Everyday chocolate cake
A soft chocolate cake baked in one rectangular tin. A good introduction to mixing cake batter.
Based on Susan Reid’s King Arthur Baking recipe ↗
- Time
- 55 minutes + cooling
- Makes
- One 23 × 33 cm cake
- Oven, conventional
- 175°C / 350°F
Before you begin
Read the whole recipe, then get these ready.
- 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13 inch) cake tin
- Electric mixer and mixing bowl
- Sieve and spatula
- Kitchen scale and measuring spoons
This is the cake base only. Frosting is separate in the original recipe; use its linked frosting recipe if you want a decorated cake.
Ingredients
Original recipe weights. Small quantities stay in measuring spoons; eggs stay as counts. 1 kg = 1,000 g.
Let’s bake
- 1
Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour the tin.
- 2
Sift together flour, raising agents, salt, cocoa and sugar. Mix in butter on low speed for 1 minute, then add oil and mix for about 30 seconds until sandy.
- 3
Combine vanilla, milk and coffee or water. Add to the bowl; mix on low for 1 minute, scrape the bowl, then mix for 30 seconds.
- 4
Beat in each egg separately on medium-high speed. Scrape the bowl and mix another 30 seconds. Pour the thin batter into the tin.
- 5
Bake for about 34 minutes. The centre should spring back lightly and a skewer should come out clean. Cool completely in the tin before serving or adding frosting.
Your baking notes
Notes stay on this device.