The Only Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe You Need

Name: The Only Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe You Need
Prep time: 95 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cup All-Purpose Flour (2 cup all purpose flour (260g)); 1 ½ cup Granulated Sugar (1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (300g)); 2 tsp Baking Powder (2 tsp baking powder); 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda (1 tsp baking soda); 1 tsp Table Salt (1 tsp salt); 2 pieces Egg (2 eggs); ⅔ cup Vegetable Oil (2/3 cup vegetable oil (130g)); 1 cup Buttermilk (1 cup buttermilk (240g) -- to make your own, mix 1 cup milk (240g) + 1 tbsp vinegar*); ½ cup Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder (1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (50g)*); 2 tsp Coffee (2 tsp instant coffee (can be reduced to 1 tsp)*) — optional; ½ cup Water (1/2 cup boiling water (120g)); 1 cup Heavy Cream (1 cup heavy cream (240g)); 300 g Semisweet Chocolate Chunks (300g chopped chocolate - I recommend a semi-sweet or a mixture of dark and milk chocolate)

A classic American chocolate layer cake with a rich ganache frosting, featuring a tender crumb made with bloomed cocoa and instant coffee.

120 minAmerican

Servings12

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Vegetarian
Pescatarian
Halal

Ingredients

For 12 servings

All-Purpose Flour2 cup · 2 cup all purpose flour (260g)
Granulated Sugar1 ½ cup · 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (300g)
Baking Powder2 tsp · 2 tsp baking powder
Bicarbonate of Soda1 tsp · 1 tsp baking soda
Table Salt1 tsp · 1 tsp salt
Egg2 pieces · 2 eggs
Vegetable Oil⅔ cup · 2/3 cup vegetable oil (130g)
Buttermilk1 cup · 1 cup buttermilk (240g) -- to make your own, mix 1 cup milk (240g) + 1 tbsp vinegar*
Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder½ cup · 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (50g)*
Coffee2 tsp · 2 tsp instant coffee (can be reduced to 1 tsp)* · optional
Water½ cup · 1/2 cup boiling water (120g)
Heavy Cream1 cup · 1 cup heavy cream (240g)
Semisweet Chocolate Chunks300 g · 300g chopped chocolate - I recommend a semi-sweet or a mixture of dark and milk chocolate

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Steps

1Start with the ganache so it can cool while you work on the cake. Add the cream and chocolate to a microwave safe bowl, and microwave in 15-20 second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is warm and the chocolate has almost melted. It should continue to melt in the next 1-2 minutes. If it isn't fully melted, microwave for another 10-15 seconds. Make sure not to overheat the chocolate as it can seize up
2Cover the bowl with a plate and rest at room temperature for ~1.5 to 2 hours, stirring gently every 30 minutes, until the ganache has thickened to a spreadable consistency*
3Pre-heat your oven to 350F (conventional) and prepare 2 8" or 9" cake pans with parchment paper and butter / oil
4If making your own buttermilk, mix 1 cup milk with 1 tbsp vinegar, stir, and set aside
5Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until well combined. I recommend sifting the flour to make sure there are no lumps
6Break in the eggs, and add the vegetable oil and buttermilk. Use a whisk to gently mix until the ingredients come together and no lumps remain. Take care to mix gently
7In a smaller bowl or cup, mix boiling water with cocoa powder and instant coffee, and whisk until you get a shiny mix. This step blooms the cocoa powder and brings out its lovely chocolatey notes
8Add the bloomed cocoa powder mix to the cake batter, and gently fold until combined. Do not overmix as that can result in a tough, rubbery cake. The batter will be runny, that's totally fine!
9Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans
10Bake at 350F for about ~20-25 minutes for 9" pans, or ~23-28 minutes for 8" pans, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with light, moist crumbs attached (no wet batter), and the cake springs back when gently poked. Avoid overbaking as that can result in a dry cake
11Let the cakes cool down for 10-15 minutes in the pans, and then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack. Trying to handle the cake while it's still warm can cause it to break, so be careful!
12Once the cakes and ganache have cooled, it is time to assemble. Use a serrated knife to carefully trim off the domes from the cakes and make them even. Place one cake on a serving stand or turntable, and add 1/3 of the ganache. Spread it evenly with an offset spatula
13Add the second layer of cake on top, and cover with the remaining ganache all over, using the spatula to create a "brushed" rustic finish. If you want to avoid getting crumbs in the frosting, apply a thin crumb coating first, chill for 15 minutes, then apply the rest of the ganache.
14Serve & enjoy!