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 350ยฐF 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
- ยฝ cup (63 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ยพ teaspoon baking powder
- ยพ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- ยฝ cup (100 g) whole milk
- ยผ cup (55 g) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยฝ cup (118 g) warm water, or warm brewed coffee
Frosting
- 1 cup (168 g) milk chocolate chips
- ยฝ cup sour cream
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. 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 325ยฐF.
- 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
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Just made this tonight, very good!!
I made the cake this week and I am picking up a little salty taste, and I absolutely put in three quarters of a tsp. of baking soda and powder. Cake and icing were good. Should I cut one of those items back.
This cake was easy and so moist. made it today, absolutely loving it.
Very good recipe, will try tomorrow!
Can flax sรจeds be used to replace eggs in this recipe
Could you please give me the measurements in grams as we don’t have the cups in the UK.
Thank you
Naseem
Naseem you can buy measuring cups at any UK supermarket
just use your normal cup, use for all ingredients it will not go wrong
I tried this cake today and it turned out to be the best chocolate cake I ever made! Im saving this recipie for ever! Thankyou so much!!
YAY!
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I always thought if you were using a glass baking dish you reduced the temperature by 25ยฐ from what you would have used in a metal baking dish. Can you please clarify? Thank you so much!
Just made this, it is PERFECT. THANKS!! I added a fourth coffee and a fourth water, and my daughter was eating the batter left over from pouring it into the pan.My very first cake ever from scratch.
Has anybody made this cake with added bananas? Seems like it might work !