Everyday Chocolate Cake

Everyday butter cake but, chocolate!!! 

Oh I’ve been waiting a while to share this one with you! My original everyday butter cake did have a little ‘chocolate spin’ on it in the notes but it was just ok. It didn’t yield a true chocolate version of the everyday butter cake; the crumb wasn’t as tight and it was on the dry side. 

Recipe Origins

This one though, I spent several weeks in spring this year perfecting it. The obvious change was that I was adding cocoa to the batter. Cocoa dries out any baked good so the liquid ingredients need to be modified: I split my fats between butter and oil to keep things moist, I skipped the powdered sugar which has a bit of a drying tendency, I traded the sour cream for a mixture of buttermilk (has more water in it but still creamy) and some boiling hot water to help ‘bloom’ the chocolate. 

The result is a cake that is chocolatey, but not overly so. It’s got a soft, tight crumb, just like it’s mama EBC and that signature crispy sugar topping. It’s just so easy and simple: made in a bowl with a whisk, good for any occasion – big or small. 

I cannot wait to hear what you think and I hope this addition to the ebc family will become your new favorite! 

Why You’ll Love this Cake 

• It’s easy and simple: the only tools needed are a bowl and a whisk. 
• It’s chocolaty but not overly rich: dutch cocoa gives it an obvious chocolate flavor but it doesn’t weigh it down. It’s still a light, enjoyable anytime cake. 
• It’s soft: the cake crumb is tight, but moist and tender. 
• The crispy topping, everybody’s favorite part of ebc =)  

Recipe Ingredients 

Butter: unsalted butter. European or american is fine. Cold is fine too – we’re melting it! 

Oil: any flavorless oil like canola, vegetable or avocado. 

Vanilla: pure vanilla extract. 

Salt: fine sea salt. If you need to sub with table salt, use half the amount. If you’re using salted butter, also halve the amount of sea salt. 

Sugar: fine granulated sugar. Reducing the sugar will affect the structure and texture of the cake making it less tender. 

Eggs: whole large eggs, brought to room temperature. 

Flour: cake flour, with its finer mill produces a very tender cake. If you need to sub with all purpose flour, swap out a tablespoon and a half of it with cornstarch. 

Cocoa: dutch cocoa powder. Don’t substitute with natural cocoa as the cake won’t rise properly. I haven’t tried this with black cocoa but I imagine it could work. 

Baking powder: to leaven the cake so it rises. 

Hot water: I set mine in the tea kettle and boil it right before adding it to the cake batter. 

Buttermilk: or kefir, full fat. If you need a substitute, thin out some greek yogurt with water until it’s a pourable consistency. 

How to make the Everyday Chocolate Cake 

Put the eggs in a bowl of warm water to quickly bring them to room temperature. 

Heat the butter until it’s almost fully melted: 

Stir in the oil and the flavorings: 

Whisk in the sugar: 

One by one, whisk in the eggs until you have a thick, glossy batter:

Sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa: 

Add the boiling water and buttermilk: 

Stir – it’s ok if it’s not smooth and looks lumpy: 

Pour into prepared pan & sprinkle with sugar: 

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. 

FAQ 

Could this recipe work for a layer cake? 

Maybe… I haven’t tried it! It rises pretty flat which is ideal for layering cakes (then you don’t have to slice too much of the dome off). In terms of yield, I would say the amounts as is would work for two 6 inch round cakes. For an 8 inch layer cake I would increase the amounts by 50% to get two layers. 

Can I make it more chocolaty? 

Yep but don’t add more cocoa – it will mess with the texture of the cake! Instead, I’d just add a cup of mini chocolate chips. 

What should I serve this with? 

The cake itself is what I think of as a ‘tea cake’; a cake you’d have while drinking something. There’s no frosting on it and no filling so it’s  what some people might find ‘dry’ on its own. You can serve it with whipped cream, ice cream, a raspberry curd or coulis. 

Storing and making the everyday chocolate cake ahead of time

I like making this the day of serving; the interior of the cake does not dry out quickly if kept in an airtight container but the crisp of the sugar topping will soften if kept in an airtight container. 

So to be able to serve it in its ideal state: when the interior is soft and the topping crispy,  it’s best made and enjoyed the day of baking. 

If you do have leftovers, it’s best to sacrifice the topping rather than the interior and store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

Everyday Chocolate Cake Recipe

Everyday Chocolate Cake

Easy and simple chocolate butter cake with a tender crumb, perfect for any occasion.

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Yields: 1 8 or 9 inch cake

5 from 4 votes

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Ingredients

• 113g or ½ cup butter unsalted (cold is fine)
• 65g or ⅓ cup canola or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¾ tsp fine sea salt
• 200g or 1 cup sugar granulated
• 3 large eggs at room temperature* (temperature is very important)
• 195g or 1 ½ cup cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 50g or ½ cup dutch cocoa powder
• 60g or ¼ cup boiling hot water
• 120g or ½ cup kefir or buttermilk
• granulated sugar for topping (organic will give you bigger granules but fine is ok too)

Method

• Set the eggs in a bowl of hot tap water. This will bring them to room temperature: essential to getting the batter to emulsify.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and line an 8 or 9 inch pan with parchment paper.
• Melt the butter and add it to a large bowl. Stir in the oil, salt and vanilla. Add the sugar and whisk well, until the sugar begins to dissolve and the mixture is thick.
• Add one of the eggs and whisk for a good 30 seconds. Add another and whisk again, for another 30 seconds. Add the last egg and whisk very well: the mixture will be thick, shiny and creamy.
• Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Over it, add the hot boiling water and the buttermilk. Whisk until no dry flour or cocoa bits remain. It’s ok if it’s lumpy.
• Pour into the prepared pan, smooth into an even layer and sprinkle the top with the sugar.
• Bake the cake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes (an 8x8 pan will take a bit longer than a 9x9 inch).

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