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Classic Chocolate Cake

Published: Updated:

13 Reviews

Total Time
45m
Prep Time
20m
Bake Time
25m
Serves 12
Serves 12
easy
Easy

About this Classic Chocolate Cake

One taste of this decadent chocolate cake and you're sure to have found a firm favourite. Dark and rich in appearance, and even richer in taste with the delicious caramel undertones that using Billington's sugar brings to chocolate bakes. Made in 8 simple steps, this easy chocolate cake is a classic recipe to enjoy with all the family - after all, who doesn't love a generous helping of chocolate cake?

Make it mini? - To make smaller versions follow these instructions.

- Bake the cake in a 30x20cm tin for 45-50 minutes at 160°C fan.
- Use a 8cm round cutter to stamp out the cakes (this will make 6-8 mini cakes in total)
- Cut each mini cake horizontally to make two layers, then sandwich together with the buttercream and decorate with grated chocolate and a fresh raspberry

TIP: use the leftover cake crumbs to make cake pops/cake truffles.

Chocaholic's rejoice. We've got all bases covered with chocolate - literally. If you love to bake chocolate cake, then it's a Baking Mad must to master our Chocolate Fudge Icing, perfect for drizzling and dolloping onto any bake worthy of an extra layer of indulgence. In the need of a chocolate fix with empty cupboards? Our Chocolate Mug Cake needs only 4 ingredients to get started, and is sure to curb the chocolate hit you're cravings.

12 ingredients10 steps

    Method

    1. Step 1

      Grease and line the base of a 20cm (8") deep cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180c (170c fan, gas mark 4)

    2. Step 2

      Place oil and sugar in a large bowl and whisk together with an electric beater or food mixer until light and thickened. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.  

      Ingredients for this step

      • 120mlVegetable Oil
      • 275gBillington's unrefined dark muscovado
      • 3Medium eggs
    3. Step 3

      Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a separate bowl and mix together until evenly distributed.

      Ingredients for this step

      • 200gAllinson's Plain White Flour
      • 1 tspBaking Powder
      • 1 tspBicarbonate of soda
      • 50gCocoa Powder
    4. Step 4

      Add half the dry ingredients into the wet batter and fold it all together gently. Then add the milk and the remaining dry ingredients and fold gently until well combined.

      Chocolate cake mix being whisked in a bowl surrounded by baking ingredients

      Ingredients for this step

      • 250mlMilk (whole)
    5. Step 5

      Spoon into the prepared baking tin and bake for an hour, until cooked throughout. 

    6. Step 6

      Cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn on to a wire rack to completely cool.

    7. Step 7

      To make the buttercream, mix the cocoa powder with the boiling water to make a paste.

      Ingredients for this step

      • 25gCocoa Powder
      • 3 tbspWater (boiling)
    8. Step 8

      Cream the butter to soften it then beat in the icing sugar using a food mixer or electric hand whisk. The longer that you beat it for the lighter and fluffier your buttercream will be. Stir in the cooled cocoa mixture. 

      Ingredients for this step

      • 300gSilver Spoon Icing Sugar
      • 175gButter (unsalted, softened)
    9. Step 9

      Slice the cake in half, horizontally, giving you two sponges. Then spread a third of the chocolate buttercream on top of one sponge and place the other sponge on top to sandwich the buttercream in the centre of the cake. 

      Chocolate cake being smoothered with chocolate buttercream infront of packs of sugar
    10. Step 10

      Spread the remaining chocolate buttercream over the top and sides of your cake. You can personalise your cake with decorations to your own taste and style. 

    Ingredients

    • For the cake

      • 120mlVegetable Oil 
      • 275gBillington's unrefined dark muscovado 
      • 3Medium eggs 
      • 200gAllinson's Plain White Flour 
      • 1 tspBaking Powder 
      • 1 tspBicarbonate of soda 
      • 250mlMilk (whole) 
      • 50gCocoa Powder 
    • For the filling

      • 25gCocoa Powder 
      • 3 tbspWater (boiling) 
      • 300gSilver Spoon Icing Sugar 
      • 175gButter (unsalted, softened) 

    Utensils

    • 20cm cake tin
    • Baking paper

    Nutritional information per 120g serving

    • Energy 496cal
    • Fat 25g
    • of which Saturates 9.9g
    • Carbohydrates 61g
    • of which Sugars 48g
    • Protein 5.5g
    • Salt 0.45g

    13 Baker Ratings

    Easy enough to make but agree the taste could be more chocolate, otherwise very moist and will feed plenty .My buttercream for some reason was more of a coffee colour than other choc buttercream ive made in the past .

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    1 baker loved this!

    This was really easy to make once I'd accepted I wasn't going to be able to cream together sugar and oil with a hand mixer. After I'd wiped all the oily sugar from my arms and the work surface I beat by hand into a sort of emulsion. After that it was plain sailing. The finished result was light and moist. The cake itself was very slightly lacking in chocolatey flavour, and I may add a shot of espresso to see if that adds a depth of flavour. I think the neighbours enjoyed it. It's definitely one to try again.

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