This cocoa cake asks little and gives so much. But you don’t have to take our word for it: This is “hands down my favorite cake to bake,” writes one reviewer, who goes on to say it’s “always reliable and always delicious.” Another reports to have made the recipe no less than five times, and they “would not change anything—it’s very, very light and could even be eaten for breakfast.” So, yeah, it has fans.
That’s not to say you can’t take some liberties. Some have added chopped strawberries and dark chocolate chips to the batter or swapped the water in the wet ingredients for brewed coffee (you could also trade about ⅓ cup of the water for bourbon, rum, or Kahlúa). Others have taken the simple sugar-dusted single-layer cake into grander territories by covering in a chocolate buttercream, fudge-like ganache, or cream cheese frosting.
Whichever way you go, there are a few rules. Make sure your baking pan is at least 2" deep (we actually prefer a 3"-deep cake pan for most purposes). This is a thick cake and will overflow a shallower tin. Second, now’s the time to break out the good cocoa. Gourmet tested this recipe with both natural cocoa powder and Dutch-process cocoa powder and found that both worked well. However, the cakes made with Dutch-process had a more velvety crumb and richer chocolate flavor. Even more so, ones made with Valhrona, an extra-dark-roasted Dutched variety, baked up with a deep, almost black color tasters found especially appealing.
Think of this cocoa cake recipe as a back-pocket hero. It’s an ideal dessert to serve at a dinner with friends or to close out an intimate holiday meal. It’s the perfect recipe to take to that weekend cabin in the woods—or wrap the cake in individual slices for a bake sale. Really, there’s something you’ll want it for every. single. day.
Recipe information
Total Time
2¾ hours
Yield
8–10 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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 →
Recipe notes
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