Description

A simple, one-bowl fudgy chocolate cake designed for baking with kids, featuring a rich, warm chocolate frosting that pours over the top for a gooey, melt-in-your-mouth dessert.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups (250g) All-Purpose Flour
1 ½ cups (300g) White Granulated Sugar
¾ cup (75g) Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 ½ tsp (7.5g) Baking Powder
1 tsp (5g) Baking Soda
1 tsp (6g) Salt
2 large Eggs (room temperature)
½ cup (120ml) Vegetable Oil
1 cup (240ml) Buttermilk
2 tsp (10ml) Vanilla Extract
1 cup (240ml) Hot Coffee
1 cup (240ml) Heavy Cream
1 ½ cups (255g) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 tbsp (30g) Unsalted Butter
1 tsp (5ml) Vanilla Extract (for frosting)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray, optionally dusting with cocoa powder.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until no lumps remain.
Add eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Whisk until just combined; the batter will be thick.
Slowly pour in the hot coffee while whisking. The batter will become thin and liquidy. This blooms the cocoa flavor.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
While the cake bakes, make the frosting: In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium heat until it just starts to simmer (do not boil).
Remove saucepan from heat. Add chocolate chips and butter. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth and glossy.
Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract for the frosting.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
Pour the warm frosting evenly over the cake. Let sit for 5 more minutes before slicing and serving warm.

Notes

Do not overmix the batter to avoid a tough texture. Use hot coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor; you won’t taste the coffee. The frosting must be poured warm for the best consistency. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat slices in the microwave for 15 seconds to restore fudgy texture. Do not freeze as the frosting becomes grainy.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cak
Calories: 380
Sugar: 38
Sodium: 250
Fat: 18
Saturated Fat: 10
Carbohydrates: 52
Fiber: 3
Protein: 6

Keywords: chocolate cake, kids baking, fudgy cake, warm frosting, easy dessert, one-bowl cake, family baking