Chocolate Cake – Back to Basics
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This classic chocolate cake is a traditional, fail-proof sponge based on a classic Victoria-style ratio, where a portion of flour is replaced with premium cocoa powder. Prep takes 10 minutes, it bakes in 28 to 32 minutes, and it is filled with a silky, stable chocolate buttercream frosting.
Understanding the back to basics Chocolate Sponge
This recipe is essentially a chocolate version of a traditional Victoria sponge. It operates on the golden rule of equal proportions: equal weights of fat, sugar, eggs, and dry ingredients. To transform it into a chocolate masterpiece, simply remove a small portion of the self-raising flour and replace it with high-quality cocoa powder.
Because the ingredient list is so beautifully minimal, the quality of your cocoa powder is paramount. Always use a premium, 100% cocoa powder rather than a drinking chocolate mix. This ensures your sponge achieves a rich, deep mahogany colour and a punchy chocolate flavour without adding unnecessary sweetness.
Making basic but beautiful buttercream
For the chocolate buttercream, it’s quite a simple one. You MUST use ACTUAL UNSALTED BUTTER. I mean the kind you find in foil, and that when its fridge cold, is solid. You can use a spread for the cake, but NOT for the buttercream. I might get a few smart arse comments about this as to ‘why not’ but if you want a stable buttercream, that will last no matter the heat outside, use actual unsalted butter.
If its peak summer, and there is a heatwave, you won’t need to add any liquid to the buttercream. Technically, you don’t have to at all if you really do beat your buttercream well enough, but I actually like mine a smidge softer so its easier to pipe, so I usually add between one and two tablespoons of boiling water to smooth it out. But, if the weather is so hot you don’t even want the oven on, this won’t be necessary.
Changes and flavour swaps
This hardcore classic serves as an exceptional blank canvas for customisation. Here are a few ways you can easily adapt the recipe:
Fondant decorating: Because this sponge is structurally stable and reliable, it serves as the perfect sturdy base for carving or covering in heavy fondant for novelty celebration cakes.
The sugar choice: I love using light brown sugar in the sponge because it adds a subtle caramel undertone and extra moisture, but caster sugar or golden caster sugar work perfectly fine.
Flavour extracts: You can instantly change the profile by adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of peppermint or orange extract to the batter or frosting to create a mint chocolate or chocolate orange twist.
More chocolate: If you want an even softer, more modern fudgey chocolate cake, you can use dark chocolate in place of the cocoa powder if you wish – use 100g for the sponge, and 100g for the buttercream.
FAQs
Chocolate cakes can dry out quickly because cocoa powder is highly absorbent. The two most common culprits are over baking and over mixing. Check your cakes with a skewer at the 25-minute mark; as soon as it comes out clean, remove them from the oven. Also, ensure you only beat the batter until the ingredients are just combined, over mixing develops the gluten, resulting in a dense, dry sponge.
This usually happens if the oven door is opened too early during baking (never open it before the 25-minute mark!), or if too much air was whipped into the eggs during mixing, causing the structure to over-inflate and then collapse.
If your buttercream feels too firm or gritty, your block butter was likely too cold when you started mixing, or the icing sugar wasn’t beaten in well enough. To fix it, keep beating the mixture on high speed and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of boiling water. The heat from the water will slightly soften the butter fat, dissolving the sugar crystals and creating an ultra-smooth, glossy frosting.
Absolutely! This batter makes fantastic cupcakes. Line a muffin tin with 18 to 24 cupcake cases and fill them about two-thirds full. Bake at the same temperature (180°c / 160°c Fan) for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops spring back when gently pressed.
Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 300 g unsalted butter
- 300 g caster sugar/light brown sugar
- 245 g self raising flour
- 55 g cocoa powder
- 6 medium eggs
Chocolate Buttercream
- 200 g unsalted butter (not baking spread)
- 400 g icing sugar
- 50 g cocoa powder
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan, and line two 8" cake tins with parchment paper.
- Beat together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the flour, cocoa powder and eggs, and beat again until combined.
- Split evenly between the two tins, and bake in the oven for 28-32 minutes. Sometimes it can take a little longer – don’t open before 25 minutes, and be as quick as you can checking with a skewer.
- Once baked, leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
For the Chocolate Buttercream
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature. Don't use a baking spread or margarine.
- Beat your butter on its own for about a minute, to loosen it up.
- Add in the icing sugar gradually, beating in during or in 1/3 at a time. Don't add it all in at once.
- Also, add in the cocoa powder, beating in fully.
- If it’s really very stiff, add in ONE tablespoon of boiling water at a time, beating fully each time, until it becomes smooth and lovely.
To Decorate
- Place your first sponge on a plate/cake board, and pipe/spread on half of the buttercream frosting. Add on the second cake, and pipe/spread on the rest of the buttercream.
- Add on anything you fancy as decoration, I used sprinkles. Enjoy!
Notes
- This cake will last at room temperature (not in the fridge as it will go hard) for three days.
- This cake can freeze for 3+ months
- I use these 8″ cake tins in this recipe
Storage and freezing
The beauty of this back to basics cake it that it will last at room temperature (not in the fridge as it will go hard) for three days. I use a cake tin or an air tight cake box to store it. You can freeze this cake before decorating for up to three months, thaw out thoroughly before finishing off with the buttercream icing.
Other “back to basics” recipes
The first in my series of ‘back to basics’ was my no-bake vanilla cheesecake. I had over SIXTY cheesecake recipes on my blog by the time I posted a delicious, but basic, vanilla cheesecake. It was something that is technically in all of the recipes already on my blog, but the number of people that had been searching for one of my blog every day astounded me.
The second in my series of ‘back to basics’, was my triple chocolate brownies. Similarly to my cheesecakes, but not to the same quantity, I had basically used the same recipe quite a few times, but always put extras in such as Biscoff, or Terry’s chocolate orange. The reactions to both of these recipes were really quite astounding! I genuinely never thought they’d be so popular, but they still are now after months of posting.
So, for the third instalment in the series, I thought I would cover one of the most delicious treats that have ever existed, the chocolate cake. Some of you may think “but you already have a chocolate cake recipe”, and I do… with my chocolate fudge cake, but that’s more an American style recipe and its super gooey, and utterly scrumptious, but definitely requires more ingredients and effort.
Hi Jane I tried this recipe yesterday and I found it quite sweet with the buttercream. Is there anything I can change? Maybe reduce the sugar or change it to granulated? Will this make a difference?
American buttercream frosting is naturally sweet I’m afraid – with less sugar it just tastes of butter which I find quite unpleasant but you may like it! You could try slightly salted butter instead maybe?
Could I swap caster sugar for granulated in the main cake recipe?
You can do, just make sure you beat it in properly before carrying on with the rest of the recipe x
Can I use granulated sugar in the main cake recipe instead of caster sugar?
You can do, just make sure you beat it in properly before carrying on with the rest of the recipe x
Hi Jane
I was wondering is i could make this buttercream with cadbury dairy milk instead of the cocoa powder? how much would i use?
You could do! I would add probably 200g! x
Hi,
Apologies for the really basic question but I’ve only taken to baking since lockdown. I baked your basic chocolate cake sponges today. They smell lush (will fill /decorate tomorrow for Father’s Day gift) but as with every sponge I’ve made, they rise lovely but then end up flat as pancakes (not quite that flat but that’s how I feel!) within a couple of minutes of removing from the Oven. What am I doing wrong and how might I combat this? Thanks in advance.
Hey! I would say that means they are under baked – most of the time if a cake hasn’t been baked for long enough they will sink! xx
Thanks for your reply I will bear this in mind. I’ve not tasted the cake but have it on good authority that it is very very tasty! I’m going to bake the next one for this house!!
Hi jane i loved the condensed cookie fudge recipe it was delicious ive wanted to try some of your cake recipes buh i saw you don’t usually use butter milk is thia a reason why
Hiya I don’t fully understand your message sorry! This is just a basic chocolate cake recipe?
Hi Jane I only have 2 9” tins will this be okay still? X
For a 9″ version you’ll want to use 375g (7 eggs) of everything rather than 300g/6 medium eggs and bake for a bit longer! x
Hi Jane, I was wondering if I could use two deep 7 inch tins for this recipe? Thanks! I absolutely love your recipes.
Hey! That should be fine yes! The baking time will increase a bit though! X
Hi Jane,
I have been recommended your chocolate fudge cake but from reading some of your comments I think this recipe may be more suitable ( I will still be making the fudge buttercream filling 😍) I am attempting to make my boyfriend a birthday cake…. the idea is to make a rectangle cake, with grass effect buttercream – Which would you go for and do you have a recipe for a firm buttercream that I could use for the grass effect? Also if I use a rectangular tin rather than round, would I need to alter the ingredient quantity? Thank you very much for any help – I am a novice baker but really want to do something nice for the boyfriend.!
Hey! Have a look at my easter nest cupcake post – I do a grass effect on those! And the ingredients depends on size of tin! x
Hi Jane! I only own one 8’’ round tin. Will this work if I pour all mixture into one tin? Thank you!
Hey! You certainly could do, but I would lower the temp of the oven by 20C, (for example, in my fan oven I would bake at 140) – and then bake for a long long time – probably more than an hour and a half! This will prevent it from drying out! x
Hi Jane!! I love this recipe for my chocolate cakes but I feel like it sometimes is too dry. Do you have a way of making it moister but still holds it’s shape? I wondered about adding some golden syrup or something? Thanks xx
Hey! So personally I would just bake it slightly less (As that’s basically the killer for cakes!) or drizzle with a sugar syrup after baking! xx
I am going to make this recipe in a couple days but doing them the mini tins so I can get 2 little 2 tier cakes out of it. (12cm) how long would you think they will take in the oven?
Hey! I’m really sorry but I’ve got no idea! I’ve never baked a cake that small – but I imagine if cupcakes take about 18-20 minutes, it wouldn’t be much longer?! x
Hey, I made this cake today and it ended up a wee bit dry. Do you have any idea why this could be, perhaps what I did wrong?
It just means you over baked it slightly x
Okay great thanks for getting back to me! X
Tried this today and it tastes great! Although I only had a 24cm cake tin so has come out quite thin! Couldn’t work out the ratios to make it thicker.
Hey! a 24cm tin is about 1.4x the recipe – so it’s a chunk bigger! X