Easy Chocolate Cake
This is one of those recipes that you’ll want to keep secret. You know the type. It’s so simple, but you don’t want your friends to know that! It tastes like the most fantastic chocolate cake; you’d think it couldn’t possibly be easy. But it is. shhhh
Whats better than ONE chocolate cake?
I’ve written the recipes for both Thermomix and Conventional methods. So get cracking and whip one up. Oh, by the way, for this massive cake (the one in the images) I made up two full recipes and spread them over five cake tins. It does have five layers; it’s a lot of cake.
Do you like chocolate cake? I often think I do, but occasionally, when I’m given some, I’m disappointed. It’s chocolate; you think it’s going to be rich, moist and flavourful. You have a taste; then you hear that zipppp, noise in your head and “dam I’m going to have to eat this or it will look as though I’m rude”. ahahaaa Have you ever had a chocolate cake that’s been the complete opposite? I have on some occasions. Dry, doesn’t really taste like chocolate, actually tastes like nothing much but sweet. Well have no fear, this one is nothing like that.
Some recipes out there are merely a vanilla cake that has had cocoa added to them. That’s a mistake, if you add cocoa to a sponge, even if you remove a couple of tablespoons of flour and replace it for cocoa you’ll end up with dry. Cocoa needs more liquid than flour so don’t go making that mistake. The chocolate cakes that have you adding a load of good quality chocolate into them usually taste great. But they can cost a fair bit too. This one is brilliant, it uses cocoa, but the quantities are right.
I made this cake for my son’s birthday. He loves my chocolate tart, and always asks for that, so I decided to make him a cake as well.
Easy Chocolate Cake
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becs-table.com.auEquipment
- 1 Thermomix or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 300 g plain flour (All-purpose)
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 100 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp flaked salt heaped We use Pink Murray Valley
- 3 large eggs
- 230 g sour cream
- 230 g water For conventional method warm water about 37°c
- 80 g olive oil
- 10 g vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 150°c fan (300°f fan). Prepare 2 x 9-inch cake pans with a disc of baking paper on the base. I used USA non stick pans. No need for anything else. If your cake tin isn't a good quality non-stick, you'll need to line and grease the sides too.
- Add all the dry ingredients to your stand mixer bowl and whisk on a low speed to sift and combine. Remove from the bowl and set aside
- Add all the wet ingredients (including the warm water) to your stand mixer and beat until everything is combined.
- Add the dry mix to the wet mix and beat till smooth.
- Divide batter among the pans
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes and then turn out the cakes onto the racks and allow to cool completely.
- Frost with your favorite frosting and enjoy!
For the Cake Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 150°c fan (300°f fan). Prepare 2 x 9inch round cake tins with a disc of baking paper on the base. No need for anything else. If your cake tin isn't a good quality non-stick, you'll need to line and grease the sides too.
- Weigh all the dry ingredients into the TM bowl and with the MC in place give them a sift for 5 seconds/speed 5, then remove from the bowl and set aside.
- Weigh all the wet ingredients into the TM bowl, add in the butterfly and with the MC in at the start, set for 3 mins /37°c / speed 4. You can remove the MC when the mix stops splashing.
- Add the dry ingredients back to the TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds/speed 3; remove the lid, scrape down the sides of the bowl and set to mix again for another 10 seconds/ speed 3.
- Divide batter among the pans
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes and then turn out the cakes onto the racks and allow to cool completely.
- Frost with your favourite frosting and enjoy!
Notes
Want to know more?
If you enjoyed baking this delicious cake, you might also be interested in Bake Club Online
Hi, do you remove the butterfly whisk for step 4?
Deborah, it seems like you were inquiring about step 2. I have edited the post and corrected some typos that were present after modifying the recipe cards. Please note that in step 4, it is important to keep the butterfly in as we aim to emulsify the mixture.
I’ve been making this cake every year for my sons birthday, since 09/2019. It’s a hit every time! I’ve made stacked tall cakes, number cakes, cupcakes. It’s a winner and everyone wants the recipe – it’s so easy as well.
I would love for you to share an icing recipe to accompany this that isn’t too sweet as that’s the only complaint I receive when I make this, is that with the icing it’s too sweet.
Thanks so much!
I have a buttercream section in my blog, and a few different recipes on my blog. Do a search and you’ll find them all.
Hi Bec,
Could I use 3 x 8 inch pans for this cake? If so, how much would I need to take off the cooking time please?
Cheers, Pam ?
Sure, Pam. Although it depends on how deep you want your layers and how tall the sides of your cake tins are. It will be a test for you, but I’d start checking at the 20 min mark. When I add timings for baking, they’re always a suggestion. I try to say “in my oven” because everyone’s oven is different, and the kind of tin makes a difference as well.
Roger that, thanks Bec. I have those amazing USA cake pans you recommended and they’re 5cm deep. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks again ?
You’re welcome Pam. 😉
It worked perfectly. I checked from 20 mins as you suggested and it only took 24 in total. Woo Hoo ??
Excellent Pam, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. 😉
I am going to try this for my son, he loves a good choc cake!! Any suggestion on what to replace the cream? My son is diary free. Thank you so much!
Mary
It would be a test but I’ve done similar to this.
Take 1 cup of raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours drain then add back 50g of water and a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Then blend until it looks like cream in your Thermomix or food processor. Add more water if needed. Let me know how you go.