Name: Basic Chocolate Cake
Prep time: P0Y0M0DT0H25M0.000S
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H35M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT1H0M0.000S
Yield: two 9-inch cakes
Ingredients: Cooking spray; 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process); 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 3/4 cup vegetable oil; 1/2 cup sour cream; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula. (The batter will be thin.)
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

Photograph by Levi Brown

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

On Tonight

Basic Chocolate Cake

Categories:

More from:

Related Pages