Basic Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Mix the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a large bowl with a mixer on low speed until combined. Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vinegar and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the hot water until smooth.
• Turn this one-bowl chocolate cake batter into three different desserts.
• Layer Cake:
• Brush two 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil, line with parchment, then brush with more oil and dust with flour.
• Divide the batter between the pans; tap against the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto racks to cool completely; discard the parchment.
• Sheet Cake:
• Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil and brush with vegetable oil.
• Pour the batter into the pan; tap against the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.
• Cupcakes:
• Line 30 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about halfway. Tap the pans against the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pans, then remove to racks to cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add oil, coffee and milk and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat 2 more minutes. Expect batter to be thin.
• Pour into a 9" x 13" greased and floured pan or 2- 9" round pans. Bake 9 x 13 pan for about 45 minutes or 9" pans for about 30 minutes. Cool in pans for about 15 minutes and then cool completely on racks.
• While cake is cooling make the icing: Combine the milk and flour in a saucepan and cook over low heat until thick, whisking constantly. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
• In a medium bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add chilled milk and flour mixture and beat for 10 minutes. Frost cooled cake and enjoy! The frosting sounds intimidating, but it is worth it! By the way, for some reason, we prefer this cake chilled, right out of the refrigerator. The rich chocolate and cool frosting just seem to taste best this way.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Make the cake: Grease and line 2 8-inch (22 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
• In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and beat until fully incorporated.
• Add the vanilla and sour cream and stir with a rubber spatula until starting to incorporate, then beat with the hand mixer until fully combined.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating between each addition until just combined.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Add the butter, sour cream, vanilla, and salt to a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until well combined. Sift in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and beat until well incorporated and the frosting is smooth.
• Place 1 layer of cake on a cake stand or serving platter lined with strips of parchment paper (for easy removal). Spread ¾ cup frosting evenly over the cake. Place the other cake layer on top and use the rest of the frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.
• Slice and serve.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
• In a large bowl, beat together 200g golden caster sugar, 200g softened unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp milk and a pinch of salt until pale.
• Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream, put 100g chopped milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 mins.
• Mash 200g softened butter and 400g icing sugar together with a fork, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters, if you have them.
• Sift in 5 tbsp cocoa powder with a pinch of salt and pour in the melted chocolate and 2 tbsp milk. Mix again until smooth.
• On a cake stand or large plate, sandwich the cakes together with half of the buttercream, then spread the rest on top. Decorate with chocolate shards, if you like.
• To make chocolate shards: melt 50g dark chocolate and pour it onto a tray lined with baking parchment or foil.
• Now melt 25g milk chocolate and 25g white chocolate and drizzle them over the dark chocolate before it sets.
• Shake the tray gently to level the mixture then leave to set somewhere cool. Chop into shards.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder and cocoa. Combine milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with milk mixture. Mix well. , Pour into greased 10-in. tube pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 70-80 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan; line bottom with wax paper. Butter paper; dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture alternating with sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
• Spread batter into prepared pan. Tap pan firmly on countertop several times to force out large air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, Cool 10 minutes in pan, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely (bottom side up). Set rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour glaze over; spread gently to coat entirely. Let stand until set. Garnish with chocolate shavings. Serve with whipped cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
• In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13x9-in. baking pan. , Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. When cake is cool, dust with confectioners' sugar or top with your favorite frosting.

Steps:

• Place chocolate in top of a double boiler, bring water to a boil. reduce heat to low, cook until chocolate melts.
• Cream shortening; gradually add sugar beating well at medium speed with an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate mixing well.
• Combine four, baking powder, soda and salt, add to chocolate mixture alternately with buttermilk, begin and end with flour.Mix after each addition. Add water, nixing well. Stir in vanilla.
• Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans. bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until wooed pick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating with electric mixer on low speed after each addition until well blended. Add vanilla; mix well.
• Add 1/2 cup of the flour, the baking soda and salt; beat until well blended. Add remaining 2 cups flour alternately with water, beating until well blended after each addition. Pour evenly into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
• Bake 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Spread with your favorite frosting, if desired. (NOTE: Nutrition information is for unfrosted cake.)