Just before you start reading, let me make it clear that this is the most amazing chocolate cake recipe you have ever made! It’s one chocolate recipe I have used for years and gotten loads of feedback from my clients. I have also covered this chocolate cake with fondant, and carved with it! It’s moist and still holds it’s texture.
Chocolate cakes never fails to lure you to their irresistible aroma. A decadent chocolate cake such as this is the perfect treat for any kind of celebration!
I have been asked severally by clients and colleagues what’s the secret recipe 😀; how to make this chocolate cake from scratch; how many minutes does it take me to make my chocolate cakes; if there are substitutes for some of the items I used; what’s the shelf life of my chocolate cake; if it can be frozen, etc.
Good news is, I am answering all these questions in this write-up.
So why is this the BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE EVER?
- It’s a butter based recipe. I know how canola or sunflower oil can be quite expensive especially for those of us in Nigeria. Well good news is with a very good brand of unsalted butter, you can make yourself two 8 inches round cakes from this my moist chocolate cake recipe!
- It’s a one-bowl recipe. Meaning you don’t have to beat butter and sugar separately. You just add all items to a bowl and mix!
- It’s a 5-minute recipe. You read that right! 😀. If you love quick recipes just like me that do not like loads of protocols especially when baking, then this simple moist chocolate recipe is your answer!
- It’s tweakable. I love recipes I can play around with; customize to suit a particular taste or achieve a particular result. And this easy chocolate cake recipe is just it!
Are there tips to making my amazing chocolate cake recipe?
- Use unsalted butter. This gives you complete control over the flavor of this recipe.
- DO NOT SKIP THE SALT. Yes I know I said recipe can be tweaked but don’t omit the salt ‘cos it enhances flavor and balances the sweetness of the cake.
- Use the BEST unsweetened cocoa powder you can find. Infact this is VERY IMPORTANT. Cocoa powder in this recipe helps you control the sugar level in the cake. Infact the darker and richer the cocoa powder, the better the flavor!
- Brown sugar. I use brown sugar in all my chocolate cakes. Brown sugar contains molasses which creates extra moisture in the cake as well as add more flavor. You can use a light brown sugar or a dark brown sugar. I love using dark brown sugar to make chocolate cakes ‘cos it also enhances the colour.
- Coffee: Don’t get scared. You won’t feel the taste. Coffee is known to emphasize the deep, dark flavor of chocolate cakes.
- Buttermilk: The acidity that buttermilk adds to cake batter helps to make cakes even more tender. It also adds a subtle tanginess. Don’t have buttermilk? Don’t worry we can use another substitute. Use unsweetened yoghurt, or sour cream. Or simply make yours. How? For every cup of liquid milk, add a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar, or lemon/lime juice. Allow milk sit in an undisturbed place for 10 minutes. And voila, your buttermilk is ready!
- I don’t have access to unsalted butter, can I use margarine? Definitely yes. Use a very good brand of margarine.
- Don’t overmix. Mixing time is just 5 minutes so keep to it.
- When measuring out the out items, if you are starting with cups, use cups all through. While if you are starting with scale, use a scale all through.
- Don’t open your oven door in the first 20minutes of baking. The cake needs all the heat during this time. If you do, your cake will sink.
- Before you start anything, PREHEAT YOUR OVEN. Cake bakes for 25-30 minutes
- Prepare your pan. After greasing my pan with butter, I dust slightly with cocoa powder. It does the same work as flour.
- Shelf life of this homemade chocolate cake recipe is 3 days. You can wrap well and keep refrigerated for 1 week. Or double wrap with plastic wrap/cling film, then in foil, and keep in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 6months.
- Once cake is baked, allow it cool for 10 minutes in a pan before removing.
- Frost with chocolate buttercream or cream cheese 😋.
- When adding the items to your mixing bowl, if you’re starting with dry items, add all dry items first to the bowl before adding wet items and vice versa.
- Recipe can be baked in two 8 inches round pan, or two 7 inches round pan, or one 9 inches round pan.
- Preheat oven to 160°C. Prepare your pan by greasing with butter. Also dust slightly with cocoa powder. Dust out excess cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Measure out all items. Sieve flour and cocoa powder separately and set aside.
- To prepare the coffee, add 60ml (¼ cup) hot water to a cup. Add clear vanilla extract/flavour (you can use dark vanilla flavor or chocolate flavor too). Next add your coffee powder and stir well to combine. Set aside.
- In your mixing bowl, add all items starting with the dry items (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, butter, salt).
- Next add all wet items (eggs, buttermilk, coffee mixture).
- Whisk with the balloon attachment of your mixer on low speed for 1 minute to combine all items.
- Next, increase mixer’s speed to the highest and whisk for 3 minutes. Finally, reduce mixer’s speed to the lowest and whisk for 1 minute. This extract air that has been introduced to the batter during the first 4 minutes.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow the cake cool for 10minutes in the pan before removing and placing on a rack or tray to cool completely.
Sussan Apeh.
Welcome Adventurous Baker to a simplified Baking and Confectionery blog! I am Apeh Sussan, a professionally trained cake artist, pastry chef, small chops specialist, cookier, and dessert maker. I am a proud African from Nigeria. I will be taking you every week on how to make healthy signature treats from the comfort of your home and with simple accessible materials to wow your family, friends, and clients! I also run detailed online training on ALL my signature treats that is accessible 24/7! Kindly subscribe to my blog and invite your friends as we continue this adventure! For sponsorship, collaborations, etc please send us an email via sussycakes@sussycakes.com.ng