Delicious & Simple Chocolate Cake Recipe Step-By-Step

Centuries ago when discovered by civilizations of central Mexico and South America, chocolate was considered a gift from the gods. Still, in the fathom of how to use it, it wasn’t until the 16th century that chocolate made its way to Europe and became a luxurious beverage for the elites. Thanks to advancements in the baking industry by the 18th century, chocolate found its way into a cake recipe and incorporated sponge cakes. During those days, classic chocolate cake recipes were home-baked delights and were served less sweet and light in texture, unlike rich and creamy cakes of today’s generation. 

Today, we will try an easy and simple chocolate cake recipe at home.  

Key Ingredients Of A Classic Chocolate Cake Recipe

*Note: This is a standard recipe for a chocolate cake that will serve 2 to 4 people. 

Cake Sponge 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk (whole milk or any milk of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (60ml) hot water

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (60g) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1-2 tablespoons milk (adjust consistency as needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Decoration:

• Chocolate biscuit
• Melted chocolate

Instructions:

Baking the Chocolate Sponge 

1. Preheat your oven and grease the cake pan 

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Grease and lightly flour a round cake pan or line it with parchment paper. You can choose any shape of the cake pan as per your choice, we have taken a circular cake pan.

2. Mix all dry ingredients

Mix your dry ingredients like all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar in a bowl. This ensures your batter has no lumps.

3. Mix all wet ingredients

In another bowl, mix your wet ingredients like milk, egg, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. This ensures your batter becomes velvety and smooth. 

4. Mix wet and dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, gradually mix your wet ingredients with your dry ingredients and mix continuously. Add milk to your batter to adjust the consistency of your batter and keep it velvety and smooth, without any lumps. 

5. Bake the cake sponge 

Pour the batter into the greased cake pan. Bake the batter in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until you can pick a toothpick inserted into the center and it comes clean. 

6. Cool the cake 

Take your cake out of the oven when cooked and let it sit on the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan, transfer it to a cooling rack, and let it cool for another 20 minutes. 

Making the chocolate frosting 

1. Cream the butter

In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy and smooth. Add dry ingredients like powdered sugar and cocoa powder and mix it till well combined with the butter. 

2. Mix in wet ingredients 

To the butter mixture add a splash of vanilla extract, cocoa, heavy cream, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix it in a blender until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency of the frosting with milk and ensure it is a velvety smooth mixture. Ensure you can make stiff peaks of the frosting. Do not overwhip the cream. 

Decorating the chocolate cake  

1. Frosting the cake

Once the cake has completely cooled, cut the cake into two slices and spread the chocolate frosting evenly in the middle of the slices, over the top and sides of the cake.

2. Garnishing the cake 

Take melted chocolate and drizzle it on top of the frosted cake as per your design and add a few frosting swirls on top of the cake. Add biscuits to complete the decoration and serve the cake for a tasty chocolate cake. 

About Chef 

Learn about the culinary genius behind this delicious chocolate cake recipe, Chef Shikha Kapoor, the driving force behind Belly Amy’s, a premier bakery and cafe, or cakesncakesshop.com. Her mastery in crafting irresistible flavors has always impressed every cake enthusiast who has tried her delicacies. Her chocolate cakes have become popular as her recipes are made by her and showcase unique flavors. With her culinary education and years of dedicated work in innovating different recipes, she has perfected her art and never failed to delight any cake enthusiasts with uniquely crafted recipes that blend passion with perfection and make Belly Amy’s a successful enterprise.