“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”― Thich Nhat Hanh.
Yes. After a lot of contemplation and reflection , I have decided to take the plunge. When its the one, you just know it . Actually , I think I have known for a while now but I was just afraid to accept it . Its such a huge decision you know. I think I am finally ready for the commitment. I have found….. my favourite chocolate cake.
I don’t care if you think I have gone bonkers ( ok, maybe I care a little bit!) . But when you eat , breath and dream cakes like me … you begin to develop strong feelings for cakes. Its not just a matter of flour and butter anymore. Its so much more ! And if you are at all like me , you’ ll know the feeling when you find that perfect recipe that checks all the right boxes.
I am totally aware that perfect for me might not be perfect for you . But a good chocolate cake is a tool that every baker worth their salt should have in their artillery. And what makes this a good chocolate cake?
Its good enough to eat on its own as a teatime cake.It can be sliced and layered into a gorgeous celebration cake. It is dark and dense . Moist and not sticky or gummy. Its a rich mouthful and yet not too heavy that you cannot eat a full slice. And needless to say – SIMPLY DELICIOUS!
There’s more – You need just one bowl and there’s no need to get your electric mixer out either. Just a whisking of wet and dry ingredients .Also, the recipe amounts can be altered easily for a one layer , two layer , three or four layer cake depending on what you are looking for !
Recipe adapted from : Sky-high cakes
My favourite chocolate cake
Ingredients
- 250 grams or 2 cups all purpose flour
- 450 grams or 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 60 grams or 3/4 cups cocoa (Dutch processed or natural)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 240 ml or 1 cup thick yoghurt or curd , at room temperature
- 240 ml or 1 cup vegetable oil
- 360 ml or 1 1/2 cups water , at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence or extract
- 2 Eggs , at room temperature
Instructions
- Grease and flour two 8 inch round pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Preheat oven to 180 c / 350 F.
- In a large mixing bowl , whisk together all the dry ingredients - flour, cocoa, sugar , baking soda and salt.
- Add the yoghurt and oil and whisk well. It will be thick and gluggy.
- Add the water, half cup water at a time , whisking well after each addition.
- Whisk in the vinegar and vanilla .
- Add and whisk in the eggs ONE BY ONE.
- Divide the batter into the two prepared pans. Its extremely thin and pourable. Bake at 180 C/ 350F for 50-55 minutes .
- A toothpick inserted in the centre comes out dry or with a few dry crumbs. Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then , run a knife along the sides, invert the cakes out and remove the parchment paper gently. cool right side up on wire rack until completely cool.
Notes
- This can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for 5-6 days or in the freezer for upto 2 months.
- Use Dutch processed cocoa for the best results , but regular works great too.
- Baking pan options :1. 8 inch round - full recipe in 3 pans for 30-35 minutes ,full recipe in 2 pans for 50-55 minutes (each can be sliced into two) , half recipe in 1 pan for 50-55 minutes (can be sliced into two) 2. 7 inch round - full recipe in 3 pans for 35-40 minutes ,full recipe in 2 pans for 55-60 minutes (each can be sliced into two) , half recipe in 1 pan for 55-60 minutes (can be sliced into two). 3. 6 inch round - half recipe in 3 pans for 25-30 minutes ,half recipe in 2 pans for 35-40 minutes (each can be sliced into two) , half recipe in 1 tall pan for 45-50 minutes (can be sliced into two or three)
- Since this is a moist cake, handle and slice it when chilled.
Hi Akshata, d cake turned out to be spectacular and has bcom my fav cake as well. It was moist n delicious n not at all pasty or sticky. I tried with mill ground wheat flour n d result was d same. Thank you so much for posting dis recipe
So so glad to hear that..thanks for trying Beni !
Which cocoa powder is best for chocolate cake?I am using Cadbury cocoa powder.
H Akshata, can I bake this in a loaf tin. I would like to serve this as an accompaniment to tea. How will it alter the baking time?
Hi Shafia… You can bake it in two loaf cakes… It would work fine!
I baked this cake again today in a silicon butterfly mould, and quite a few cupcakes in silicon moulds. The cake is so soft and spongy its not demoulding properly. I want to frost the cake tomorrow. Will it firm up a bit with overnight refrigeration? Keeping my fingers crossed.
Hi Shafia… i am seeing this message too late . I am hoping you had luck demoulding after the refrigeration! Please do let me know..
Was able to demould the butterfly one with difficulty, then I frosted it as well. The cupcakes moulds were patterned ones with a rose like base. Didn’t have success with those. Some broke, some were ok.
Hi! It sounds like your oven runs too hot. This is the reason for both the cake rising in the centre and the crack. Try baking at 150 C next time. Also, if u are putting a lot of batter into one pan, this can happen. About the cake being dense, it could be that it was meant to be a dense cake or it could be that you overmixed or overbaked. Don’t be disheartened, it takes some time and practise sometimes.. To find out exactly what is going wrong, try a recipe intended for a single 9 inch pan or a 8 inch round pan. Don’t make any changes or adjustments in the recipe. Bake at 150 or 160. Start checking at 25 minutes. Don’t open the oven before 20 mins of baking. You should have success. As u bake more, you can adjust to temps and pan sizes.. Hope this helps..
I tried a chocolate cake and ruined it. First, the cake got too stiff, couldn’t cut it easily. The inside was very dense, not at all fluffy. What could be the reason?
Second, all my cakes, rise at the centre, unlike what you have shown here. Reason? How to avoid the same?
I bake in a LG Microwave Convection Oven.
Also the cake pan I use, is a 9 inch round pan. Last time I baked, used the recipe but since it was a single pan, proportioned the recipe accordingly.
I don’t know, I am going terribly wrong in baking. I am losing hope. Also my cakes, have cracks. I bake at 170 degree Celsius for around 30 mins.
I love to bake but recent failures or not so pleasant results are having a toll on my baking goals. Please help me out.
Wonderful*
Hi Megha…. sorry for the late response – was travelling for a bit ! You can try 1/3 the recipe but it will be a hassle with some ingredients like the baking soda/powder. Just use one small egg . I would bake in a 8 inch (tall) or 9 inch round pan and start checking at 30 minute mark.. hope this helps !
Wonderfuk cake.. I want to bake smaller version.. Can this recipe be used to make cake by using 1/3 of the ingredients mentioned..?? If yes please help on egg quantity and time to bake..thanks ma’am
Hi Akshata, your recipes are superb.. I just tried Eggless chocolate cupcakes and they turned out super moist and fluffy.. just one question, which chocolate cake recipe of yours can i use for making Black Forest cake? I am a beginner .. can i use this above recipe?
Hi Prachi … Search for black forest cake in the blog… You will find the recipe with the perfect sponge for it
Hi..I baked the cake and turned out moist and good.but I kept it covered in cling wrap for 2 days to frost it later.The bottom and top part of the cake seems to be good and it is like the one in your pic too…but in between is very dense.
What might be the reason?is there anything I need to check the next time I bake it
Is it possible the insides aren’t cooked enough ? Do bake with only the bottom filament on for the best result .. thanks for trying the cake and leaving feedback ☺
Heyy can u tell ingredients variations for the eggless version please
I haven’t tried this without eggs yet Utsavi.. but I have a cake called vegan truffle cake on the blog which has a delicious eggless chocolate cake base…You can give that a try !
Thanks Ambika for trying my recipe s ! Both cakes would go great in a chocolate truffle cake. This recipe gives two 8 inch cakes that u can slice into 2 each . The ferrero rocher cake or devil s food cake makes one 8 inch that u can slice into 2, but u can double that recipe. So u can decide accordingly. The devil’s food cake is a tad lighter and moister.. so with the richer truffle filling , it would definitely go well !
Hi Akshata I need to make a chocolate truffle, am wondering which chocolate cake would work better as a base- this recipe or the one you used for the Ferrero Rocher cake? Thanks once again for your amazing recipes!!
Hey Carunya… it would be one cup (221 grams) of unsalted butter, melted . The taste is slightly different and if you store it in the fridge, the cake will firm up more (as compared to oil). If you do try it, let me know if you liked it. Happy baking!
Hi Akshaya…can I use butter instead of vegetable oil..?if so watz the quantity to be used?? Thank u
Hi Ambika… You could make cake pops with it by adding a little ganache/buttercream , milk or cream . I have done it before. Unfrosted, this cake can be kept in an airtight container for 3 days with the same texture and taste. ..
Hi Akshatha, could this recipe be used to make cake pops or would it be too moist ….also how long would this cake at room temperature? Thanks