Author Notes
This simple, and delicious, chocolate cake recipe uses a neat one-bowl technique that makes it fast and no fuss to mix up at the merest hint of a chocolate craving. I've adapted it from an old Parkay margarine recipe. —Posie (Harwood) Brien
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Ingredients
- For the cake
-
1 cup
water
-
1/2 cup
(8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
-
1 1/2 ounces
unsweetened chocolate
-
2 cups
(8 1/2 ounces) flour
-
2 cups
(14 ounces) granulated sugar
-
2
eggs
-
1/2 cup
sour cream
-
3/4 teaspoon
espresso powder (optional, but enhances chocolate flavor)
-
1 teaspoon
baking soda
-
1/2 teaspoon
salt
- For the frosting
-
1 cup
(16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
-
6 tablespoons
milk
-
1 1/2 ounces
unsweetened chocolate
-
4 1/2 cups
(About 16 ounces) sifted confectioners' sugar (start with less and add as needed)
-
1 teaspoon
vanilla
Directions
-
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9" x 13" pan.
-
To make the cake: In a large saucepan, combine the water, butter, and chocolate. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat.
-
Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder (if using) to the saucepan and whisk to combine.
-
Add the eggs and sour cream and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and springs back when touched lightly.
-
To make the frosting: Add butter, milk, and chocolate to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to melt the chocolate.
-
Remove from the heat and add the sugar -- you may not need all the sugar so start with half or so and add to get to the right consistency. Beat with a handheld mixer (or transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer) until the frosting is smooth. If it is too liquidy, refrigerate the frosting for a bit and then try beating again. It'll thicken up as it cools and become nicely spreadable. Mix in the vanilla once the consistency is right.
-
Spread the frosting over the cake, then cut into squares and serve.
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