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Chocolate Cake

This classic chocolate cake is rich, moist, and incredibly easy to make. Perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or just because you’re craving something chocolatey, this cake is paired with a smooth and decadent chocolate buttercream frosting that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
Prep Time15 minutes
Active Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: cake
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chocolate Cake
Yield: 10

Materials

For the Chocolate Cake:

  • - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • - 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • - 2 cups white granulated sugar
  • - 1 cup milk
  • - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • - 1 cup boiling water

For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

  • - 4 oz butter 120 g | 1/2 cup
  • - 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • - 3 cups powdered sugar
  • - 1/3 cup milk
  • - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cake:

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) for a standard oven or 320°F (160°C) for a fan/convection oven. Lightly grease two 9-inch (22cm) round cake pans with butter and line the bases with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the sugar.
  • Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Whisk well to combine until the mixture is smooth and lump-free, about 30 seconds.
  • Pour in the boiling water and mix well. The batter will be thin in consistency.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk in the cocoa powder until well combined.
  • Alternately add the powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. If needed, add a small amount of additional milk to achieve the desired consistency.
  • Stir in the vanilla extract.

Assembling the Cake:

  • Once the cakes are completely cool, spread a layer of frosting on top of one of the cakes.
  • Place the second cake on top and frost the top and sides of the entire cake.
  • Smooth the frosting with a spatula and decorate as desired.