If I could only have one cake for the rest of my life, I would choose this cake. It is moist, light, deeply chocolatey, and pure joy in a slice!
It is super easy to make. All you need is one bowl and a whisk to mix it all together.
And it is super versatile. You can bake it as a sheet cake, as a stunning layer cake, as a bundt cake, as two small layer cakes, or as cupcakes. You can slather it with my classic Fudge Frosting, Vanilla Buttercream (for a delicious cookies and cream cake), or drizzle it with a rich chocolate ganache. You can fill it with marshmallow fluff, raspberry jam, mousse, or anything your heart desires.
One Bowl Chocolate Cake
Wet ingredients:
- 1 cup (230 grams) cane sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (250 grams) coconut milk
- 1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbsp (130 grams) avocado oil
- 1/2 cup (105 grams) mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup (69 grams) brewed coffee, warm but not hot (you can also use 1 tsp instant coffee and 1/3 cup warm water)
- 2 tsp (10 grams) vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp (6 grams) apple cider vinegar
Dry ingredients:
- 3 cups (330 grams) almond flour
- 3/4 cup (93 grams) tapioca flour
- 3/4 cup (84 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder*
- 1 1/2 tsp (10 grams) baking soda
- 1 tsp (7 grams) fine grain sea salt
*I usually prefer to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder in my baking, but it just doesn’t give this cake enough of a “chocolate flavor.” To give this cake a deeper, chocolate flavor I use Dutch-processed cocoa. But, I like natural unsweetened cocoa powder for the frosting.
Directions for the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Oil a 9×13 inch cake pan with avocado oil, or palm shortening. Line the cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the sugars and eggs together until pale and fluffy.
- Add the rest of the the wet ingredients. Whisk until well blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until completely mixed.
- Pour the cake batter into the cake pan and even it out. Bake for 35-40 minutes. (Insert a toothpick to check the doneness of the cake. The toothpick will have a few crumbs, but should not have any wet batter when the cake is ready.)
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Flip the cake onto a large plate, board, or baking sheet. Allow to cool completely.
- Once the cake is completely cool, top it with the frosting of your choice. (The recipes for my Fudge Frosting and Favorite Vanilla Buttercream are below.) Serve and celebrate!
You can bake this cake in three, 8-inch cake rounds to make a layer cake; just reduce the bake time to 27-35 minutes. You can also bake it as a bundt cake; just increase the bake time to 45-60 minutes. For cupcakes, bake for 20-25 minutes.
Fudge Frosting
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) grass-fed butter, or, vegan butter
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) Hershey’s natural cocoa powder
- 3 cups (375 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup (75 grams) coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp (15 grams) vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
Directions for the Fudge Frosting:
- Melt the butter. (You can melt the butter in a small pan on the stove over low-medium heat. Or, you can melt it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.)
- In a medium or large bowl, whisk the butter and cocoa powder until it is completely smooth.
- Whisk in a cup of powdered sugar. Then add part of the milk.
- Whisk in another cup of powdered sugar. Then add a little more milk.
- Whisk in the rest of the powdered sugar and milk. Add the sea salt and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and thick.
This recipe is for a 9×13 inch cake. Double the recipe to make a layer cake.
Favorite Vanilla Buttercream
- 16 Tbsp, 2 sticks (226 grams) grass-fed butter, softened (or Miyokos Vegan Butter for a dairy-free version)
- 1 1/2 cups (275 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp (20 grams) coconut milk yogurt
- 1 Tbsp (15 grams) vanilla extract
Directions for the Vanilla Buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add the coconut milk yogurt and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined.
- Frost your cake.
This recipe is for a 9×13 inch cake. Double the recipe to make a layer cake.