This chocolate cake is simple to make and has a rich chocolate taste. It’s soft, moist, and stays fresh for up to five days. You only need a wooden spoon to mix it.
Why You’ll Love This Cake:
- Rich Chocolate Flavor: Achieved using just cocoa powder, with boiling water to intensify the chocolate taste.
- Moist and Tender Crumb: Stays deliciously fresh for 4-5 days.
- Versatility: Can be dusted with icing sugar and served with cream for simplicity, or lavishly frosted for a more indulgent treat.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Espresso powder (homemade or store-bought)
- Milk (or buttermilk, almond, or coconut milk)
- Vegetable oil (or canola oil, or melted coconut oil)
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Boiling water
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
How To Make Chocolate Cake
Heat the oven to 350º F. Get two 9-inch cake pans ready by either spraying them with baking spray or by greasing them with butter and dusting with flour.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Use a whisk to mix everything together, or use the paddle attachment on your mixer to blend the ingredients thoroughly.
Pour the milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla into the flour mixture. Mix on medium speed until everything is well blended. Lower the speed and slowly add the boiling water to the batter, ensuring it is thoroughly combined.
Evenly divide the cake batter between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Take the cakes out of the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then, remove the cakes from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Spread the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting generously over the cake.
Chocolate Cake Recipe Pro Tips:
Sifting Dry Ingredients: Sift the dry ingredients, such as flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, before mixing them together. This will help remove any lumps and ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed, resulting in a lighter, fluffier cake.
Espresso Powder: The espresso powder enhances the flavor of the chocolate without making the cake taste like coffee. If you don’t have espresso powder, you can skip it, but it adds depth to the chocolate flavor. Alternatively, you can use instant coffee granules if you don’t have espresso powder on hand.
Buttermilk for Moisture: Using buttermilk instead of regular milk makes the cake more tender and moist. The acidity in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda, helping the cake rise and adding a slight tang that balances the sweetness of the cake.
Oil vs. Butter: Using vegetable oil or canola oil rather than butter gives the cake a more moist texture. If you prefer a more rich, buttery flavor, you can use melted butter in place of oil, but oil will provide a softer crumb.
Boiling Water: The addition of boiling water at the end of mixing helps the batter come together smoothly and enhances the cake’s moisture. Don’t skip this step, as it helps the cocoa powder dissolve completely and ensures a smoother batter.
Evenly Dividing the Batter: When dividing the batter between the cake pans, you can weigh the pans on a kitchen scale to ensure an even distribution of batter. This will help the cakes bake evenly and result in a uniform height once the cakes are frosted.
Checking Doneness: Instead of relying solely on time, always check the cake’s doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the cake is done.
Cooling Time: After removing the cakes from the oven, cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. This prevents them from breaking apart when you remove them from the pans. After 10 minutes, turn the pans over onto a wire rack to cool completely. Never frost a cake that’s still warm, as it will cause the frosting to melt.
Frosting: For a smoother and more even frosting layer, chill the frosted cake for about 20-30 minutes before serving. This helps the frosting set and prevents it from sliding off the cake when you slice it.
Storage Instructions:
At Room Temperature:
Storage: Store the unfrosted cake in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Pro Tip: For extra moisture, you can place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper between the layers of cake if stacking them.
In the Refrigerator:
Storage: If you’ve frosted the cake with buttercream, it should be stored in the refrigerator. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for about 4-5 days in the fridge.
Pro Tip: Before serving, let the cake come to room temperature for about 30 minutes for the best texture and flavor.
Freezing the Cake:
Storage: To store the cake for a longer period, freeze the unfrosted layers. Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag or container. You can freeze the cake for up to 3 months.
Pro Tip: When ready to enjoy, let the cake layers thaw in the fridge overnight before frosting and serving.
Freezing Frosted Cake:
Storage: If you’ve already frosted the cake, you can freeze it by first placing it in the freezer uncovered for about 1 hour to set the frosting. After the frosting is firm, wrap the entire cake in plastic wrap and then foil. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Pro Tip: When thawing a frozen frosted cake, allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight to avoid condensation on the frosting.
How to Make Ahead and Store the Homemade Chocolate Cake
Allow the cake layers to cool completely. Once cool, wrap each layer securely with plastic wrap, then cover with foil. Place the wrapped layers in freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months. To use, thaw the layers overnight in the refrigerator while still wrapped. The following day, they’ll be ready to assemble and frost.
More Delicious Cakes
- High Altitude German Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mousse Cake
- Gluten Free Strawberry Cake
- Strawberry White Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups 240 g all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 396 g sugar
- 3/4 cup 63 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons 8 g baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons 9 g baking soda
- 1 teaspoon 2.8 g kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon 2.3 g espresso powder, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup 227 g milk, or buttermilk, almond, or coconut milk
- 1/2 cup 99 g vegetable oil, or canola oil, or melted coconut oil
- 2 large 100 g eggs
- 2 teaspoons 9.4 g vanilla extract
- 1 cup 227. g boiling water
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350º F. Get two 9-inch cake pans ready by either spraying them with baking spray or by greasing them with butter and dusting with flour.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Use a whisk to mix everything together, or use the paddle attachment on your mixer to blend the ingredients thoroughly.
- Pour the milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla into the flour mixture. Mix on medium speed until everything is well blended. Lower the speed and slowly add the boiling water to the batter, ensuring it is thoroughly combined.
- Evenly divide the cake batter between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Take the cakes out of the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then, remove the cakes from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Spread the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting generously over the cake.