Easy Chocolate Cake

chocolate cake on a wire rack with chocolate chunks and a knife in the foreground and a large sugar pot in the background

This Easy Chocolate Cake does exactly what it says on the tin. A simple and foolproof one bowl chocolate cake that is absolutely delicious and perfect for all occasions.

Course cake

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 646kcal

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Ingredients

150 mls sour cream
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp vegetable oil
200 grams soft unsalted butter
225 grams plain flour
225 grams caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
50 grams dark cocoa

Chocolate Icing

100 grams dark chocolate
50 grams milk chocolate melted
1 tbsp golden syrup
150 mls sour cream
100 grams soft unsalted butter
400 grams icing sugar

Metric - U S Customary

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

Pre heat the oven to 170° C/325° F/Gas Mark 3
Put 150 mls sour cream, 3 large eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 4 tbsp vegetable oil, 200 grams soft unsalted butter, 225 grams plain flour, 225 grams caster sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, ½ tsp fine sea salt, and 50 grams dark cocoa in your free standing mixer or large mixing bowl. Mix well together with a paddle beater or hand held electric whisk. Start slowly at first if using a hand held mixer as it will all puff up at first. Whisk for a couple of minutes until the mixture pales a little. It starts out a dark brown. Mid way through the mixing scrape down the sides and carry on mixing.
Divide the batter between 2 lined 8 " loose bottomed sandwich tins. I generally weigh the filled tins to get them roughly equal. Bake for 25/30 minutes until an inserted skewer/toothpick comes out clean (no sticky bits/residue)
Leave the sponges for 5 minutes in their tins before running a knife around the edges of the cakes and carefully placing them on a wire rack to fully cool.
Meanwhile make the icing by placing 100 grams melted dark chocolate - 50 grams melted milk chocolate - 1 tbsp golden syrup - 150 mls sour cream - 100 grams soft unsalted butter - 400 grams icing sugar in a food processor, free standing mixer or large mixing bowl. Mix well and completely together before putting in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up. No longer otherwise it will be too cold to spread on the sponges. I melt the chocolate in the microwave 20 second blasts/quick stir and repeat. Let it cool for five minutes before adding.
When the sponges are cool then spread half the icing onto one of the sponges (be generous) before carefully placing the un iced sponge on top. Ice the top of that one and then sprinkle or not sprinkle depending on mood, inclination and what's in the cupboard.
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Notes

Use an oven thermometer to monitor oven temperature. The temperature can vary enormously and I strongly believe that this is a big problem. Until I bought one I had no idea that my oven fluctuated so greatly. They are very cheap to buy and have transformed my baking.
Don’t over bake, this goes for all sponges, no one likes a dry cake. Take this one out sooner rather than later.
Don’t skip the bicarb of soda this cake needs it.
Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.
Only ice the cake when it is completely cool otherwise the icing will become too thin.
Use the best dark cocoa you can manage. It does give a much better flavour.
Make sure you use a large mixing bowl if not using a free standing mixer.
I have made this chocolate cake recipe as a 7 " cake for a birthday cake. I baked it for about 45/50 minutes at 160 C.
I have used the recipe to make 18/20 average sized cup cakes. I iced them with half the icing amount and they were mighty fine.
And I also make this cake as a Traybake. I use a 20 cm x 30 cm tin and bake at the same temperature for about 30 minutes. I used three quarters of the icing amount.

All nutritional information is intended as a guide and is approximate.

Nutrition