epicurious4.1
Everyday Cocoa Cake
This moist, rich cocoa cake recipe brings decadence to any occasion. Simply dust the cake with powdered sugar—or add a chocolate frosting to make it your own.
👥 8 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 2h 45m🔥 Cook: 20 min👤 Melissa Roberts📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●pan
- ●oven
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
- ●mixing bowl
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Place rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9" round cake pan with at least 2"-tall sides and dust with cocoa powder. Knock out excess.
2
Whisk 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, ¾ cup (63 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, 1¼ tsp. baking soda, and ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine, ⏱️ 30 seconds.
(250 g) all-purpose flour2 cups¼ tsp. baking soda1
3
Beat 1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened, and 1¾ cups (275 g; packed) light brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed (either a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer with beaters) until pale and fluffy. Add 2 large eggs, room temperature, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
(250 g) all-purpose flour2 cups½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened1¾ cup (63 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan¾ cups (275 g; packed) light brown sugar1large eggs, room temperature2. vanilla extract1 tsp
4
Add roughly one third of the flour mixture to mixing bowl with wet ingredients and beat until just a few dry streaks remain. Add ⅔ cup water and beat until fully incorporated. Add half the remaining dry ingredients and repeat, then add another ⅔ cup water, repeat, and finish by adding the last of the dry ingredients, folding in the last of them with a rubber scraper until just combined.
5
Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake until top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick or other tester inserted in center comes out clean, ⏱️ 50 minutes–⏱️ 1 hour. Cool in pan ⏱️ 1 hour. Invert onto a wire rack, then turn right side up and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with Sweetened Whipped Cream and berries (if using). Do Ahead: Cake can be baked 4 days ahead. Store well wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature or freeze for 1 month. Editor’s note: This cocoa cake recipe was first printed in the February 2003 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our very best chocolate cake recipes →
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