Easy Chocolate Cake
Quick and fluffy easy chocolate cake topped with simple chocolate icing and sprinkles. An ideal easy chocolate cake recipe for kids and busy families.
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Servings: 12 serves
Calories: 190kcal
Cost: $5
Equipment
- Beaters, stand-mixer or Thermomix
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 tbs cocoa powder
- 150 g (1 cup) self-raising flour
- 225 g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 125 g (½ cup) milk
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 30 g (2 tbs) butter melted
For the icing
- 150 g (1 ¼ cup) icing sugar
- 1 tbs cocoa powder
- 1-2 tbs hot water
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Grease and line a 20cm sheet pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Sift the cocoa powder and self-raising flour into a bowl.
- Add the caster sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla extract and melted butter. Beat for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs on it. Set aside to cool before turning out onto a wire rack.
- To prepare the icing, sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the hot water and mix until smooth and slightly runny. If your icing is too thick, add a little more water.
- Working quickly, spread the icing over the cake (use a hot knife to help spread the icing).
- Decorate with sprinkles (optional).
Thermomix Method
- Grease and line a 20cm sheet pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Melt the butter for 2 minutes, Speed 1, 100 degrees.
- Add the cocoa powder, self-raising flour, caster sugar, milk, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix fo 10 seconds, Speed 4 (MC removed).
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for a further 20 seconds, Speed 4 (MC removed).
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs on it. Set aside to cool before turning out onto a wire rack.
- To prepare the icing, place the icing sugar and cocoa powder into the TM bowl. Press Turbo 5-10 times to sift.
- Add the hot water and mix on Speed 6 until smooth and slightly runny (you'll need to scrape down the sides of the bowl partway through mixing). If your icing is too thick, add a little more water. Working quickly, spread the icing over the cake (use a hot knife to help spread the icing).
- Decorate with sprinkles (optional).
Notes
RECIPE NOTES & TIPS
- Don't skip sifting - sifting the self-raising flour, cocoa and icing sugar removes lumps and gives you a smoother batter and icing.
- Room temperature ingredients - if your eggs and milk are cold, the batter can be heavier and may not rise as well.
- Check for doneness early - start checking the cake around the 22-minute mark; every oven is different and chocolate cake can dry out quickly if over-baked.
- Cool before icing - make sure the cake is completely cool before adding the icing, otherwise it will melt and run off the sides.
- Adjust icing consistency - too thick? Add a tiny splash of hot water. Too thin? Add a little more sifted icing sugar.
- Storing the cake - store the iced cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days (if your kitchen is very warm, you can pop it in the fridge).
- Freezing (un-iced) - wrap the completely cooled, un-iced cake well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then ice and decorate just before serving.
- Freezing (iced) - you can freeze the iced cake in slices, but for the prettiest finish I recommend freezing it un-iced and adding fresh icing once thawed.
Nutrition
Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.4mg
