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, can you freeze this cake?
Yes you can!
Hello! I made your fudgy traybake before and it’s amazing, was wondering could I add the little bit of coffee and hot water to this recipe to make the cake super fudgy!?
Xx
For this I just stick to the recipe as it is because it’s a basic sponge cake x
Hi Jane
I’m thinking about baking this cake for my daughters 2nd birthday but using number 2 shaped cake tin from wilko. do you think this recipe and measurement will ok? or would it have to be adapted?
It really depends on the size of the actual tin as number tins can vary, but it would probably be best to make the recipe as it is and if it’s too much, make a few spare cupcakes or similar!
Hi , I was wondering if we could use chocolate whipped cream in stead of double cream? If so how much? 300ml or more? And how much coco powder and powdered sugar?
Thank you x
Sorry I meant in stead of butter cream *
You can do, but then the cake needs to be stored in the fridge which will dry the sponge out a lot. I would use about 300-450ml with 1-2 tbsps of each!
Hey Jane sorry me again!! What could I replace the eggs with in this recipe as ideally just needs to be eggless not vegan? Thank you!
I would say it’s better to bake a vegan sponge and use dairy milk, I find the results better than replacing eggs x
Hi Jane, I have one of them cake tins that looks like a big cupcake, do you think this recipe would work for that? If so what would you recommend for oven temperature and baking time?
I’m no 100% sure I am afraid as those tins can vary in size – it may be worth looking at a Bundt Cake recipe and following that! x
Hi Jane what would the measurements be for a 6 inch cake? Xx
Usually you use about 2/3 of the recipe xx
I’m attempting to bake this tomorrow however I could only get my hands on 22cm tin, how will this effect the recipe? Will I need to alter?!
If you used the recipe as is, it would just be thinner and potentially have a different baking time. You could increase the mix by about a quarter to make it a better suited fit (And increase the baking time slightly) if you still want the same sort of depth xx
Hi Jane
I would love to make this cake, however I noticed that in other American recipes they also use buttermilk. Rather than use 6 eggs, could I use 4 and weigh 2 eggs and then add the equivalent weight with buttermilk?
This is a chocolate victoria sponge recipe which does not want or need buttermilk – have a look at my chocolate fudge cake for a different style sponge. x
Could I use this recipe in two 6inch tins? Would i just have to bake it for longer?
Thanks, Sonam
Hello,
I made this cake the other week and wanted it to be a bit more chocolatey and moist. Could I add coffee granuals to the mix or is there another recipe you’d recommend to follow. Also need it to be 3 tiers.
It’s probably best to look at my chocolate fudge cake, and either split that between three tins, or increase the recipe for three tins x
Hi Jane!
I make your recipes a the time! Not a single one has turned out less than perfect! Thank you. I would like to make a cookie shaped chocolate cake, to look like an oreo. I have a silicone cake mould but don’t know what quantities to use or how long I should bake for. It is 9inches and I would need to make two. Thank you.
Hello! So typically for a 9″ cake, you would use 1.3x the recipe – but that’s for the same depth sponge. I really am not certain as it will depend on your mould, but it may be worth just giving it a go, and not over filling the mould x
Hi Jane. How could I make this recipe for a 2 layer square cake please?? Thankyou xxx
Hey! It depends on the size of tin you are using? x
Hi Jane, the 2 square cake tins would be 23cm. How could I adapt this recipe please??
Xx
Hey! I would use 1.6x the recipe – I’m not 100% certain on baking times however, but it’s certainly quite a bit more xx
Hi Jane!
Can i double this recipe so it makes 4 layers using 4tins? if so, would i need to adjust the cooking time/temp and if so how much by? i’m making this for a birthday next week but would like 4 layers.
I’ve tried this recipe before and was delicious!
Thanks! xx
Yes! So if you have four separate tins, you would just double it and bake between the four tins (it will be very very tall!) X
How did this go i am needing to make this cake tomorrow and want it for 4 layers? Was it stable etc 🙂