Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe with UK Measurements

Easy Chocolate Cake Recipes

This is one of my favourite easy chocolate cake recipes, which is not only easy to make but is also a light moist chocolate sponge cake that can be decorated and sandwiched with all sorts of toppings and fillings. Using mostly store cupboard ingredients, the method is simple enough for the kids to help make it too! Plus it is makes a very large cake that would be great for a birthday or celebration cake (about 10 slices). And any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and it will keep well for a few days, if using fresh cream for the filling or topping or in warm weather it keeps well in the fridge.

I’ve included a few ideas for fillings and toppings, with loads ideas for flavour combinations that work so well with chocolate!
I’ve included a couple of pictures, (not great photos, need to practise my photography!) But hopefully you can see how substantial in size this is cake but also how light and airy it is. The soured cream is the key ingredient that makes it so light, and too easy to scoff down! But I have also made it with Greek-style plain yoghurt, (as I almost always have this in the fridge unlike soured cream) and it seems to work just as good. This time I’ve sandwiched this chocolate sponge cake with coffee butter-cream icing. For the topping I’ve used a chocolate syrup glaze (as seen in the photo of the slice of cake). This easy chocolate cake recipe only took me 30 minutes to make plus baking, cooling and decorating time. It’s always good to have everything out and to hand before you start - and at room temperature.

Contents: Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe - Ingredients UK Measurements | How to Make Basic Chocolate Sponge Cake - Method | Filling and Icing Ideas for Chocolate Sandwich Cake

Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe - Ingredients UK Measurements
What you will need to make this easy chocolate cake with UK quantities.

Big Chocolate Sponge Cake!

Ingredients:
110g soft butter
60g plain dark chocolate
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
110ml hot water
200g light muscovado or caster sugar
2 medium eggs lightly beaten
200g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100ml soured cream or Greek-style yoghurt

How to Make Basic Chocolate Sponge Cake - Method
Method:
1. Grease two 20cm sandwich cake tins and line bases with parchment.
2. In a small pan mix the cocoa with the hot water, add the chocolate in chunks. Put on a gentle heat stirring until it has melted. Take off heat, stir till smooth and leave to cool a bit.
3. Beat together the butter and sugar till well combined. Add the beaten eggs, a bit at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Preheat oven to 190C. Stir in the cooled chocolate mix.
5. Sift over the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate. Fold into the cake mix till just combined, don’t over-mix.
6. Add the soured cream/yoghurt and vanilla, again mix till just combined.
7. Pour equally into the cake tins and smooth the tops to level them. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until it is coming away from the sides of the tin. Test for doneness by inserting a cake tester or wooden skewer in and it should come out clean.
8. Put the tins onto a cooling rack and after about 10 minutes, gently turn the cakes out of the tin, removing the lining paper and leave to cool completely on the rack.
9. Once cooled fill and decorate as you wish or try out one of the ideas below.

Slice of Light Chocolate Cake! - UK Recipe

Filling, Icing and Frosting Ideas for Chocolate Sandwich Cake
Here are a few delicious ideas and flavour combos that work so well with chocolate.

1. Coffee butter-cream filling: coffee and chocolate is such a delicious combo. Sandwich the sponges with the coffee butter-cream (softened butter beaten with icing sugar) that you flavour with strong coffee or instant espresso powder (dissolved first in a bit of hot water). And for the top just dust with icing sugar or you could (like in my photo) drizzle over a chocolate flavoured syrup (made by melting then boiling together butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder for 5 minutes till it is thick n syrupy), cool completely before pouring the glaze over.
2. Raspberries and cream: another gorgeous combo chocolate, raspberries and cream. Sandwich the sponge cake with whipped cream and a handful of fresh raspberries (or use raspberry jam), again simple topping with a dusting of icing sugar, or for a more full-on version top with more cream and rasps! Mash the fresh fruit with a bit of fruit liqueur to boost the fruit flavour.
3. Other fruit combos that would work well include cherries or strawberries, and fill/decorate as with the raspberry version above.
4. American frosting - a light white meringue-style icing made by whipping egg whites, caster sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla extract and bit of hot water, in a bowl over a pan of hot water till stiff peaks then use to fill and cover the sides and top.
5. Fudge icing with cocoa - a mix of soft butter, cocoa powder, icing sugar, bit of milk beaten together till smooth and then use to sandwich and cover the cake.
6. Fudge icing with chocolate - melt chocolate, with double cream and golden syrup, beat well and leave to cool and thicken then smother between and all over the sponge cakes!