the cake set. The yolks contribute fat and emulsifiers that help bring together ingredients that don't naturally mix easily. Oil and water, for example. Left to themselves, they'd prefer to remain separate. But the emulsifiers in egg yolks help create a more stable mixture. This contributes to a smoother batter and a more consistent crumb.
Eggs also provide moisture. And depending on the mixing method, they can contribute some air to the batter. But for an easy oil based chocolate cake, we don't need to beat the eggs into a magnificent foam. We simply need to incorporate them properly.
And here's one small but useful point. Room temperature eggs generally combine more readily with other room temperature ingredients. It's not an absolute requirement for every recipe. But it can make the mixing process a little smoother.
The Sixth Stage: Why Baking Soda and Baking Powder Matter
Now we come to the ingredients responsible for much of the cake's rise. Baking soda and baking powder. They sound similar. But they don't behave in exactly the same way.
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. When it reacts with an acid in the presence of moisture, it produces carbon dioxide gas. Those little gas bubbles help expand the batter. Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate along with one or more acid components. Many baking powders are double acting, meaning they release gas during mixing and again as the batter heats. This makes them particularly useful in cake recipes.
Some chocolate cakes use baking soda. Some use baking powder. And some, like this one, use both. The correct combination depends on the other ingredients, particularly their acidity. Natural cocoa, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, and certain other ingredients can contribute acid. Dutch processed cocoa behaves differently.
And this is why I always encourage people to follow the specified raising agents carefully. Adding more baking powder doesn't automatically produce a lighter cake. Too much can cause the batter to rise rapidly and then collapse. It can also leave an unpleasant flavour. We want a gentle, controlled rise. Not a cake that attempts to escape the pan before losing interest halfway through.
The Seventh Stage: Why You Shouldn't Overmix Chocolate Cake Batter
Here's one of the simplest ways to improve a homemade cake. Know when to stop mixing.
Flour contains proteins that can form gluten when hydrated and mixed. Gluten is extremely useful when making bread. It creates the stretchy network that helps dough trap gas. But in a tender chocolate cake, we generally want much less gluten development. Too much mixing after the flour has been added can encourage a stronger gluten network. The result may be a cake that's tougher or more elastic than intended. Not quite the soft, delicate crumb we're after.
For a simple chocolate cake, I prefer to combine the dry ingredients thoroughly before introducing the wet ingredients. This helps distribute the cocoa, salt, and raising agents evenly. In this recipe, the mixer does its work for a couple of minutes, and then the hot coffee is folded in gently with a spatula. That's all the batter needs.
There's no need to keep beating once the coffee is in, or to attack the bowl as though it has personally offended you. Gentle, thorough mixing is quite enough.
The Eighth Stage: Why Chocolate Cake Batter Can Be Surprisingly Thin
Now here's something that occasionally alarms home bakers. You finish mixing the batter. You look into the bowl. And instead of a thick, luxurious mixture, you discover something rather thin. Almost pourable. Surely something has gone wrong?
Not necessarily. Many moist chocolate cake recipes, including this one, use a relatively high proportion of liquid. This helps hydrate the flour and cocoa while contributing to a tender finished crumb. The batter may be much thinner than a traditional butter cake mixture. And that's perfectly normal for recipes designed that way.
But don't assume every chocolate cake batter should be thin. The correct consistency depends on the recipe. If the batter is intended to be pourable, resist the temptation to add extra flour simply because it looks different from what you're used to. Additional flour can make the cake dry or heavy.
Trust the proportions. Baking is one of those areas where a little faith in the recipe can be remarkably helpful. Provided, of course, that the recipe has been properly developed.
The Ninth Stage: What Happens When Chocolate Cake Enters the Oven
Now comes the fascinating part. The batter enters a hot oven. And within minutes, a collection of changes begins taking place. The air and gas already present in the batter expand as the temperature rises. The raising agents contribute additional carbon dioxide. Moisture warms and some turns into steam. Together, these changes help the cake rise.
Meanwhile, the proteins in the eggs and flour begin setting. The starch in the flour absorbs water and gelatinises. Gradually, the batter changes from a fluid mixture into a stable cake.
This is the crucial transformation. The cake needs enough time to expand before its structure becomes firm. But it also needs enough heat for that structure to set properly. If the oven is too hot, the outside may set and brown before the centre has finished cooking. The cake can develop a pronounced dome or crack. If the oven is too cool, the batter may rise slowly and take longer to set. And if the cake is removed too early, the centre may collapse because its structure hasn't become sufficiently stable.
This is why oven temperature matters, and why I always recommend allowing the oven to preheat properly to 350°F (175°C). A cake shouldn't begin its journey in an oven that's still deciding whether it wants to be warm.
The Tenth Stage: Why Chocolate Cake Can Become Dry
A dry chocolate cake is a particularly disappointing thing. Especially when the kitchen smelled so promising while it was baking.
There are several possible causes. Too much flour. Insufficient fat or liquid. An imbalance in the recipe. Or, perhaps most commonly, overbaking. As a cake bakes, moisture gradually evaporates. Some moisture is essential to creating the crumb. But excessive moisture loss can leave the finished cake dry.
This is why I prefer to begin checking a chocolate cake a little before the recipe's suggested baking time. Ovens vary. Cake pans vary. And a shallow cake layer will bake differently from a deep cake.
A wooden skewer inserted into the centre can be useful. For many chocolate cakes, you're looking for a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter. A completely clean skewer isn't always necessary. And if the skewer comes out covered in liquid batter, the cake needs more time. The important thing is to understand the difference between moist crumbs and uncooked batter. One is delicious. The other is a sign that the oven still has work to do.
The Eleventh Stage: Why the Cake Pan Makes a Difference
The cake pan may seem like a minor detail. But it can influence how evenly the cake cooks. A dark metal pan generally absorbs more radiant heat than a pale metal pan. This can encourage faster browning around the edges. Glass and ceramic dishes behave differently again.
And the depth of the batter matters enormously. A thin layer of cake batter will cook more quickly than a deep one. This is why changing the size of the pan can affect the baking time. If you pour the same quantity of batter into a smaller pan, the cake becomes deeper. And the centre may take considerably longer to cook.
Use the pan size recommended by the recipe whenever possible, which for this cake is two 9-inch pans. And prepare them properly. A little parchment paper on the bottom makes removing the cake much easier. Particularly when the finished crumb is wonderfully soft. Because after spending all that time creating a beautiful chocolate cake, discovering that half of it intends to remain permanently attached to the pan is rather upsetting.
The Twelfth Stage: Why Chocolate Cake Needs to Cool Before Frosting
Now comes the part that requires patience. The cake is baked. The kitchen smells magnificent. And you've prepared a bowl of rich chocolate buttercream. Naturally, you want to put the two together immediately. But I would encourage you to wait.
A hot cake is still releasing heat and moisture. If you spread buttercream over it too soon, the fat in the frosting may soften or melt. The result can be a slippery, glossy mixture that refuses to stay where you put it. Not ideal.
As the cake cools, its structure also becomes more stable. The crumb firms enough to make handling and frosting easier. I like to allow the cakes to rest in their pans before transferring them to a cooling rack. Then let them cool completely before applying the buttercream.
And yes, I appreciate that we've already been patient while the cake baked. Unfortunately, chocolate cake has never shown much concern for our personal schedules.
The Thirteenth Stage: Why Chocolate Frosting Needs Balance
A good chocolate cake deserves a good frosting. But I don't think the frosting should overwhelm the cake itself. The cake should have a deep chocolate flavour and a wonderfully tender crumb. The frosting should complement those qualities. Not bury them beneath an avalanche of sweetness.
For this chocolate buttercream, I like the balance of butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, a little sour cream, and a splash of milk. A pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness. And a little vanilla adds warmth. The precise proportions determine whether the frosting is light and fluffy or rich and dense.
If the frosting is too thick, add a little liquid. If it's too loose, allow it to firm slightly. But don't add enormous quantities of powdered sugar simply to make it stiffer. That can quickly produce a frosting that's overwhelmingly sweet. And when you've gone to the trouble of making a lovely chocolate cake, I think it deserves something a little more considered.
How Do You Know When an Easy Chocolate Cake Is Perfectly Baked?
I look for four things.
First, the cake should have risen evenly, with a surface that looks set rather than wet.
Second, the centre should spring back gently when touched.
Third, a skewer inserted into the middle should come out without liquid batter, although a few moist crumbs are perfectly welcome.
And finally, the cake should smell wonderfully chocolatey. Not burnt. Not excessively sweet. Just rich, warm cocoa.
Once the cake has cooled, the crumb should be soft and tender. A slice should hold together without crumbling into dry fragments. And when you take a bite, the chocolate flavour should be rich enough to make you consider whether another slice might be necessary. Which, in my experience, it usually is.
Why Simple Chocolate Cake Is Worth Making
What I love about this cake is that it doesn't ask you to become a professional pastry chef. It asks for a few everyday ingredients. A little understanding. And enough patience to let the oven do its work.
The cocoa provides depth. The oil contributes tenderness. The sugar helps retain moisture. The eggs and flour create structure. And the raising agents give the cake its lift. Everything has a purpose. Nothing needs to be unnecessarily complicated.
And the finished cake is wonderfully versatile. You can serve it with a generous layer of chocolate buttercream. A little whipped cream. Some fresh raspberries. Or simply a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Although I must confess, I've always had a particular weakness for a thick slice of chocolate cake with a good cup of tea. Preferably in the afternoon. Preferably when there's absolutely nothing urgent that needs doing.
And if someone asks whether the cake was difficult to make, you can smile and tell them it was incredibly easy. Which, for once, will be entirely true.
Key Ingredients
Cocoa Powder: It gives both the cake and the buttercream their deep chocolate flavour; sift it if it is lumpy.
Hot Coffee: Folded into the batter, it deepens the chocolate without making the cake taste of coffee.
Sour Cream: Adds moisture and a gentle tang to the cake, and makes the buttercream soft and light.
Neutral Oil: Oil rather than butter in the batter keeps the cake wonderfully moist for days.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens and keeps the crumb tender and moist.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Together they give the cakes a good rise and a gentle spring to the touch.
Kosher Salt: A touch in the batter and the buttercream takes the cake from simply sweet to properly balanced.
Unsalted Butter: Softened to room temperature, it is the base of the silky chocolate buttercream.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Overbaking: the cake dries out, so take it out when a skewer comes out clean or with just a crumb or two clinging to it.
Panicking over thin batter: once the coffee is in, the batter is meant to be loose, glossy and pourable, so don't add more flour.
Frosting a warm cake: the buttercream will melt and slide, so let the layers cool completely on a wire rack first.
Frosting a fridge-cold cake: cold layers make the buttercream skid, so frost when the cake is cool but not cold.
Skipping the crumb coat: without that thin first layer and a chill to firm it, crumbs end up all through your finished frosting.
Stiff buttercream: if it is hard to spread, beat in lukewarm milk a teaspoon at a time until it turns soft and light.
How to Store
Room temperature: The finished cake keeps happily at room temperature for up to four days. Cover it loosely or keep it under a cake dome.
Make ahead: Bake the layers ahead, cool them completely and wrap them well, then fill and frost when you are ready.
Slicing: For clean, defined slices, use a hot, dry knife, wiping it between cuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes chocolate cake moist?
Moist chocolate cake depends on the balance of liquid, fat, sugar, and flour. Oil can help create a tender crumb, while sugar contributes to moisture retention. Avoiding overbaking is particularly important.
Can you make chocolate cake without an electric mixer?
Yes. Many simple chocolate cake recipes can be made using a mixing bowl and whisk. Oil based recipes are particularly convenient because they don't require creaming softened butter with sugar. This recipe uses an electric mixer to beat the batter for a couple of minutes, and the buttercream is much easier with one.
Why do you add hot coffee to chocolate cake?
Coffee contains roasted and bitter flavour compounds that complement cocoa. Hot coffee also helps disperse cocoa powder throughout the batter, producing a more even chocolate flavour.
Will chocolate cake taste like coffee if I add it?
Not necessarily. A moderate quantity of coffee can deepen the chocolate flavour without producing an obvious coffee taste. The result depends on the strength and amount used.
Can I use hot water instead of coffee in chocolate cake?
Yes. Hot water can help disperse cocoa powder and create a moist batter, although it won't contribute the additional roasted flavours of coffee.
Is chocolate cake better with oil or butter?
Both can produce delicious cakes. Oil often creates a softer crumb at room temperature because it remains liquid, while butter contributes its own distinctive flavour and can be creamed with sugar to incorporate air.
Why is my chocolate cake dry?
Dry chocolate cake can result from too much flour, insufficient liquid or fat, or overbaking. Weigh ingredients carefully and begin checking the cake before the suggested baking time has elapsed.
Why did my chocolate cake sink in the middle?
A cake may sink if its centre hasn't set properly, if too much raising agent was used, or if the batter's structure is unable to support its rise. Opening the oven too early can also contribute in some circumstances.
Why is my chocolate cake dense?
Dense chocolate cake may result from incorrect ingredient proportions, expired raising agents, overmixing, or insufficient baking. The precise cause depends on the recipe and method.
Can I make chocolate cake ahead of time?
Yes. Chocolate cake can often be baked a day ahead, cooled completely, and stored well wrapped. Frost it shortly before serving or according to the frosting recipe's storage requirements.
Can you freeze chocolate cake?
Yes. Allow the cake to cool completely, wrap it carefully, and freeze. Thaw it while wrapped to help limit moisture loss. Unfrosted layers are particularly convenient to freeze.
How do you know when chocolate cake is done?
The centre should look set and spring back gently when touched. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out without wet batter, although a few moist crumbs are fine.
What frosting goes best with chocolate cake?
Chocolate buttercream is a classic choice, and it's what this recipe uses. Cream cheese frosting, chocolate ganache, vanilla buttercream, and whipped cream can also work beautifully.
Can I use espresso instead of coffee?
Yes, hot coffee or espresso both work beautifully to deepen the chocolate.
Why is my batter so thin?
That is exactly right. Once the hot coffee is folded in, the batter should be loose, glossy and pourable.
What is a crumb coat and do I need one?
It is a thin layer of buttercream that traps loose crumbs. Chill it for about 30 minutes until firm, then add the final layer for a clean finish.
Why is my buttercream too stiff?
Beat in lukewarm milk a teaspoon at a time until it turns soft, light and easy to spread.
How long does chocolate cake keep?
The finished cake keeps happily at room temperature for up to four days.
Recommended Equipment
Make this recipe easier with the right tools: Rimmed Baking Sheet, Silicone Spatula, Stand Mixer, Chef Cooling Rack. Also useful: Parchment Paper and Hand Mixer.
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If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also love my Molten Chocolate Lava Cake, Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Coconut Layer Cake, Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread, and Mini Egg Cookies.
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