Best-Baked Chocolate Cake
A moist, decadent chocolate cake with a rich cocoa flavor and a silky chocolate ganache topping. This American-inspired quick recipe, ready in about 65 minutes, layers all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder into a dessert worth slowing down for — great for weekend baking, holiday tables, or any time you want a sweet payoff at the end of a meal. Each serving lands at about 350 calories and feeds 8, so it slots into a weekend bake or a special-occasion dessert tray. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup, softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup, chilled ganache
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Equipment for this recipe
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Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1/4 cup milk.
- Step 2: In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract and remaining 1/4 cup milk. Fold into the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Step 3: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- Step 4: For the ganache, microwave chocolate and cream in 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly, then drizzle over the cake.








