My One Bowl Chocolate Cake is rich, moist, and deeply chocolatey—made with simple ingredients in one bowl and topped with glossy frosting.
- 1 cup (5 oz/142 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (5 oz/142 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (1 oz/28 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg , at room temperature
- ¾ cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) water , hot
- ¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 recipe One Minute Chocolate Frosting
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment, extending up the sides. Butter the parchment, dust lightly with flour, knock out the excess, and set aside.
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In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
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Whisk in the egg, buttermilk, hot water, and vegetable oil until smooth.
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Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and tap gently on the counter to release any air bubbles.
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Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave the cake in the pan.
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Prepare the One Minute Chocolate Frosting following my recipe instructions.
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Pour the frosting over the cake while both the frosting and the cake are still warm. Let set for at least 2 hours before slicing.
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Enjoy with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Use hot water: Hot water helps bloom the cocoa powder, giving the cake a deeper chocolate flavor without making the batter too thin.
- Coffee boosts flavor: Enhance the chocolate flavor by adding 1 teaspoon of instant espresso to the dry ingredients or replace the hot water with hot coffee.
- Be sure to use regular, not Dutch-process, cocoa powder in this recipe. The baking soda needs the acidity of regular cocoa powder to activate.
- Use high-quality cocoa powder here: it really makes a difference.
- Don’t overmix: Stir just until the batter is smooth. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
- Room-temperature egg matters: A room-temperature egg blends more easily and creates a smoother batter.
- Make a parchment sling by lining the pan with parchment and extending it up the sides. This makes it easier to remove the cake.
- Take care not to overbake: Remove when a toothpick comes out clean.
- Gently tapping the pan on the counter before baking removes air bubbles and helps the cake bake evenly.
- Great for young bakers: This chocolate cake recipe one bowl is great for anyone, but we especially recommend this for young bakers: it’s simple, easy to mix up, and the results are so satisfying!
- Frost while the cake is warm: Pouring the frosting over a warm cake helps it spread easily and creates a smooth, glossy finish.