Simply Delicious Chocolate Cake
This cake is quick and easy to make with simple everyday ingredients, but the flavour and texture is absolutely outstanding. Make this delicious dessert the day before serving, so you can relax and enjoy the day it is served. You will have peace of mind knowing that you have made an amazing dessert that actually tastes better after being chilled and made a day ahead. Fancy it up by adding shaved chocolate swirls or a sprinkling of toasted chopped walnuts or just serve it as the recipe states, pure and unadulterated.
Equipment
- 3-8" round metal cake pans
- parchment paper
- electric hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt just slightly less than a tsp is perfect
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup safflower oil sunflower or canola can be substituted
- 1 cup boiling hot water
- shortening for greasing the pans
The Frosting:
- 3 cups whipping cream
- ¼ cup cocoa
- ½ cup icing sugar you can reduce the sugar to ¼ cup if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (This is a lower temperature than most cakes are baked at but this cake is also baked for a longer time.)
- Grease the pans and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.
To make the cake:
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add all the cake ingredients except the hot boiling water. Blend with a hand held electric mixer or the paddle attachment of the stand mixer for about 2 minutes.
- Add the boiling hot water and mix again. Blend well, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until the batter is a smooth consistency about 2 minutes.
- Divide the batter evenly among the three pans and bake for at least 45 minutes.
- Test the centre of the cake with a toothpick. When the toothpick comes out dry, the cake is done. (My oven takes 50 minutes on convection bake.)
- Cool the cake completely before icing.
Make the icing and ice the cake:
- Chill a large bowl in the freezer.
- Add the whipping cream to the chilled bowl and blend on medium high until the whipped cream is thick.
- Add the cocoa and mix until well blended.
- Add the icing sugar and blend well. Continue to blend until the cream is firm and the mixture has a nice icing consistency.
- Spread and level a tablespoon of the icing on the cake stand or plate that you will use for the cake. (This will keep the cake from moving as you ice it.)
- Place one one cake layer and spread some icing on top to about ¼ inch thickness. Repeat with the other layers and then ice the top and sides of the cake. The cake will be quite high, once iced. Place a bowl or cover over the cake, try not to disturb the sides or top of the cake and put it in the fridge to chill. Chill for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.
Nutrition
Calories: 474kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 5gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 377mgPotassium: 161mgFiber: 2gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 714IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Love love love this cake! I made this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday and it turned out amazing! I did modify the recipe slightly because I do not own a round cake pan. I made this cake as a classic slab cake in a 28x18x4 cm rectangular pan. I adjusted the bake time to 50 minutes, since the pan size was different, at 300 degrees Fahrenheit in a non-convection bake oven. This left some batter left over, which I used to make 6 cupcakes that I baked at the same temperature for 25 minutes. Since I wanted to make a slab cake with no layering, I also adjusted the icing recipe to include only 2 cups of whipping cream, but left the cocoa and icing sugar portions the same. Since I do not own an electric mixer, I also whipped the icing by hand and can confirm it can be done! It is the perfect chocolate birthday cake!
Just made this for my daughter’s birthday! It was so easy and so delicious. A real show stopper! Thanks .