Hello everyone, I hope you’ve had a great weekend! This simple chocolate cake is so easy, you don’t even need a mixer. I like to add coffee to the batter to give the cake a more complex flavor, but you can just as well use hot water if you prefer. Buttermilk and oil help to make the cake soft and moist.
Here is the recipe.
Simply Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups 450 gram sugar ( or, 250 gram sugar + 200 gram brown sugar)
- 1 3/4 cup (200 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (85 g) cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (235 ml) buttermilk
- 1 cup (235 ml) hot espresso coffee or water
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting
- Dark Chocolate Cheese Frosting, recipe here
Directions;
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease and flour three 8-inch (20 cm)pans or use one 9 inch pan.
- In a mixing bowl add sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix for two minutes.
- Put all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix for about 2 minutes.
- Add the wet ingredients and mix for another 3 minutes until everything is well blended.
- Divide the batter between the three pans and bake on the middle shelf in the oven for about 30-35 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, check with a cake tester. If it comes out dry, the cakes are done. If not, bake for another 5-10 minutes.L
- Leave to cool completely.
- Make the Dark chocolate cheese frosting, you can find the recipe here.
- I like to use a rotating cake stand if you have one put a piece of baking paper on the board and place the first cake on to it.
- Spread out a generous layer of the dark chocolate cream cheese frosting.
- If you’re not a fan of cream cheese just leave it out.
- Repeat the layers.
- When the last cake is on top, spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. I use the back of a spoon to make “swirls”.
I’m a big fan of simple cakes, and this cake reminds me of an Audrey Hepburn quote:
“Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people, it does for me.” – Audrey Hepburn
19 Comments
Hi, I’m from Australia. I would really like to try this recipe however, buttermilk is not sold in stores. What could be a good substitute for it, or how do you make buttermilk?
Hi Anna, you can use soured milk or natural yogurt instead.
Happy baking!
-Team Passion4Baking
Anna sier- buttermilk is sold in the milk section of every supermarket in Australia. Small blue carton.
My cake sank in the center … A Why is that? Thank you
Hi Carmen, there could be several reasons for this. Overmixing the batter may make a cake sink, and there is also a chance the cake wasn’t quite finished baking. 🙂
-Team Passion4Baking
Hi – can I use canola or corn oil instead
Hi Liza, canola oil will just just as fine. 🙂
-Team Passion4Baking
Hi,Is there any substitute for eggs?
Hi Arjit, we haven’t tried making this cake without eggs, sorry we can’t be of more help. 🙂
-Team Passion4Baking
Hi there. Can I substitute buttermilk with sourcream?
Hi Ignite, yes you can use sour cream or natural yogurt. 🙂
-Team Passion4Baking
Hi everyone .
I’m from Iran.
I made buttermilk by myself.
You can add one spoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and leaving aside for about 15 minutes;then you have buttermilk.
Hello,
I would like to ask about the amount of sugar…it seems a lot…I would like to ask if I can use less sugar?
Would it change the consistency of the cake?
hi yes just use less, no problem
Hi Manuela. In case of using 8-inch pans, do I use 2 or 3?
you can use 2 or 3
Hi Manuela,
Do you use natural cocoa powder or Dutch processed cocoa powder?
I’m from Canada and we have both here.
if I put the cake in the fridge will the cake dry up and be harden? Do you have any chocolate banana cake recipe you can share?
It will harden a bit, but just take it out some time before serving! i have one recipe will share soon!