If you’re looking for that classic, moist chocolate cake that you can bring anywhere and dress up or down depending on the occasion, this is it.
Honestly, so simple to make it all happens in one bowl and you likely already have all the ingredients in your pantry right now.
For the cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1 cup milk (or non dairy milk option) (+ 1 tablespoon vinegar)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot water
For the buttercream:
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 up cocoa powder
4 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk (or non dairy milk option)
Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
The very first thing I do is add the tablespoon of vinegar to the cup of milk and let it curdle a little. I know that sounds gross but it actually works better than buttermilk in this recipe.
You can use a big bowl and do this by hand, but I do it all in my mixer. Start by whisking the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. Then switch attachments to the paddle or beaters and mix in the eggs and the milk mixture and then the oil and the vanilla. At the very end, add in the hot water and mix until it’s totally blended.
Bake for 40 minutes, but check on it around 35 just in case. You may have to leave it in longer, depending on your oven.
Let it cool completely before you frost it. I used cocoa buttercream, which is really very simple and goes perfectly with this cake. You just cream the butter with the icing sugar and the cocoa. Then add the vanilla and the milk slowly until it’s the consistency you’re going for.
I used a cute Russian piping tip, but any cute tip with do! While the frosting was still wet, I added some chocolate sprinkles and voila! Adorable classic chocolate cake!