This easy chocolate cake recipe is perfect for anyone who wants a soft, moist and rich homemade cake without complicated steps. It uses simple ingredients and gives a deep chocolate flavor that works well for birthdays, tea time, family gatherings or weekend baking.
You can serve this cake plain, with chocolate frosting, whipped cream or a simple dusting of cocoa powder.
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- For Chocolate Frosting
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup icing sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F. Grease a cake pan and line it with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
- Add eggs, oil, milk and vanilla essence. Mix until the batter becomes smooth. Do not overmix.
- Add hot water slowly and mix again. The batter will look thin, but that is normal.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely before adding frosting.
- For frosting, beat butter until smooth. Add icing sugar, cocoa powder, milk and vanilla essence. Mix until creamy, then spread over the cake.
Tips
- Use hot water for a softer cake.
- Do not overmix the batter.
- Let the cake cool before frosting.
- Add chocolate chips for extra flavor.
