Basic Chocolate Cake

This basic chocolate cake recipe is an easy any-occasion treat.

By Linda West EckhartPublished: Jun 25, 2007

4 Ratings

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Charles Schiller

Yields:

8 serving(s)

Prep Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

Cal/Serv:

294

Less is more when it comes to this basic cake batter. Use a whisk, but stir, rather than whip, the room-temperature ingredients together. Try these variations on the basic recipe: Warm Chocolate and Caramel Cakes and Chocolate Spice Cake. Recipe adapted with permission from Cakes From Scratch in Half the Time, by Linda West Eckhardt (Chronicle Books, 2005).

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Ingredients

butter at room temperature, plus more for cake pan
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour, plus more for cake pan
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup strong brewed coffee, warm
1/3 cup light olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar
Deep Chocolate Glaze

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat an 8-inch round cake pan with butter and dust with flour. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. In a second bowl stir together coffee, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Whisk wets ingredient into dry ingredients until smooth. Transfer to prepared pan.
2. Step 2Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
3. Step 3Ice cooled cake with about 1 cup Deep Chocolate Glaze. Cake can also be served plain alongside whipped cream or coffee ice cream.