Practically Perfect Chocolate Cake
This is the ultimate Chocolate Cake recipe! Moist, rich, and easy to bake, this dessert is perfect for birthdays, holidays, or anytime indulgence.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cup granulated sugar
- 1¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Frosting
- ½ cup butter melted
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 3 cup icing sugar powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup milk
Instructions
Prepare and Bake the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉, Grease and flour bottom and sides of two 9 inch round metal baking pans (see notes for other pan sizes)
- In a large bowl, combine together 2 cup granulated sugar with 1¾ cup all purpose flour, ¾ cup cocoa powder, 1½ tsp baking powder, 1½ tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt.
- In a small bowl, mix together 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, ½ cup vegetable oil, and 2 tsp vanilla extract, then pour the mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Beat dry and wet ingredients together with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup boiling water to batter and mix well. Batter will be thin.
- Evenly pour batter into the prepared baking pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Prepare frosting while cake bakes, below.
- Remove from oven and cool in pans for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the cakes from their pans onto wire racks and cool completely before frosting.
Prepare Frosting
- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, mix ½ cup butter (melted) with ⅔ cup cocoa powder until well combined.
- A little at a time, alternate adding 3 cup icing sugar and ⅓ cup milk to the cocoa mixture, then add in 1 tsp vanilla extract.
- Beat with hand mixer until a spreadable consistency is achieved. In needed, add milk, a tablespoon at a time and beating well after each addition, until the desired consistency.
- Frost cake between layers, on the sides, and top.
Notes
9x13 inch pan: Oven 350℉, grease and flour top and sides of metal baking pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Do not remove from pan, cool completely and frost.
3 layer cake: Follow the same instructions and times as the basic 2 layer cake.
Bundt cake: Oven 350℉, grease and flour a 12 cup metal Bundt pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then remove cake to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Cupcakes: Oven 350℉, line 30 muffin cups with paper liners. Fill each liner 2/3 of the way up, full of batter. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before moving to wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Nutrition values are for 1/10th of the recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pieceCalories: 615kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 7gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 562mgPotassium: 276mgFiber: 5gSugar: 77gVitamin A: 384IUCalcium: 103mgIron: 3mg