Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
• 1¼ tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
• 1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1¾ cups (9¾ oz; packed) light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar for dusting
• Sweetened Whipped Cream and berries for serving (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the centre, butter a 9 inch round cake pan with tall sides and dust it with cocoa powder, knocking out the excess.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl for about 30 seconds.
3. Beat the softened butter and light brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, and beat in the vanilla extract.
4. Beat in a third of the flour mixture until only a few dry streaks show, then beat in two thirds of a cup of water until incorporated.
5. Continue with half the remaining dry mixture, another two thirds of a cup of water and finally the last of the dry ingredients, folding the end in with a rubber spatula so the batter is just combined.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to an hour until the top springs back when pressed lightly and a tester from the centre comes out clean.
7. Cool the cocoa cake in its pan for an hour, turn it onto a wire rack and then right side up, dust it with powdered sugar and serve it with sweetened whipped cream and berries if you like.

Cook: 20 minutes · Total: 2¾ hours

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data