Chocolate Cake – Back to Basics
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A simple, easy and delicious chocolate cake with easy chocolate buttercream frosting!
The third instalment in my ‘back to basics’ series!
Back to basics
So, recently (I say recently, it was like August time it started) I decided to start a ‘back to basics‘ series on my blog because as much as I bake all these recipes, and usually, post two a week, they aren’t the most basic. Even down to the flavouring, they aren’t the most basic.
I’m not talking about dumbing down recipes or anything like that, as I like to make mine as easy to follow as possible for anyone of any skill level, but more like posting the recipes that most of my other recipes are based on. I’m not saying all my recipes ever are based on those from the ‘back to basics’ series, but more because I thought I would cover all bases to help you guys out.
Instalments so far
The first in my series of ‘back to basics’ was my no-bake vanilla cheesecake. I had over SIXTY cheesecake recipes on my blog by the time I posted a delicious, but basic, vanilla cheesecake. It was something that is technically in all of the recipes already on my blog, but the number of people that had been searching for one of my blog every day astounded me.
The second in my series of ‘back to basics’, was my triple chocolate brownies. Similarly to my cheesecakes, but not to the same quantity, I had basically used the same recipe quite a few times, but always put extras in such as Biscoff, or Terry’s chocolate orange. The reactions to both of these recipes were really quite astounding! I genuinely never thought they’d be so popular, but they still are now after months of posting.
So, for the third instalment in the series, I thought I would cover one of the most delicious treats that have ever existed, the chocolate cake. Some of you may think “but you already have a chocolate cake recipe”, and I do… with my chocolate fudge cake, but that’s more an American style recipe and its super gooey, and utterly scrumptious, but definitely requires more ingredients and effort.
Chocolate cake
This beauty is basically a chocolate Victoria sponge. The only difference to the recipe from a classic Victoria sponge is that you remove some quantity of flour, and replace that quantity with cocoa powder. It’s still based on the idea that you have equal quantities of flour, eggs, butter and sugar, which is the base of practically most cakes on this blog, but some of the dry becomes the chocolate.
Often the most simple bakes can be the most delicious, this bake is about simple flavours, simple but effective. Using high quality cocoa powder is key as this will boost the flavour of your sponge, I usually use 100% cocoa powder for that rich, delicious chocolate taste.
Accuracy
If your oven is definitely at the correct temperature, which most ovens technically aren’t, and you mix the ingredients in the right way, to the correct quantities, there is no reason that this cake should ever fail. With ‘The Great British Bake Off’, they apparently test all of the contestant’s ovens every day, by baking a Victoria sponge, and theoretically, they should all come out identical if the ovens work.
There isn’t too much more to explain about the cake itself, but be accurate when weighing it out. Also, if your bakes never tend to work properly, no matter the recipe, invest in an oven thermometer as it may save it all. In my rented house that I lived in last year, it was FIFTY degrees out. FIFTY. We ended up having to buy a new oven and swap it whilst we lived there as the landlord didn’t understand the significance of this.
Buttercream
For the chocolate buttercream, it’s quite a simple one. You MUST use ACTUAL UNSALTED BUTTER. I mean the kind you find in foil, and that when its fridge cold, is solid. You can use a spread for the cake, but NOT for the buttercream. I might get a few smart arse comments about this as to ‘why not’ but if you want a stable buttercream, that will last no matter the heat outside, use actual unsalted butter.
If its peak summer, and there is a heatwave, you won’t need to add any liquid to the buttercream. Technically, you don’t have to at all if you really do beat your buttercream well enough, but I actually like mine a smidge softer so its easier to pipe, so I usually add between one and two tablespoons of boiling water to smooth it out. But, if the weather is so hot you don’t even want the oven on, this won’t be necessary.
Variations on a basic
All in all, I have used this recipe technically loads of times on my blog, in my Oreo drip cake for example, but never done a post on a simple chocolate cake before. I personally, prefer using light brown sugar in the sponge because I like the flavour, but either that, caster sugar, or golden caster sugar would work perfectly fine.
This sort of sponge has a really good base for multiple uses, and it’s a hardcore classic that millions of people bake across the world as it’s so simple. I generally find the cake fine as it is, because it’s meant to be simple, but you can always add 100ml buttermilk if you wanted, but if you wanted a denser or richer sponge, I would go for something else such as a fudge cake as they really are so different.
This sort of sponge is a really good base to cover in fondant if you are decorating, or anything similar. You can also swap up the flavours really easily by adding 1-2tsp of different extracts, such as orange or mint, or just swapping up the flavour of the frosting that you decide to put on top.
Tips and tricks
- This cake will last at room temperature (not in the fridge as it will go hard) for three days.
- The cake will freeze for 3+ months
- I use a cake tin, or a cake box to store it.
- You can use dark chocolate in place of the cocoa powder if you wish – use 100g for the sponge, and 100g for the buttercream.
- If your cake isn’t baked fully, your oven might be at the wrong temperature, or it wasn’t mixed correctly. Keep it in, till a skewer comes out clean, and it’s springy to touch.
Chocolate Cake!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 300 g unsalted butter
- 300 g caster sugar/light brown sugar
- 245 g self raising flour
- 55 g cocoa powder
- 6 medium eggs
Chocolate Buttercream
- 200 g unsalted butter (not baking spread)
- 400 g icing sugar
- 50 g cocoa powder
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan, and line two 8" cake tins with parchment paper.
- Beat together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the flour, cocoa powder and eggs, and beat again until combined.
- Split evenly between the two tins, and bake in the oven for 28-32 minutes. Sometimes it can take a little longer - don't open before 25 minutes, and be as quick as you can checking with a skewer.
- Once baked, leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
For the Chocolate Buttercream
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature. Don't use a baking spread or margarine.
- Beat your butter on its own for about a minute, to loosen it up.
- Add in the icing sugar gradually, beating in during or in 1/3 at a time. Don't add it all in at once.
- Also, add in the cocoa powder, beating in fully.
- If it's really very stiff, add in ONE tablespoon of boiling water at a time, beating fully each time, until it becomes smooth and lovely.
To Decorate
- Place your first sponge on a plate/cake board, and pipe/spread on half of the buttercream frosting. Add on the second cake, and pipe/spread on the rest of the buttercream.
- Add on anything you fancy as decoration, I used sprinkles. Enjoy!
Notes
- This cake will last at room temperature (not in the fridge as it will go hard) for three days.
- I use a cake tin, or a cake box to store it.
- You can use dark chocolate in place of the cocoa powder if you wish - use 100g for the sponge, and 100g for the buttercream.
- If your cake isn't baked fully, your oven might be at the wrong temperature, or it wasn't mixed correctly. Keep it in, till a skewer comes out clean, and it's springy to touch.
Hi Jane, I always use your recipes thank you.
I made this chocolate cake for my father in laws birthday and then my mother in law decorated it with whipped cream and dark chocolate ganache. It went down very well with everyone x
Would you be able to decorate this cake with fondant (holding shape under the weight)?
Please and thank you 🙂
It was my first time baking the cake. And although the decorations did not go as beautiful as I would have liked, it turned out very good! I would reduce the sugar slightly, next time I bake this as its a tad too sweet.
Hi Jane.
Would I be able to use golden caster sugar for this cake?
Thank you!
Yes, you can!
Hi Jane.
Would I be able to use golden caster sugar for this cake?
Thank you!
Yes!
Our favourite chocolate cake – just wondering how many cupcakes this wiuld do and how long you would bake them for thanks
Just made 27 with approximately 40 grams of mixture in each. Cooked for 20 mins in a fan oven at 180.
Can you use stork (fluffy cakes) instead of block butter ??
She already said no to this
Yea you can, as Jane says, stork for cakes and real butter for butter cream
My son made this and the cake has gone so crumbly, what did he do wrong??
Usually for a basic sponge if it is crumbly it means it is over baked – as long as the recipe/method was accurate and not altered xx
I only have 2x 6×4 cake tins. How would I use the ingredients to make a cake this size?
Can this chocolate sponge be frozen?
Yes, it can!
Hi Jane! I’d like to make this for my daughters 3rd Birthday, I was wondering would it be enough buttercream to spread around the whole cake? as I want to make a farm cake and stick chocolate fingers around the edges. Do you think this would work?
Great recipe and turned out perfectly! I adapted the recipe and made it dairy free using stork block for the sponge and flora plant butter for buttercream (but did add sml amount of warm water to buttercream). Amazing!
I have also made the sponge and used the buttercream recipe from Jane’s Vegan Biscoff cake. Highly recommend this as an option.
Can anyone tell me though if I was planning on making it as a tray cake what size of dish I should use? Need to make a work treat again soon and thought that I might make it with Biscoff topping.
So glad you love this recipe – take a look at my chocolate school cake recipe for a traybake! Hope this helps! x
This is an excellent recipe, I used for a 5 birthday cake and did extra buttercream to make a crumb coat. Just thought I’d note that I made this using milk free substitutes for the butter, straight swap quantity wise and it turned out great. I used a spread in the sponge. For the buttercream I used a brand called Violife who make a plant based product called Vioblock. It behaves pretty much like butter, as I was making in January I did use the boiling water tip as room temp was still pretty cold. There are great vegan buttercream recipes out there but they’re a bit more time consuming. Thought I’d share in case it makes anyone’s life easier!
Hiya I wanted to make this cake but make a 3 layer 9inch cake.. How much of everything would I need please?
Also wanted to cover the whole cake with buttercream instead. Again how much of the ingredients would I need please? X
Hi. I’ve made this as a 3 layer and a 4 layer for a wedding cake.
3 layer was 500g of flour, sugar, stork and 10 eggs..
Though I swapped some flour for cocoa powder and altered sugar ratio with some light muscavado sugar.
I didn’t use ordinary buttercream. Instead Swiss meringue buttercream
Hiya! I am making my niece’s birthday/christening cake for this Sunday and I’d like to make this using a 10×3 inch tin. Please can you advise how much I need to increase the ingredients and cooking time by and if I can cook it all in the one tin? Thank you so much 😊 xx
I want to make an 8 inch square cake. Would this recipe work? If not which of your recipes would please X
I did this recipe for my grandsons birthday it turned out great will definitely use this recipe again
Tasted great and it wasn’t dry but it was quite dense. Should it have come out light and fluffy? I believe all the ingredients were measured correctly, what other factors can affect this?
If it was dense but not dry then this may just be underbaked! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane , can I make this into a 6” recipe over 3 cake tins? Or would it be better to use two cake tins. Also if I was to go with the second option how much longer would it take to bake x
Hi. Can this go in a 9×13 traybake? Thx
Hiya! Take a look at my Chocolate Traybake Cake recipe. Hope this helps! x