Some chocolate cakes are elaborate masterpieces, but this one-bowl chocolate cake recipe is the opposite. It’s a masterpiece of simplicity, taking just a few minutes to mix and then up to 40 more in the oven.
In fact, it’s so quick and easy that you can make it on the spur of the moment, even when dinner’s almost ready. We have plenty of other options for quick weeknight desserts, but you can’t go wrong having a one-bowl buttermilk chocolate cake in your repertoire for when the mood strikes.
Ingredients for One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
- Flour: All-purpose flour binds together the rest of the cake’s ingredients and gives the cake its final texture.
- Sugar: Sugar plays a number of roles in baked goods, but here it’s largely just a sweetener for the cocoa.
- Cocoa: The cocoa powder in this one-bowl chocolate cake recipe gives it a bold chocolate flavor.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Baking soda and baking powder give the cake its lift and light texture. The baking powder works on its own; the soda needs the acidity from the buttermilk to activate it.
- Eggs: Eggs play two key roles in cakes: Emulsifiers in the yolks help the wet and dry ingredients combine with the fat, and their protein-rich whites help set the cake to its final texture. This recipe recommends using room-temperature eggs.
- Canola oil: Many cakes start by creaming a solid fat (usually butter) with sugar. In this case, canola oil provides the necessary richness and softening effect, without adding a flavor of its own to compete with the chocolate.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk’s pleasantly mild tang complements the chocolate, and its acidity activates the baking soda and helps the cake rise.
- Hot water: Hot water is an unusual ingredient in cakes. You’ll see it mostly in chocolate cakes like this one, where it “blooms” the cocoa (saturates the cocoa powder), bringing out its full depth of flavor.
- Frosting: The finished cake is enjoyable as is, but adding your frosting of choice adds flavor and helps prolong the cake’s storage life.
- Sprinkles: The optional sprinkles are just for looks, but it’s a happy look.
Directions
Step 1: Mix the cake batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 13×9-inch baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the eggs, oil and buttermilk. Gradually pour in the hot water, stirring until it’s incorporated into the batter.
Step 2: Bake the cake
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan, on a wire rack. Frost the cake, and decorate it with the sprinkles, if you choose to use them.
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Variations
- Make it extra kid-friendly: One of the beauties of this cake is that it’s so quick, you can make it on the spur of the moment. That means it’s ideal for rainy days or any other time you have kids to please. To max out the “kid factor” in this cake, stir in your choice of M&Ms, chocolate chips or other baking chips. When the cake is done, spread it with your favorite frosting and let the kids decorate it with sprinkles, mini M&Ms or crushed candies.
- Add depth of flavor with espresso powder: Since the recipe already calls for hot water, why not seize the opportunity to upgrade its flavor? Espresso powder is a great “secret ingredient” in chocolate recipes. It adds an earthiness and depth of flavor that makes the chocolate feel darker and richer, without overwhelming it.
- Double down on the espresso: You could line the pan with parchment instead of greasing it, so the cake is easy to lift out, then halve the cake and stack the halves, with espresso filling in between and chocolate icing on top.
- Give your cake a “turtle” topping: A chocolate cake that’s this good, and this easy, just cries out for some added toppings. One simple upgrade that takes little or no time is scattering a handful of pecans over the chocolate icing, then drizzling caramel sauce over the pecans. Any store-bought caramel sauce is fine. If you don’t have sauce but do have caramels, you can crib the caramel sauce from this caramel cheesecake recipe.
How to Store One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
This cake is served right from its baking pan, so covering the pan is the simplest way to store it. If you store it in the pan, press some form of airtight wrap against the cut surface to keep it from drying out. Alternatively, you can portion the cake into smaller pieces or individual servings, then pack it into food-storage containers with tight-fitting lids.
How long will this one-bowl cake recipe keep?
A frosted cake will last for three to four days at room temperature, and sometimes an extra day or two if it’s refrigerated. The cake itself won’t spoil, though it may begin to dry up and taste stale toward the end of its lifespan (we have lots of ideas for leftover or broken cakes, so don’t throw it out!). If you use an icing that contains eggs or butter, those are perishable and the cake should be refrigerated.
Can I freeze this cake?
Yes, cake freezes and thaws pretty well. You can either choose an icing that’s also freezer-safe, or thaw it without the icing and then frost the cake when you thaw and serve it. It can be frozen in the pan if the pan is wrapped tightly, and it will last up to a month. If you portion the cake, freeze the portions, then wrap or pack the frozen cake into airtight bags or containers, it can last up to three months.
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Tips
What’s a good frosting to use on my cake?
It depends how much time you want to put into it, and what end result you’re looking for. If you want a good, basic chocolate buttercream, our easy chocolate frosting recipe should fit the bill. For something a bit showier (and a lot lighter, which makes it a good match for this oil-based cake), you could try a batch of this cooked glossy chocolate frosting. Another alternative is chocolate ganache, which has just two ingredients and takes next to no time. Ganache is extra-rich and indulgent, if that’s the mood you’re in.
Can I top my chocolate cake with something besides frosting?
Of course. In fact, we have nine pages (at the time of the writing) of recipes for dessert sauces and toppings. They don’t all work with chocolate cake, but plenty of them do. Whipped cream, either plain or flavored, is a good choice. So are custards and fruit curds. In fact, you can easily turn this quick, snackable cake into an impressive plated dessert with a dollop of cream and the sauce and garnishes of your choice.
Can I turn this one-bowl cake into cupcakes?
You sure can! Just ladle the batter into prepared muffin pans, either greased or paper-lined. Don’t fill them more than two-thirds full, so they won’t overflow and make a mess in your oven. Depending on the size of your cupcake pans, you’ll probably get somewhere between two and three dozen cupcakes (more if you make mini cupcakes, fewer if you make jumbos). If you’re a novice or need a quick refresher, we have a detailed guide to baking cupcakes.
