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.
Jane
Another Fabulous recipe a]and I am in awe of how responsive and knowledgeable you are. You say I the buttercream should have unsalted butter – does it matter what kind of butter you use for the cake . Thank you
For the cake you can use a baking spread or unsalted butter – that’s quite open!! And thanks! X
Hi Jane, just wondering could we go 50 50 with sugar? like 50% light brown 50% caster?
Thanks
Yes for sure! You just want the same weight x
Hello, I’m looking to make this cake this week but I only have 2 x 10’’ tins, how much would I need to increase the quantities of ingredients by and how much would this affect the cooking time by? Thanks x
So you need about 1.6x the recipe so about 475g dry/sugar/butter/eggs – and yes it will increase. I’m not sure how long, but I find it best to reduce the cooking temperature (I would use 140c for my fan oven) and bake for a much longer time to prevent drying out! X
Hi Jane looks amazing!! How much ingredients would you need to increase it from two sponges to three please 🙂 will make as a drip cake!! Xx
You can have a look at many of my drip cakes as they already use this sponge for three layers – such as my Mini Egg Drip Cake! In general it’s a 400g mix! x
Hi Jane, The cake looks amazing. I am looking forward to bake this cake for my Da’s birthday next week. Can I replace cocoa powder and use Dutch process cocoa powder instead. If yes, would the quantity and other ingredients remain the same?
Please let me know. Thank you
Oh I meant 500 and 250 or 600 and 300 xx
Hello! If I were to put buttercream round the sides too would you reduce the ingredients to 600 icing sugar and 300 butter? Or more? Xx
I would increase to the 600/300 xx
Hi jane,
Please help me what would I change the recipe too for 3 x 9 inch tins?
I would use a 500g/10 egg mix – and split between the three tins! Baking time is longer, but I’m not 100% sure how much xx
Thanks jane is that just 500g of flour?
It’s 500g of everything – so dry/butter/sugar/eggs – you need to increase everything to be the higher ratio. For the flour I’d do maybe 400g flour, 100g cocoa? The layers might be slightly thinner so you could increase it a bit more if you wanted!
Hi Jane
Could I replace the cocoa powder with melted dairy milk? Or do half and half?
Thanks so much!
I meant specifically for the buttercream x
Hey! You can have a look at my Cadbury’s cupcakes for info for a dairy milk frosting – but half and half could be nice!! x
I only have a 26cm cake tin, do I need to increase quantities and if so by how much? Thank you!
Hey! Yes so that’s about 2/3 bigger in size – so youll need to use 1.6x the recipe! x
Hey am I able to use this as a layer cake ideally 4 but can do 3?
Thank you x
For four I would double it! x
Hi! Which cocoa powder would you recommend?
I use cacao Barry personally – but I buy in larger bags! Shop bought wise I like dr Oetker extra dark, or green & blacks!