Chocolate Snacking Cake
There are chocolate cakes you make to impress—and then there’s the kind you make because it’s Tuesday afternoon, and in a quiet moment, you think, “I’m going to make a quick cake for this evening.”
This chocolate snacking cake falls in the latter category. Simple, deeply chocolatey, and just the right amount of tender, it’s the sort of cake that asks very little of you—and gives so much in return.
It’s the one I turn to when the mood strikes for something rich but not heavy, sweet but not overly so. A cake to keep on the counter for sneaking slivers between tasks, or to enjoy warm with a spoon and a swirl of homemade whipped cream or small scoop of ice cream. And best of all, it’s made with ingredients I almost always have on hand.
Ingredients for this Chocolate Snacking Cake
1 stick unsalted butter (½ cup)
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: 1 Tablespoon each Powdered Sugar & Cornstarch for dusting
How to Make This Chocolate Snacking Cake
Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease an 8-inch cake pan, lining the bottom with parchment. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, stir in the milk, and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth—this blooming step deepens the chocolate flavor. In a large bowl, combine the sugars, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour in the warm cocoa mixture and stir just until combined. Add the oil, then the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla, then pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature, with a dusting of powdered sugar or your favorite glaze.
Baker’s Notes
If you’ve never heard the term snacking cake, it’s just what it sounds like: a single-layer, fuss-free cake that’s easy to throw together and even easier to eat. No layers, no piping, no special occasion required—just an everyday cake for any kind of day.
What makes this one special is the simple step of blooming cocoa powder in warm butter and milk. It deepens the chocolate flavor and gives the crumb that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture I love. It’s not too sweet either, which makes it all the more snackable.
To add a little charm, you’ve got options. Try mixing 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (to keep it from melting into the cake) and give it a gentle dusting, or serve it with a drizzle of glaze—chocolate or vanilla, whichever suits your mood. Decorate with herbs, edible dried flowers...you are the artist here!
Equipment
I love using these cake pans.
Chances are, you might already have everything you need to bake—but just in case, you can check out all my favorite baking essentials here in my ShopMy.
