Chocolate Cake Recipe

Prepare oven and pans

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch (or one 9-inch) round cake pans, or line the bottom with parchment rounds.

Whisk dry ingredients

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt until uniformly combined and aerated.

Mix wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the whole milk, neutral oil, and vanilla extract until combined.

Combine wet and dry

Create a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Using a spatula or mixer on low speed, stir until most of the dry streaks are gone and batter is smooth but not overmixed (about 30 seconds).

Add hot water

Slowly stir in the hot water (it will thin the batter). Mix until homogeneous. The batter will be pourable — this gives the cake a moist crumb.

Bake

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 28–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Rotate pans halfway through baking for even browning.

Cool

Remove cakes from oven and let rest in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert pans to release cakes onto the rack, remove parchment if used, and let cakes cool completely (about 1 hour) before frosting.

Heat cream

Place the chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it just begins to simmer (small bubbles at the edge), then remove from heat.

Make ganache

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit undisturbed for 1 minute to soften. Gently stir from the center outward until smooth and glossy. Stir in the unsalted butter and salt until incorporated. If the mixture is too thick for spreading at room temperature, warm briefly over a double boiler or microwave in 10-second bursts and stir.

Cool to spreadable consistency

Let ganache cool at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a spreadable but still soft consistency. For a thicker frosting, chill in the refrigerator, stirring every 5–10 minutes until slightly firm.

Assemble

If cake layers have domes, level them with a serrated knife. Place one layer on your serving plate or cake stand. Spread a thin layer of ganache over the top. Place the second layer on top and use the remaining ganache to frost the top and sides with an offset spatula. Smooth the surface or create textured swirls as desired.

Dust the top lightly with cocoa powder and garnish with fresh berries or chocolate shavings as desired. Chill the cake for 20–30 minutes to set the ganache if you prefer cleaner slices.

Bring to room temperature before serving (about 30 minutes) so the ganache is soft and the cake is tender.