One-Bowl Chocolate Cake

By Genevieve Ko

Updated March 19, 2024

One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
Joseph De Leo for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
2 hours, mainly cooling
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours, mainly cooling
Rating
4(679)
Comments
Read comments

Fluffy and tender, this chocolate cake comes together quickly in one bowl. It’s a friendly little birthday cake with its dead simple frosting (or a really great snack without). A blend of oil and buttermilk or yogurt keeps the crumb moist, as does a nice pour of hot tea. Oolong gives the cake a floral aroma, while using coffee instead highlights the cocoa’s bittersweetness. Plain hot water gives this an old-fashioned chocolate cake flavor. The two-ingredient frosting – essentially cream and chocolate melted together, then cooled until thick enough to swoop and swirl – can be made in the same bowl used for the cake batter. You can sprinkle flaky salt, chopped toasted nuts or sprinkles on top too. But, frosted or not, this cake welcomes coffee, tea or ice cream. 

Featured in: Learn to Bake in 5 Easy Recipes

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Ingredients

Yield:One 8-inch cake (9 to 12 servings)

    For the Cake

    • Canola or vegetable oil, for greasing the pan
    • 1¼cups/163 grams all-purpose flour
    • 1¼cups/250 grams sugar
    • ½cup/54 grams unsweetened natural cocoa powder
    • 1teaspoon baking powder
    • ½teaspoon baking soda
    • ½teaspoon fine salt
    • 2large eggs
    • ½cup/189 grams buttermilk or plain full-fat yogurt
    • ¼cup/60 grams canola or vegetable oil
    • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½cup hot oolong or black tea, hot coffee or hot water

    For the Frosting (optional)

    • 1(4-ounce) bar bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
    • ½cup/125 grams heavy cream
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

300 calories; 15 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 27 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 204 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub oil all over an 8-inch square cake pan.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla, and stir with the whisk until smooth. It will be thick at this point; gently smack the whisk against the bowl to release any batter stuck inside.

  3. Step 3

    Add the hot tea and whisk until very smooth. Switch to a flexible spatula and scrape all of the batter into the pan.

  4. Step 4

    Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few tiny crumbs, about 45 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a rack.

  5. Step 5

    If you’re making the frosting, start it as soon as the cake comes out of the oven: Use the same bowl you used for the batter, washing it if you want. Combine the chocolate and cream in the bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well, then microwave for 15 seconds and stir until smooth. If some chocolate remains solid, zap for 10 more seconds and stir.

  6. Step 6

    If you don’t have a microwave or microwave-safe bowl, set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until smooth.

  7. Step 7

    Let the chocolate cream cool, stirring now and then, until thickened to the consistency of soft frosting. (This may take up to an hour.) Plop it all over the cake, even if it’s still a touch warm, and use a flexible spatula or a large spoon to swoop and swirl it to cover the top. Cut into pieces and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
679 user ratings
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Comments

Bibi

This can take a reduction in sugar if desired, by a quarter cup or a bit more.

Andrew H.

This is a smaller sized version of Ina Garten’s recipe for Beatty’s Chocolate Cake: always a hit, keeps very well, can be made with gluten free flour. YUM! I use a few tablespoons of golden syrup or corn syrup in the frosting; keeps it glossy and shiny.

Amy

Teach good food safety practices as you teach baking - a bowl that held raw eggs and flour must be washed before mixing something (like icing) that won’t be cooked. Also, it’s far easier to make ganache in a food processor: pulverize the chocolate, heat up the cream to almost scalding, and slowly pour the cream into the machine with the motor running. Add a tablespoon of the liquid if your choice or done vanilla for added flavor.

Mariam

Made exactly as suggested and it was lovely. I used very strong coffee, which brought out the chocolate flavor, buttermilk, and high quality chocolate for the ganache. I didn’t not have any issue with dryness. I think there are more ‘impressive’ chocolate cakes on here, but sometimes we all need a cake that can come together in one bowl, without having to fold in egg whites or pull out the mixing stand. This is it. And it’s delicious.

Christine

Made this yesterday and it turned out wonderfully, just delicious. My husband loves chocolate cake but says most are disappointing; but not this one. For him, this is "the one." I used Hershey cocoa powder, vegetable oil, full fat yogurt, semisweet for the ganache. Followed to the letter and in my oven 40 minutes was perfect. After letting the ganache cool for an hour, I stuck it in the fridge for half an hour.

N

I love this recipe super yummy. I would suggest to make it with frosting it’s a bit dry without it an im a kid and it’s super easy

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