Chocolate Cake (Printable)
Rich, moist chocolate layer cake with silky cocoa frosting—perfect for celebrations or everyday indulgence.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
02 - ¾ cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
04 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
06 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
07 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
08 - 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
09 - ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
10 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
11 - 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
→ Chocolate Frosting
12 - ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
13 - 1 ¾ cups (220 g) powdered sugar
14 - ½ cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
15 - ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, tapping out any excess flour.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed and free of lumps.
03 - Add the room-temperature eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry mixture. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth and well combined.
04 - Gradually pour in the boiling water while mixing on low speed. Continue mixing until fully incorporated — the batter will be noticeably thin, which is expected.
05 - Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
06 - Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
07 - In a mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter until light and creamy. Sift in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, then add the milk and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the frosting is fluffy and spreadable.
08 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread an even layer of frosting over the top. Place the second layer on top, then frost the top and sides of the entire cake using an offset spatula for a smooth finish.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The batter seems alarmingly thin when you pour it but trust the process because that is exactly what makes the crumb so tender and moist.
- It uses ingredients you probably already have sitting in your pantry right now which means no special grocery run required.
02 -
- Do not try to frost the cake while it is even slightly warm because the frosting will melt slide right off and you will be heartbroken.
- Replacing the boiling water with hot brewed coffee deepens the chocolate flavor in a way that does not taste like coffee at all.
03 -
- Dust your cake pans with cocoa powder instead of flour so you never get those white powdery streaks on the outside of your cake.
- An offset spatula gives you far more control than a butter knife when smoothing frosting over the sides.