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Baking · Global

Easy Chocolate Cake

Two moist chocolate layers from one bowl, sandwiched and covered with a quick cocoa frosting.

Hands-on
30 min
Hands-off
1 h 45 min
Total
2 h 15 min
Makes
12 slices
Serves
12

About 2 h 15 min: 30 min hands-on (15 for the batter, 15 to make the frosting and frost), plus 30-35 min baking, 10 min cooling in the pans and roughly an hour on the rack until completely cool (the rack time is our estimate). Preheating overlaps the mixing. Chilling the frosted cake for an hour before slicing is optional and not included.

Oven 180 °C · 160 °C fan (350 °F)

Pan 2 x 23 cm round cake pans (US: 2 x 9 in round cake pans)

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • birthday
  • party
  • chocolate
  • baking-basics
  • kid-friendly

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Easy Chocolate Cake
Amount
Units
Oven

Ingredients

You need: two 23 cm (9 in) round cake pans · large mixing bowl · electric hand mixer · kettle · toothpick or skewer · 2 wire racks · microwave-safe bowl · palette knife or spatula · oven mitts

Contains: wheat · egg · milk

Method

  1. Heat the oven, prep the pans

    Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Grease the two 23 cm (9 in) round pans and dust them with flour, tapping out the excess.

    Ready when: The oven has fully reached temperature before anything goes in.

  2. Mix the dry ingredients

    In a large bowl, stir together 396 g (2 cups) sugar, 210 g (1 3/4 cups) flour, 64 g (3/4 cup) cocoa, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp salt.

  3. Beat in the wet ingredients

    Add the 2 eggs, 240 ml (1 cup) milk, 120 ml (1/2 cup) oil and 2 tsp vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

  4. Stir in the boiling water

    An adult pours in 240 ml (1 cup) boiling water; stir it in gently. The batter will be thin.

    Otto tried this firstOtto sees the runny batter, panics and adds a big scoop of extra flour. Thin is exactly right for this cake.

  5. Bake

    Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

    Ready when: A toothpick pushed into the centre comes out clean, the top springs back when lightly touched and the edges are just starting to pull away from the pan.

  6. Cool

    Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks and leave them until completely cool.

  7. Make the frosting

    Melt 113 g (8 tbsp) butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir in 56 g (2/3 cup) cocoa. Mix 1 tsp vanilla into the 80 ml (1/3 cup) milk, then beat in the 340 g (3 cups) powdered sugar and the milk a little at a time, alternating, until it spreads easily.

    Ready when: The butter is fully melted before the cocoa goes in, and the finished frosting is smooth and soft enough to spread.

  8. Fill and frost

    Put one cooled layer on a plate and spread it with frosting. Set the second layer on top, then frost the top and sides.

Swaps

  • Instead of 2 x 23 cm (9 in) round pans: one greased and floured 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 in) pan Bake 35-40 minutes, cool completely in the pan and frost the top.
  • Instead of layer cake: cupcakes: paper-lined 6 cm (2 1/2 in) muffin cups filled halfway Bake 22-25 minutes, cool completely, then frost.
  • Instead of 2 x 23 cm (9 in) round pans: three greased and floured 20 cm (8 in) round pans Same 30-35 minutes; cool 10 minutes in the pans.
  • Instead of butter (frosting): margarine, same amount

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
The unfrosted layers can be cooled, wrapped well and frozen for up to a month before frosting.
Storage
Keep leftovers well wrapped in the fridge. Serve cold or at room temperature.

If something goes wrong

  • The batter looks far too runny Why: Nothing's wrong: the boiling water makes a thin batter
    Don't add flour. Pour it into the pans as it is.
  • Layers stick in the pans Why: Pans not greased and floured well, or turned out too soon or too late
    Grease and flour every corner, and turn the cakes out after about 10 minutes of cooling.
  • Frosted cake crumbles when sliced Why: Frosting still soft
    Chill the frosted cake for about an hour so the frosting firms up, then slice.

Good to know

  • Chill the frosted cake for about an hour for neater slices.
  • Weigh the batter into the two pans so the layers come out the same height.

Safety

  • Don't lick the bowl or taste the raw batter: raw flour and raw egg can carry harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Only the baked cake is safe.
  • After handling flour and raw egg, wash hands, bowls, utensils and the counter with warm soapy water, and keep raw batter away from ready-to-eat food.
  • Boiling water burns. An adult pours it into the batter; kids can stir afterwards once the bowl is steady on the counter.
  • Melted butter and its bowl can get very hot in the microwave. Use a cloth to hold the bowl.
  • Pans and oven racks stay very hot for a while. Use oven mitts, and kids should only move things in and out of the oven with an adult.