This one-bowl classic chocolate cake recipe is moist, rich, decadent, and delicious. The best part is that it’s allergy-friendly (gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free). There is one catch, though. Everyone will ask you for the recipe, but that lets you know it’s the best chocolate cake recipe ever.
This cake is perfect for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and even just with a cup of coffee…perhaps a vanilla latte?
Classic Chocolate Cake Recipe
What makes this the best chocolate cake recipe? There’s no shortage of answers to that question. It could be;
- That its allergy friendly
- The decadent cocoa vanilla frosting
- It can be made in one bowl
- It can be made up to a month in advance and still be just as fresh
- It’s made with high-quality ingredients
Thinking of ingredients, let’s talk about what you’ll need to make this one-bowl chocolate cake recipe;
- Gluten-Free Flour: Of course, you can use regular, but to keep it gluten-free and allergy-friendly, consider using Josie’s Best Gluten-Free Mixes.
- Sugar: To satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Baking Soda: Bakin soda will act as a leavener.
- Salt: Helps round out the flavors.
- Cocoa Powder: It’s a chocolate cake, after all.
- Vegetable Oil: The vegetable oil will help make this cake delicious and moist.
- Cold Water
- White Vinegar: Acts as a leavening agent.
- Vanilla: Always bake with vanillatude!
- Vanilla Cocoa Frosting: Keep reading to learn about vanilla’s role in chocolate.
This recipe is very simple to make, and you will need one mixing bowl and some cake pans. We used two 6″ round cake pans, but any standard cake dish will work. To make this cake, follow these steps:
How to Make Chocolate Cake
- Preheat: Heat your oven to 350 degrees F, and grease your cake pans.
- Mix: Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa in a large bowl.
- Make 3 Wells: Once the dry ingredients are well mixed. Make three wells in the mixture. In the first well, pour the vegetable oil. Then in the second, pour the white vinegar. Finally, in the last well, pour the vanilla extract.
- Whisk: Pour the cold water over the mixture and whisk together until combined.
- Divide: Divide the batter evenly between your cake pans.
- Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (oven times may vary).
- Make Frosting: While baking the cake, prepare your frosting according to the directions on the package.
- Assemble: Assemble the cake, frost, and serve.
- Enjoy!
Chocolate? From A Vanilla Brand?
Vanilla and chocolate are often considered to be opposites. However, the truth is that vanilla plays a big role in chocolate. If you take a look at the ingredients in your favorite chocolate, the chances are you will see vanilla in some form or another. That could be a vanilla extract, vanilla beans, vanillin, or something directly related to vanilla. Vanilla enhances the flavor in chocolate because it is great at rounding out the flavor, adding creaminess, balancing the sweetness, and countering the acidity and bitterness of cocoa.
Your favorite chocolate maker likely uses vanilla in their chocolate because it helps keep the flavor components consistent, and vanilla is a highly recognizable flavor. Our Vanilla Cocoa Frosting Mix is a great example of this. If you compare it to a jar of fatty, oily frosting, you’ll quickly notice the smoothness that the vanilla adds to the frosting.
Freezer-Friendly Chocolate Cake Recipe
One of the many factors that make this classic chocolate cake recipe the best ever is the fact that it is freezer friendly. Let’s say you’re going to have a really busy month, but you must bring a cake to a family birthday party. This cake will stay fresh for up to a month in the freezer and will help save time. To do this, bake the cake and let it rest for at least 20 minutes to cool completely. Then, wrap it in plastic and place it in the freezer for up to one month.
When you’re ready to serve the cake, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw completely in the refrigerator before frosting and serving. It’s best to make the frosting mix immediately before you frost and serve the cake.
This was made by Golden Grace Kitchen
Classic Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- 2 Round 6" Cake Pans (or similar cake/baking pan)
- 1 Electric or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1½ cups gluten-free flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup+ 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 packs Vanilla Cocoa Frosting Mix
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F
- Grease two (2) 6' round cake pans.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa, in a large bowl.1½ cups gluten-free flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, ¼ cup cocoa powder
- Make three wells in the dry ingredients. Add the vegetable oil to the first well. In the second well, pour the white vinegar. Then, in the third well, pour the vanilla extract.¼ cup+ 3 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pour the cold water over the mixture and whisk together until it's combined.1 cup cold water
- Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes, make your Vanilla Cocoa Frosting mix according to the directions on the package.1-2 packs Vanilla Cocoa Frosting Mix
- Assemble the cooled cake, frost it, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Egg-Free
