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Simple chocolate cake

Name: Simple chocolate cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 10
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 225g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing; 225g caster sugar; 4 medium free-range eggs; 175g self-raising flour; 50g cocoa powder; 1 tsp baking powder; 2-3 tbsp milk; For the icing; 250g dark chocolate; 250g butter, softened; 175g icing sugar; You’ll also need…; 2 20cm sandwich tins

By: Lizzie Kamenetzky

Published: 30 Sep 09
Updated: 8 Nov 24

This is a really easy chocolate cake recipe. Once you’ve made the cake itself, you can dress it up any way you fancy – for example, you could fill it with whipped cream and jam instead of chocolate icing. Or, after icing or buttercreaming, why not decorate with colourful sweets or chocolate buttons for a birthday cake?

Then when you’re feeling confident with your baking, take it up a level, with our triple chocolate layer cake.

We’ve also got a chocolate mud cake recipe, and John Whaite’s super-moreish chocolate cola cake recipe to check out.

Easy
October 2009

Test kitchen approved

Serves 10
Takes 20 minutes to make, 20-25 minutes to cook, plus cooling

Then when you’re feeling confident with your baking, take it up a level, with our triple chocolate layer cake.

We’ve also got a chocolate mud cake recipe, and John Whaite’s super-moreish chocolate cola cake recipe to check out.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 728kcals
Fat: 51g (31g saturated)
Protein: 6.5g
Carbohydrates: 66.2g (55g sugar)
Salt: 0.8g

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Before you start

You can really taste the quality of the chocolate in this cake icing – so it’s worth buying something top quality – the best you can afford.

Whenever you’re mixing a cake batter that contains flour, you don’t want to mix it too vigorously. Lots of motion will develop the gluten in the flour, which turns cake sponge more chewy and dense rather than light and fluffy.

When melting chocolate over simmering water, make sure the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water – otherwise the heat can be too high and your chocolate will seize and turn grainy.

Before you start

You can really taste the quality of the chocolate in this cake icing – so it’s worth buying something top quality – the best you can afford.

When melting chocolate over simmering water, make sure the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water – otherwise the heat can be too high and your chocolate will seize and turn grainy.

Ingredients

225g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
225g caster sugar
4 medium free-range eggs
175g self-raising flour
50g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
2-3 tbsp milk

For the icing

250g dark chocolate
250g butter, softened
175g icing sugar

You’ll also need…

2 20cm sandwich tins

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Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease 2 x 20cm sandwich tins with a little butter and base line with baking paper. In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa, then lightly fold into the mixture.
Add a little milk until you have a dropping consistency, then divide between the tins. It’s best to only fill the sandwich tins 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, then cool slightly. In a bowl, beat the butter and icing sugar together with an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy, then fold in the melted chocolate.
Spread some icing over 1 of the cakes, top with the other cake and the rest of the icing.

Recipe from October 2009 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 728kcals
Fat: 51g (31g saturated)
Protein: 6.5g
Carbohydrates: 66.2g (55g sugar)
Salt: 0.8g

FAQs

What ingredient makes a cake rise - baking soda or baking powder?
It's complicated and the short answer is both do. Baking powder is a combination of chemicals and doesn't require a reaction. Baking soda provides rise because of a chemical reaction with other ingredients (specifically acids) so requires an acidic ingredient in the recipe also (buttermilk, yogurt etc. or plain vinegar).

How do you make a chocolate cake moist?
For a moist cake, look for recipes using real chocolate, ground nuts and oil rather than butter. Also consider gluten free or flourless choc cakes for a super fudgy finish.

How can you make ahead and store this cake?
Cook and completely cool the cakes then wrap well in cling film and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before decorating.

How do I stop chocolate cake from cracking?
Make sure the oven is at the right temperature (often happens if the oven is too high). If it rises too fast, it may dome and crack. Also don't over-bake the cake and make sure to bake in the centre of oven (though this is less of a problem in a fan oven).

How do I cover a chocolate cake with icing?
Start with a thin coating of icing (known as a crumb coat) then chill until the icing hardens. This will give a smoother surface to work with. Once chilled, coat roughly and fully in icing then use a cake scraper held at a 45 degree angle to smooth. A cake turntable also helps.

delicious. tips

Watch how to make our simple chocolate cake here:

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Recipe By:

Lizzie Kamenetzky

Published: 30 Sep 09
Updated: 8 Nov 24

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Read what others say...

Jeanette Owen says:

25th Apr 2021 at 12:41 pm

I don’t normally bake, but this cake was so delicious I put fresh cream in the middle and on top, even my family commented on,
Such a simple recipe
Thank you xx

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Fahima Begum says:

28th Nov 2020 at 8:04 pm

I added milk chocolate for the icing instead if dark chocolate 😊

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Fahima Begum says:

21st Nov 2020 at 3:49 pm

Hi. I baked the simple chocolate cake following your ingredients and it came out good🙂 I’m so glad I came across it. 🙂

I just wanted to ask what the icing ingredients would be for one simple chocolate cake.

I made the icing following your icing ingredient but forgot that your icing ingredient was for 2 cakes🤦‍♀️

Now I still have some chocolate icing left over

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1. Fiona Logan says:
  
  25th Nov 2020 at 9:05 am
  
  Hi Fahima, if you’d like half the icing in this recipe, you can use the following ratio: 125g dark chocolate, 125g butter, softened and 88g icing sugar – using the same method.
Ashley Sumner says:

12th Aug 2019 at 12:05 pm

Can I just ask if the flour is correct at 100g only? Is this more of a fudgy textured cake? Thank you. I bake at a cafe and might try it out tomorrow! :)

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1. Ellie Donnell says:
  
  14th Aug 2019 at 2:38 pm
  
  Hi Ashley – yes, that’s right! 100g is the correct amount of flour. Thanks!
Bell Cordon says:

18th Feb 2019 at 2:46 pm

How much milk would you say by ‘a little’?

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1. Ellie Donnell says:
  
  18th Feb 2019 at 4:34 pm
  
  Hi Bell, we would recommend using 1-2 tbsp of milk until the batter achieves a dropping consistency. Thanks for getting in touch!
Carl sinderby says:

9th Nov 2015 at 12:34 pm

fantastic, thank you , i made this today and it turned out very well, great cake :)

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Paula Meldrum says:

22nd Dec 2014 at 1:11 pm

Fab! Thanks

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