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An easy chocolate cake that’s moist, delicious and packed full of chocolate.
It can be made in any size of round, square or rectangular tin so you can use whatever tins you have in the cupboard, and can feed a few or a whole crowd.
Today’s recipe is a variation on my popular Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipe, as with that recipe it can be made in pretty much any size of round, square or rectangular tin (see the handy calculator just above the main recipe).
It’s incredibly simple to make. I’ve taken the Mary Berry approach to baking and kept it as easy as possible by making an all-in-one chocolate sponge cake. This means all of the ingredients (except for the melted milk chocolate) are added into the bowl and simply mixed together. The melted milk chocolate is then mixed in before baking.
The melted milk chocolate is the secret to what makes this cake taste amazing. It makes the cake moist and ensures that it tastes really chocolatey, something I find isn’t always the case with cakes made with cocoa powder alone.
How to create the swirl design on top of the cake
When it comes to chocolate cake, it’s really the flavour that counts. However, if you want to neaten your cake up a bit then I think this swirl design is really effective, and it’s very simple to achieve.
What you need
- Small palette knife
- Cake decorating turntable – This sounds like a fancy piece of equipment, but it really isn’t. You should be able to get one for a few pounds. It isn’t essential, but it’s much easier to get a neat swirl if you have one.
What to do
- Once you’ve covered the top of your chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream, smooth it with a palette knife (it doesn’t need to be perfect just reasonably even).
- Pop the cake onto the cake turntable.
- Starting from the edge of the cake and working in. Slightly dig the end of your palette knife into the buttercream. Holding the knife steady, slowly spin the cake stand to create a circle. As you turn the cake stand, move the knife inwards slightly so that once the first circle is complete your knife is now just inside ready for the next circle. Keep rotating until the palette knife reaches the middle of the cake.
I’ve finished my cake with some small round chocolate sprinkles.
The great thing about this is that if you don’t get it quite as you want it the first time (I didn’t!) you can simply smooth it over with the palette knife and have another go.
Can I use dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate?
Absolutely. I use milk chocolate in this cake recipe as that’s what I prefer, but if you’re a dark chocolate lover then this works just as well using that instead. You can also use a mixture of the two if you’d like something in between.
What about white chocolate?
Rather than tweaking this recipe, I’d recommend using my white chocolate cake recipe which was specifically designed to be packed full of white chocolate flavour.
Can I use self-raising flour instead of plain flour?
Yes, for the standard two-layer 20cm round cake recipe you switch the 190g of plain flour and 2½ tsp of baking powder for 200g of self-raising flour.
How can this chocolate cake be stored?
The cake can be stored in an airtight container for 4-5 days after baking. Ideally it should be stored in the fridge (although I’d recommend allowing your slice to come up to room temperature before eating as it will have more flavour and the buttercream will soften a little). If you don’t have room in the fridge it should be absolutely fine stored at room temperature as long as your room isn’t too hot (that’s what I always do with mine as I have a tiny fridge).
This cake is suitable for freezing, either just the chocolate sponge or the buttercreamed cake.
To freeze the chocolate sponge cake, wait for it to cool and then wrap the cake in clingfilm or store it in an airtight container before freezing. Defrost it thoroughly before decorating.
The buttercreamed cake can also be frozen in the same way.
I would not recommend freezing just the buttercream to use later as the consistency becomes a little too fudgey. This means it’s delicious on the cake but tricky to spread.
What are the chocolate cake ingredients for a different size of tin?
The main recipe below is for a two-layer 20cm round cake (this serves 12 people). However, this recipe is easily adapted to use other sizes of tins.
To find the ingredients needed to make this cake in a different size, simply add the dimensions of your tin and the number of layers into the boxes below and hit “Calculate”.
Round Cake
Cake Diameter (cm)
Number of Layers
Cake Ingredients
0 g plain flour
0 tsp baking powder
0 egg(s)
0 g soft margarine or butter
0 g caster sugar
0 tsp vanilla extract
0 tsp milk
0 g cocoa powder
0 g milk chocolate
Buttercream Ingredients
0 g butter
0 g icing sugar
0 g milk chocolate
0 g cocoa powder
0 tsp vanilla extract
Square or rectangular cake
Cake Size (cm)
x
Number of layers
Cake Ingredients
0 g plain flour
0 tsp baking powder
0 egg(s)
0 g soft margarine or butter
0 g caster sugar
0 tsp vanilla extract
0 tsp milk
0 g cocoa powder
0 g milk chocolate
Buttercream Ingredients
0 g butter
0 g icing sugar
0 g milk chocolate
0 g cocoa powder
0 tsp vanilla extract
To keep this calculator from becoming too much of a coding monster behind the scenes I've only included metric measurements. If you would like US cups measurements for a different size of tin then simply calculate the metric measurements here and then pop the results into my grams to cups calculator and it'll tell you what you need.
The US cups/ounces measurements for the original two-layer 20cm round cake recipe can be found by clicking the big green button just above the ingredients.
What is the cooking time for a different size of cake and what oven temperature should I use?
The ingredients are calculated so that the depth of each cake is the same as in the original recipe. This means that the cooking time and temperature don't need to change, so you can use what's listed in the main recipe.
Can this cake be cooked in one deep tin?
Theoretically yes, but I find I get the best results from using sandwich tins and this is what I would recommend.
If you would like to bake the cake in a deep then the cooking time will need to increase to 45-50 minutes.
Easy Chocolate Cake
INGREDIENTS
For the chocolate cake
- 190 g plain flour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- 100 g milk chocolate
- 40 g cocoa powder
- 230 g caster sugar
- 230 g margarine or butter - if you're using butter it must be soft at room temperature
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp milk
For the chocolate buttercream
- 250 g butter - soft at room temperature
- 250 g icing sugar
- 150 g milk chocolate
- 40 g cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- A little milk
This recipe makes a 20cm round cake. If you would like to make a different size of round, square or rectangular cake, you can find the ingredients you need just above the recipe.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat your oven to 160C/140C fan.Line two 20cm round sandwich tins with greaseproof paper or re-usable baking tin liners (I use these tins and these liners).
- Melt your milk chocolate (100g) - You can either melt it in the microwave (heat for 30 seconds, stir and then heat for a further 30 seconds. Repeat until the chocolate has melted), over a bain marie, or in a saucepan over a very low heat. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
- Put all of the other cake ingredients into a large bowl (190g plain flour, 2½ tsp baking powder, 40g cocoa powder, 230g caster sugar, 230g margarine or butter, 4 large eggs, ¼ tsp vanilla extract and 2 tsp milk). Beat together (either using an electric mixer on a low speed or by hand) until the ingredients are combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix in (again at a low speed) until combined.
- Split the cake mixture between the two tins. Smooth the mixture using a palette knife or the back of a spoon. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Once the cakes are cooked, remove them from the oven and leave to cool in their tins for about 10 minutes before removing them from the tin and moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate buttercream
- Melt your milk chocolate (150g) and set aside to cool - It is essential that the chocolate has cooled before it is combined with the other ingredients so it doesn't melt the butter.
- Beat the butter (250g) until soft - This can either be done with an electric mixer at a low speed or by hand. Add the icing sugar (250g), cocoa powder (40g) and vanilla extract (¼ tsp) and beat together on a low speed until combined.
- Slowly add the melted milk chocolate and beat until combined. Your buttercream needs to be a spreadable consistency. If it is a little too thick, beat in a little milk (no more than 1 tsp at a time) until it reaches your desired consistency.
Build the cake
- Place the bottom layer of chocolate sponge on to your serving dish. Spread half of the chocolate buttercream onto the bottom layer using a palette knife or the back of a spoon. Add the top layer of chocolate sponge and then spread the remaining buttercream on top of the cake. To create the swirl effect shown in the pictures have a look at my tips above the recipe.
- Enjoy!
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For
The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary, and product recipes can change over time.
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Tree Nut-Free
- Peanut-Free
- Sesame-Free
- Sulphur Dioxide & Sulphite-Free
- Lupin-Free
This cake can be made dairy-free by switching the butter/margarine for a dairy-free alternative (I like to use Pure Sunflower), using dairy-free dark chocolate, and switching the milk for a dairy-free alternative.
For the buttercream, take a look at my dairy-free chocolate buttercream recipe, which has full instructions.
Alice says
Hi would you recommend using baking strips around the tins? Or do the cake tins not need them?
Charlotte Oates says
This cake is designed to be quite flat after baking so baking strips aren’t needed.
Kath Harvey says
Hi Charlotte I’ve got cake in the oven as we speak am
Nd they’ve both sunk in the middle. Advice please
Charlotte Oates says
I’m sorry to hear that. The most likely reasons for it happening are:
1) You added too much baking powder. It should be measured using a level measuring teaspoon. If you use a regular teaspoon it can lead to too much being added which causes the cake to over-rise and the sink.
2) You over-beat the mixture. I recommend mixing the ingredients on a low speed until they are just combined. Using a higher speed or mixing for too long can add air to the mixture which, as with the baking powder, causes the cake to over-rise and then sink.
3) Your cake wasn’t cooked through when you first opened the oven door.
Joan says
Hi Charlotte, thanks for a great recipe. My cake has risen beautifully and looks gorgeous. But I’ve just realised I have forgotten to add the milk!!! Is it critical to the taste? Will it be dry without it? It’s for a special occasion and I want it to be perfect. If I need to I’ll re-bake. Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
It’ll be fine. The milk just helps get the mixture to the right consistency to rise well. It sounds like yours was fine without it.
Sheila Walsh says
What a brilliant help to have the calculator for various sized tins. Thanks
Nadia says
Hi Charlotte ,
Can I use this cake recipe and use fondant on it ? After covering it with butter cream frosting or should I do chocolate buttercream cream frosting
Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
Yes you can cover this cake with fondant. I usually add a thin layer of chocolate buttercream beneath the fondant to add flavour, help the fondant to stick and to help get a smooth finish.
Michelle says
Hi Charlotte, would this cake be ok to do it a 20cm deep springform tin ?? Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
I wouldn’t recommend making this in one deep tin. Some people find it works well, however, others have found it can sink a little in the middle after baking. It always gives good results if made in sandwich tins so that’s what I always recommend.
If you do decide to give it a try in a deep tin, then you’ll need to increase the cooking time to c. 50 minutes.
Michelle McLaughlin says
Hi Charlotte, just wanted to say I made the chocolate cake using half milk half dark chocolate and it was absolutely delicious. I cooked it at 140 degrees fan but it wasn’t done after 35 mins so had to leave in a little longer.
Hands down the best chocolate cake I’ve tasted. Will definitely bee making this again. Thanks so much for your amazing recipies. Now what to try next. Xx
Sandra says
Hi will this cake hold fondant.
Thanks Sandra
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, it’ll be fine.
Claire says
Could you cover this cake in fondant? Thanks looks delicious
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, that’ll be absolutely fine.
KM says
I made this as a Birthday request and it was absolutely delicious.
I love chocolate but much prefer a vanilla sponge (across the cake & buttercream I use nearly a whole 38ml bottle) but this was so lovely, especially the chocolate buttercream.
Chocolate ice cream is too rich for my taste but this cake was perfect.
I would absolutely make it again from my choice.
Calculator very handy, I used 6in round and 3in deep tins, cooked well, my oven can be fierce so low and slow is definitely the method I need.
I did stick to my old fashioned method of creaming butter, sugar, egg, fold in flour etc. I realise the queen aka Mary Berry does the all-in-one method, I just can’t bring myself to go against the way my Nan taught me!
Celia Yates says
Hi Charlotte, firstly let me say I think your recipes are the best I have come across.I am 78 years old and have loved baking all my life.your recipes are so easy to follow and the photos are awesome. I have recently found your site and have cooked your Choc and Walnut..Lemon sponge and recently your Chocolate cake ( which I did a mint buttercream. The comments from my family and friends have been one of what an absolutely lovely cake…I thank you for your recipes and I will be eager to bake lots more…congratulations on your knowledge of baking… keep up the good work. Best wishes. Celia…oh and as for the idea of your cake sizing how many.xx
R says
hi, do the measurements change if i’m doing 3x 8inch pans? if so, how could i do that?
Charlotte Oates says
Pop your measurements into the calculator in the main post and it’ll tell you what you need.
Ranj says
Hi there, How do I substitute butter for vegetable oil? and how many eggs should I use then?
It looks so yummy!
Thank you!
Charlotte Oates says
I wouldn’t recommend switching the butter for vegetable oil in this cake as it will add too much moisture which is likely to make the sponge claggy. Cakes made with vegetable oil have all of the other ingredients adjusted accordingly to absorb this additional moisture and counteract the problem. If you want to bake a chocolate cake with vegetable oil then I’d suggest searching for a recipe that is specially designed with that ingredient included as this will most likely give a much better result.
Elaine says
I want to make the chocolate cake for my daughter’s birthday but she’s not a lover of buttercream icing and has requested a raspberry cream cheese frosting instead, do you have any recipe for this that I can adapt?
Charlotte Oates says
Unfortunately not – sorry.
Paula Roberts says
Hi Charlotte- do you think this cake would be okay to do in three layers? I think it would be strong enough but if you could let me have your opinion that would be great. Thank you!
Charlotte Oates says
It’ll be fine. I’ve made it with three layers several times.