Easy Chocolate Cake (Stays moist for days)
This moist chocolate cake is rich, tender, and layered with smooth ganache. Perfect for birthdays, dinner parties, or when you want a no-fuss chocolate hit!
Ingredients
Cake
- 400 g all-purpose flour plain flour
- 560 g caster sugar superfine sugar
- 100 g cocoa powder
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 3 tsp bicarb soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 coffee shot or 1 tsp instant coffee powder mixed with 2 tbsp boiling water
- 330 g whole-fat milk
- 125 g vegetable oil
- 125 g unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 3 large eggs 55g each, room temperature
- 14 g vanilla extract
- 250 g boiling water
Chocolate Ganache
- 840 g dark cooking chocolate see notes
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 60 g glucose syrup see notes
- 375 g heavy cream whipping cream
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F (fan off), 160 °C / 320F. Spray three 8-inch cake tins with oil spray and line the bottoms with baking paper.
- Combine dry ingredients - Add the flour, caster sugar cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt to a large mixing bowl and use a whisk to combine.
- Combine wet ingredients - To a large jug or bowl, add the milk, oil, coffee, butter and eggs and whisk to combine.
- Combine wet and dry - Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to combine taking care to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Boiling water - Add the boiling water and stir until well combined.
- Bake - Divide the batter evenly amongst the three cake tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes once baked and turn over onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Ganache
- Microwave method - Add the dark chocolate, cream, butter and glucose syrup (corn syrup) into a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mixing each time until completely melted and smooth.
- Double boiler method - Fill a medium sized pot 1/3 of the way with water. Bring to a boil. Place a heat-proof bowl on top and turn the heat to low. Add all the ingredients into the bowl. Gently mix until mixture is completely melted and smooth.
- To set - Directly cover the ganache with plastic wrap so that it doesn’t form a skin and set aside to set at room temperature. It will be firm to touch but slightly soft when fully set.
- Softening the ganache (to do right before frosting) - Once the ganache has set, soften it by placing back in the microwave for 10 seconds, and mix with a spatula until it reaches a soft, spreading consistency. You can also do this by placing it on a double boiler and warming very slightly until you reach a spreadable consistency.
Let’s Put It Together!
- Trim cakes - Trim the top of the cakes off using a cake leveler or large serrated knife.
- Layer the cake - Add a dab of ganache onto your serving plate and add the first layer of cake. Pipe a ring of ganache around the first layer of cake and fill the rest in with ganache. Spread around until smooth and flat using an offset spatula. Add the next layer of cake and repeat until you have the final layer of cake.
- Finish frosting - Spread the remaining ganache around the top and sides of the cake. You can choose to do it smooth or rustic like I did in the video.
Notes
Chocolate - Using good quality cooking chocolate is important in this recipe. I used semi-sweet chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. You can find cooking chocolate in the baking isle of your supermarket.
Glucose syrup - Glucose syrup helps stabilize this ganache and lowers the chance of it splitting. It is also sometimes known as corn syrup and can be found in the baking isle of most supermarkets. You can leave it out if you wish.
Coffee shot - If you have a coffee machine, you’ll need one coffee shot for this recipe. Alternatively, you can add 2 tbsp boiling water to 1 tbsp instant coffee powder and mix them together.
Cake turntable - Using a cake turntable is the best and easiest way to decorate a cake. You can buy them online.
Storage - This cake can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to three days.
Nutrition – is an approximate and is based on per slice. This recipe serves 10.
A note on measurements – This recipe uses weight measurements for the most accurate results. Cup measurements can vary depending on where you are, which affects the precision needed for a recipe like this. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition
Calories:827kcal | Carbohydrates:57g | Protein:11g | Fat:54g | Saturated Fat:32g | Polyunsaturated Fat:2g | Monounsaturated Fat:16g | Trans Fat:1g | Cholesterol:113mg | Sodium:593mg | Potassium:689mg | Fiber:9g | Sugar:22g | Vitamin A:952IU | Vitamin C:1mg | Calcium:162mg | Iron:10mg
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