Easy chocolate cake
Our really easy chocolate cake recipe is perfect for birthdays. It’s so moist, dark and decadent and will keep well for 4–5 days. For buttercream quantities, instead of ganache, use our cake calculator.
Each serving provides 477 kcal, 6.5g protein, 56g carbohydrates (of which 40g sugars), 25g fat (of which 10.5g saturates), 2.5g fibre and 0.6g salt.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 225g/8oz plain flour
- 350²µ/12½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 85g/3oz cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 free-range eggs
- 250ml/9fl oz milk
- 125ml/4½fl oz vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 250ml/9fl oz boiling water
For the chocolate ganache
- 200g/7oz plain chocolate
- 200ml/7fl oz double cream
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins.
For the cake, place all of the cake ingredients, except the boiling water, into a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, or electric whisk, beat the mixture until smooth and well combined.
Add the boiling water to the mixture, a little at a time, until smooth. (The cake mixture will now be very liquid.)
Divide the cake batter between the sandwich tins and bake in the oven for 25–35 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely, still in their tins, before icing.
For the chocolate icing, heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat until the chocolate melts. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the mixture until smooth, glossy and thickened. Set aside to cool for 1–2 hours, or until thick enough to spread over the cake.
To assemble the cake, run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the cake tins to loosen the cakes. Carefully remove the cakes from the tins.
Spread a little chocolate icing over the top of one of the chocolate cakes, then carefully top with the other cake.
Transfer the cake to a serving plate and ice the cake all over with the chocolate icing, using a palette knife.
Recipe Tips
The chocolate cake mixture is quite runny, so it's important to use sandwich tins rather than springform tins, which could leak.
You don't have to cover the cake in ganache, you can also use chocolate buttercream.
Which chocolate cake is the best?
It depends on personal preference! This recipe is an easy, moist cake that keeps well (great when you don’t want to be cooking at the last minute).
Our best chocolate cakes collection has all types of chocolate cake covered, including gluten-free and vegan options, light spongy cakes and rich deeply-chocolatey cakes.
Why is my chocolate cake dry and crumbly?
You might have added too much cocoa powder, which absorbs more moisture than flour. Only add the amount suggested in the recipe: don’t be tempted to add extra thinking it will make your cake more chocolatey, it’s more likely to make it dry and crumbly. The other option is that your cake has been overcooked which will dry it out.
How do I stop my cake from cracking and doming?
Ovens do vary and if yours runs hot you might find your cakes are very domed with deep cracks on the top. Try lowering the temperature a little.
Does refrigerating cake dry it out?
Yes, fridges are a dry environment which will draw moisture from a cake making it stale before its time, so do not put sponge cakes in the fridge in an attempt to make them last longer.
The exception to this is when a cake is filled with fresh cream (or anything else that needs to be kept cold) when you should fill it at the last minute to minimise time in the fridge. Also, if it’s a hot day you might need to chill a cake to prevent the icing melting.
If a cake is completely covered with buttercream this will form a protective layer which helps prevent the cake drying out in the fridge. However the cold can still affect the texture of the sponge (as the fats in the cake solidify) so it should be brought back to room temperature before serving.