Chocolate Cake

Tender crumb, rich flavor.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Moist enough to be the next-day cake everyone reaches for.
• Crowd-pleaser for birthdays.
• Comes together in two bowls.
• Holds up to elaborate decoration if you want.
• Recipe scales easily for cupcakes (bake 18 min).

Ingredient Notes

• Buttermilk activates the baking soda and adds tang — don't substitute regular milk without acid.
• Oil (not butter) keeps it tender at room temp for days.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Hot water if you don't want coffee — still works, just slightly less depth.
• Cream cheese frosting also wonderful here.
• Gluten-free 1:1 flour blend works with no other changes.

Equipment Needed

• Two 9-inch round cake pans
• Parchment circles
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Offset spatula
• Cooling rack

Prep Tips

• Weigh the flour to avoid a dry cake.
• Room-temp eggs and buttermilk mix more evenly.

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather and prep: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup cocoa, 1 large egg, 1 cup milk, 1 tbsp oil, 1 baking powder, 1 baking soda. Measure everything before you start cooking so the cook moves quickly.

2. 2

   Whisk dry ingredients.

3. 3

   Whisk wet ingredients.

4. 4

   Combine, pour into pan.

5. 5

   Bake 350°F 35 min.

Artsi Pro Tips

• Hot liquid blooms the cocoa — gives the cake its deep, almost-fudge flavor. Don't skip.
• Coffee doesn't make it taste like coffee — it amplifies chocolate.
• Cool layers completely before frosting or buttercream slides off.

Common Mistakes

• Cold coffee — doesn't bloom the cocoa.
• Overbaking — chocolate cakes dry out fast; pull at moist crumbs.
• Frosting a warm cake — it slumps.
• Skipping the crumb coat — chocolate crumbs muddy the frosting.

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