Chocolate Craving Cake has the most decadent, rich chocolate flavor without a whole lot of fuss. Then, it’s paired with a chocolate frosting that is nothing like I have ever imagined! 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, and this cake fits the bill! Chocolate cravings cannot be ignored, and 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!
How to Make a Chocolate Cake
- Room temperature ingredients are important. Cold ingredients are harder to incorporate and can result in flat, lumpy, dense baked goods.
- Sifting dry ingredients is a good thing. 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 measuring 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.
- Good quality ingredients. Dutch process cocoa 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.
Why Warm Water in Chocolate Cake?
This recipe does NOT use coffee. You still need the moisture that coffee would bring, but can achieve the necessary results by using hot water instead. Using warm water when making this chocolate cake recipe will help the baking process. You don’t want to add cold cake batter to a hot oven.
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.
Can I use a 9×13 Baking Dish?
Yes, you absolutely can. No changes need to be made to the recipe, but it will not be as thick as in an 8×8 baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 28-32 minutes. The cake is done when an inserted toothpick is removed with crumbs, but no wet batter.
How to Store Chocolate Cake
As there is sour cream in the frosting, this cake does need to be refrigerated. When in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap, it should last 2-3 days.
How to Freeze Chocolate Cake
I don’t recommend freezing with frosting on. To freeze the cake:
- First, allow the cake to fully cool in the pan.
- Next, place a layer of plastic on top of the cake. Then, place a cutting board or cooling rack on top.
- Flip the cake over. Remove the pan.
- Wrap the plastic up over the edges of the cake and then add another large piece and wrap it again as tightly as possible without crushing the cake. Make sure that none of the cake is exposed in the freezer as this can cause freezer burn.
- Finally, wrap it in a layer of aluminum foil, labeling and dating the cake. The cake will freeze well for 1 month and should be fine for up to 3 months.
More Chocolate Cakes
Chocolate Craving Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (63 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (100 g) whole milk
- ¼ cup (55 g) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (118 g) warm water, or warm brewed coffee
Frosting
- 1 cup (168 g) milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-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.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add in egg, milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on low until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 additional minutes.
- Add in warm water and gently stir. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour batter into the prepared dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a clean toothpick is inserted and removed with a few crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then, continue cooling on a rack until room temperature.
Frosting
- 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.
- To the melted chocolate chips, add the sour cream and vanilla. Stir by hand until frosting is well combined and fluffier.
- Spread over cooled cake.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
This cake looks and sounds amazing and I will be making it tonight. The cake here is not my issue! My issue are some of the replys to some peoples comments. You were kind enough to share this recipe with us and some just can’t appreciate this…they have bring up issues like copy rite, what the heck…What differece does it make if you are making this cake for yourself and family…many people blow this copyright crap way out of proportion!!! I dealt with this issue when writting papers in school and it drove me nuts but I made it through with a 3.94 GPA, so I must have done something correct right, and without breaking any copyright laws…
This was broght up in coloring groups I belonged to, yes belonged to…after the arguments about this it just isn’t worth it!!!! If I see a picture and I want to color it, for myself, I do it and that is that. I also feel the same about recipes. So again thank-you for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for sharing this! I did not know there were copyright comments here… and I can’t imagine why! I would never, ever violate someone’s copyright and go out of my way to honor and respect other’s work always.
Also… i LOVE that you color. I want to be like you. <3
would doubling this recipe work in a 9×13 pan?
I have not tested that so cannot say for certain.
I have all the ingredients but no chocolate morsels, BUT I have butterscotch and white. DO u think one of those would work for the icing?
Sure… sounds like a fun experiment! 🙂
This is great! I didn’t make the frosting, but iced the cake and it was wonderful! Made just the right amount for 2 people to snack on for a couple days. From scratch is always best! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Hiii! *waves* I made this today! Oh em gee. Such a gorgeous and fluffy cake! I was a tad too lazy to brew coffee, so added 1/2 tsp of espresso powder with the dry ingredients. The texture is divine and the taste is just perfect. SO excited here! Thanks so much for this recipe! It’s perfect for when I want a smallish chocolate cake!
Love that alteration! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe……..it was easy to make……….
I made it last night and frosted it today. Mixed the cake by hand with a mixing spoon.
Didn’t really like the sour cream taste in the frosting, which surprised me as I thought
it sounded like a good idea……so I added powdered sugar. Next time I’ll put maybe 2 T.
of sour cream in.
Great idea!
This is the easiest and the best cake recipe I tried.
I can’t believe how soft and light it is. And not dry at all.
Thanks for sharing this with us.
HI,
I’m not a coffee drinker, so I don’t have any coffee on hand to sub for the water. I did see the one person used 1/2 tsp of espresso powder. How much liquid coffee extract would that equal? I wasn’t sure if it’s 1:1? Thanks.
If you prefer a sweeter frosting that stays moist and tastes delicious.
In a double boiler, or use a glass bowl resting over a pan of simmering water
Melt 2 squares of baking chocolate ( 2 oz total)
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
a. pinch of salt
The mixture will look strange until the chocolate gets melted and combines with the milk, but keep stirring until the mixture gets thickened. Do not leave the stove before this is done, or it might get too thick. Remove from the heat and add 1 tsp of vanilla.
Stir well and allow to cool to room temperature. Spread onto your cake. Tastes like fudge, but will remain soft and spreadable.
For anyone wanting to know, I just doubled this recipe, made it in a 9×13 pan, and baked it @350 for 35 minutes and it turned out to be chocolatey deliciousness!! Another amazing success, Amanda!