Chocolate Cake Recipe

Preheat and prepare pans

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter or nonstick spray, then dust lightly with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Line the bottoms with parchment if desired.

Combine dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour (2 cups), granulated sugar (1 3/4 cups), unsweetened cocoa powder (3/4 cup), baking powder (1 1/2 tsp), baking soda (1 1/2 tsp), and salt (1 tsp) until evenly distributed.

Mix wet ingredients

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs (2), whole milk (1 cup), vegetable oil (1/2 cup), and vanilla extract (2 tsp) until combined.

Combine wet and dry

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or whisk until mostly combined and no large pockets of flour remain. Batter will be thick.

Add hot water

Gradually stir in the hot water (1 cup) — the batter will thin noticeably. Mix until smooth and uniform. The hot water blooms the cocoa for a deep chocolate flavor.

Divide and bake

Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans (use a scale or measure by eye). Smooth the tops. Bake in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 28–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Rotate pans halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.

Cool

Remove pans from oven and let them cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert cakes onto the rack, remove parchment, and allow cakes to cool completely (about 1 hour) before glazing or stacking.

Warm cream

Place the heavy cream (1/2 cup) in a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until it just begins to simmer around the edges (do not boil). Remove from heat.

Make ganache

Place the semisweet chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1–2 minutes, then gently stir until smooth and glossy. Stir in the unsalted butter (1 tbsp) and salt (1/8 tsp) until incorporated.

Cool slightly

Let ganache cool for 5–10 minutes to thicken slightly so it will spread instead of run off the cake.

Glaze cake

Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a thin layer of ganache or use it as filling if desired. Top with second cake layer and pour remaining ganache over top, using a spatula to nudge it over the edges for a smooth finish. Let set 20–30 minutes before slicing. Refrigerate to speed setting; bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.

If using, apply butter or nonstick spray (1 tbsp) evenly in pans and dust with cocoa powder (1 tbsp) to prevent sticking. Alternatively, line pan bottoms with parchment circles for easy removal.