Chocolate cravings cannot be ignored! This perfectly proportioned cake will definitely satisfy every single craving! If you love the chocolate version, don’t miss my White Snack Cake! You may also love my Best Chocolate Cake (sheet cake) and find your favorite recipe on my 50 Best Cake Recipes list!
Chocolate Craving Cake
I wanted a chocolate cake. No, I needed one. But I didn’t want to make a huge cake or get out special cake pans. I just wanted the most decadent, rich chocolate flavor without a whole lot of fuss. This cake fits the bill! Paired with a chocolate frosting that is nothing like I have ever imagined!
How to Make a Chocolate Cake
First, I recommend reading through the ingredients and making sure everything is out and ready. The eggs and milk should be room temperature so getting them out of the fridge ahead of time will solve that for you. (Same with the sour cream in the chocolate frosting recipe.)
Make sure dry ingredients are sifted and measured properly. When measuring flour, get out your container or bag. Open it and use a fork to stir it, or sift it, loosening it up. Spoon the flour into a dry measure cup then use the back of a knife to level the cup off. (Or you can measure your ingredients on a scale.)
Use the proper tools. You can use a hand-held mixer (or even stir by hand) but make sure the ingredients are fully mixed and incorporated before moving on to the next step in the recipe.
Use the best quality ingredients if you are able! Dark cocoa’s or high-quality cocoa, fresh eggs, and good quality vanilla make a difference! Feel free to upgrade to all organic ingredients. When it comes to substitutions though, I do recommend making the recipe as-is first, then altering it to make it yours, including adjusting with High Altitude Baking Tips.
Why Warm Water in Chocolate Cake?
Many chocolate cake recipes include coffee, but this recipe does not. You still need the moisture that coffee would bring, but can achieve the necessary results by using hot water instead.
Another reason that you want to use warm water when making a cake recipe is that it will help to even the baking process. You don’t want to add cold cake batter to a hot oven.
Warm water will also help bring eggs within the recipe to room temperature if they have been refrigerated. As I mention often, eggs should be at room temperature before adding to the cake batter.
Chocolate Frosting (Read this before making!)
You will notice that there is no added sugar in the frosting. It is meant to complement and contrast the sweet cake! It is NOT very sweet on its own. If you prefer a sweeter frosting I recommend halving this Chocolate Buttercream recipe.
Make sure you prepare your dish well! I love using GOOP (Homemade Pan Release) in this recipe.
If you plan on serving your cake right in the pan as I did, try my tips for baking a level cake.
This is one of the best chocolate cake recipes I have ever had the pleasure of eating. It’s moist and fudgy but still has a light cake crumb. It’s got a depth of flavor and a distinct rich deep chocolate essence.
Small in size but not in flavor!
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (63g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (100g) whole milk
- ¼ cup (55g) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (118g) warm water, (can use coffee instead)
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with parchment paper and spray sides and bottom. If using a metal baking pan, heat oven to 325°F.
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Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of stand mixer.
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Add in egg, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix on low until incorporated. When mixed in increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes.
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Add in warm water and gently stir- batter will be very thin.
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Pour batter into prepared dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick is removed with a few crumbs. There should not be wet batter, but a few crumbs is good.
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Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then continue cooling on a rack until room temperature.
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In a medium microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each heating, until they are fully melted.
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Add the sour cream and vanilla and stir by hand until frosting is well combined and fluffier.
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Spread over cooled cake.
Recipe Video
This is fabulous. I’ve made it a number of times. The frosting is superb! I could eat it with a spoon
Chocolate Craving Cake looks delicious and yummy. I’m gonna try it. I love it.
😍🤗
Delicious! Chocolatey, moist and easy! It’s almost like homemade cake mix if you blend a few batches of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients when the “Craving” strikes!
Very good chocolate cake. I made the mistake of using dark chocolate chips for the frosting, and it was a bit bitter. But if you follow the recipe it will be perfect:)
Lower the oven temp when baking in glass.Recipe has it reversed.
This recipe is bakery quality thick and moist! Thank you for sharing.
Holy moly! This is soooo good! I think it’s the brilliant, responsible size that makes this recipe bake to perfection. 45 years searching for that richest homemade cake recipe and here it is! Thank you!!
AMAZINGLY EASY AND DELICIOUS!! We are so sad it is almost gone from Easter. I doubled recipe and baked in Bundt pan and drizzled a different icing over it but I am sure this one is delicious also. Is my new chocolate cake recipe! I rarely leave comments so this cake is special-I will note that we love dark chocolate so this was a huge hit with my crew.
Should I use natural cocoa powder or dutch process?
You can use either, but I use unsweetened cocoa powder.
Amanda I love this cake!!! Can I switch Greek yogurt for the sour cream in the icing? Thank you .
Can you make this into cupcakes?
My frosting stiffened up. Not shiny and creamy
Sounds like your chocolate may have seized? So sorry.
Simply delicious❤🥮🥮🥮🍷I am gonna make another one, everyone loved it.