Best Chocolate Cake Ever

This cake is my absolute favorite and has been my preferred birthday cake since I was a child!  It has the perfect combination of light chocolate cake with a rich, velvety icing.  You can bake it like a Texas Sheet Cake or in a regular 9X13 glass baking dish. Either way it is delicious!

Best Chocolate Cake Ever Ingredients

From the pantry, you will need all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, your favorite cocoa (we love Ghirardelli), and cinnamon.  This recipe also calls for butter, vegetable oil, water, buttermilk and vanilla.  I would say the secret ingredients that make this cake special are the cocoa powder, buttermilk and cinnamon.

For the frosting you will need a stick of butter, more cocoa, powdered sugar, buttermilk and vanilla.

How to Make this Chocolate Cake

First, preheat the oven to 375°. Grease and lightly flour a 9X13 baking cake pan or a sheet cake pan.

Next, sift flour and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.  A short cut that I use, if I do not want to get the sifter out, is to use a wire whisk to blend the two.

Then, place the stick of butter, cocoa, water, and oil in a medium saucepan.  Bring this mixture to a boil.  Now, add the boiled mixture to the flour and sugar.  Blend these until combined.  Next, add the eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla. Batter should be smooth and creamy.

Pour the batter into the greased and floured cake pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes, if using a 9X13 cake pan and 15-20 minutes if using the sheet cake pan.

Once the cake is done, allow it to cool while you make the icing.

Chocolate Icing

First, put the stick of butter into a medium saucepan.  Then add 2 heaping tablespoons cocoa, through a fine mesh sieve, into the pot. This step is not critical, but it will prevent any clumps of cocoa powder from forming in the icing.  Next, add about 6 tablespoons buttermilk (or regular milk) to the pot and bring to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Once it reaches the rolling boil, remove the pan from the heat.  Into the pot, add about 1 lb powdered sugar.  It is best to use a fine mesh strainer/ sieve to reduce any clumps in the sugar as you add it into the chocolate.  Then add vanilla last and blend well with a spatula.

Finally, pour the warm frosting onto the cake evenly.  It will harden into a velvety icing as it cools.

Tips and Baking Options

• If you want to make this best chocolate cake ever as a sheet cake style: Use a larger and more shallow sheet cake pan.  You just need to adjust the baking time, accordingly, baking a shorter time for the sheet cake pan.  Monitor after 15 minutes and check that a toothpick comes out clean to know when the cake is done.Print
  

  Best Chocolate Cake Ever

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  • Author: Gnarly Roots
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12-15 1x

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  Ingredients

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  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 stick butter
  • 2 heaping T cocoa
  • 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla

  Frosting Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter
  • 2 heaping T cocoa
  • 6 T buttermilk or milk
  • 1 lb powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

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  Instructions

  1. First, preheat the oven to 375°. Grease and lightly flour a 9X13 baking cake pan.
  2. Next, sift flour and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.  A short cut that I use, if I do not want to get the sifter out, is to use a wire whisk to blend the two.
  3. Then, place the stick of butter, cocoa, water, and oil in a medium sauce pan.  Bring this mixture to a boil.
  4. Now, add the boiled mixture to the flour and sugar.  Blend  these until combined.  Next, add the eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla. Batter should be smooth and creamy.
  5. Pour the batter into the greased and floured cake pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes, if using a 9X13 cake pan and 15-20 minutes if using the sheet cake pan.
  6. Once the cake is done, allow it to cool while you make the icing.

  For the Icing

  1. Put one stick of butter into a medium sauce pan.
  2. Then add 2 heaping tablespoons cocoa, through a fine mesh sieve into the pot. This step is not critical but it will prevent any clumps of cocoa powder from forming in the icing.
  3. Next, add about 6 tablespoons buttermilk (or regular milk) to the pot and bring to a rolling boil in a medium sauce pan.
  4. Once it reaches the rolling boil, remove the pan from the heat.
  5. Into the pot, add about 1 lb powdered sugar.  I use a fine mesh strainer/ sieve to sift reduce any clumps in the sugar as I add it into the chocolate.
  6. Then add vanilla last and blend well.
  7. Finally, pour the warm frosting onto the cake evenly.  It will harden into a velvety icing as it cools.

   

  Notes

  • You can make this in a 9X13 baking dish or a larger and more shallow sheet cake pan.  You just need to adjust the baking time accordingly, baking a shorter time for the sheet cake pan.  Monitor after 15 minutes and check that a toothpick comes out clean to know when the cake is done.

  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 25 min
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking