One-Bowl Chocolate Cake for Two – Quick, Simple, and Irresistible

 

I moved back to Canada after having lived in the U.K. for over 20 years about five years ago now.  I am living all on my lonesome for the very first time in my life. Throughout the span of my lifetime, I have gone from cooking for a family of seven, to cooking for a smaller family, to now cooking for only one person.  This has been quite an adjustment to make.

I hate waste and I hate having to throw things away because they don't get used. I have always found it relatively easy to multiply things to feed more people but cutting recipes in half or down can often be a bit more complicated. Reliable small-batch recipes are very hard to find. In the five years I have been back and cooking for one, I have worked hard at scaling down traditional recipes to fulfil the needs of the smaller family in a way that works well, and that is always delicious!

Recipes such as this moist and tasty chocolate cake recipe which I am sharing with you today!

 Designed to be the perfect size for just two people, it is a delicious chocolate buttermilk cake, composed of a single layer.  A six-inch layer, which you split in two through the middle, and then fill and frost with your favorite frosting!

You don't have to bake it in a six-inch layer cake tin, however. A 1/8 sheet pan also works well or a 6 by 9-inch casserole dish, and, if you live on your own like I do, I highly recommend you make the investment!

Even if you don't live on your own, or if you just have a smaller family, this cake recipe makes a cake that is just the right size to enjoy without the temptation of having a lot of leftovers. You can cut it into either four or six slices, which is just enough to enjoy right now.

It is rich, chocolatey, moist and delicious. In short, it IS the perfect chocolate cake! You're welcome!

 

WHAT YOU NEED 

TO MAKE

CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR TWO

Other than the properly sized pan, just simple store-cupboard ingredients.

• 6 TBS (50g) all-purpose plain flour
• 6 TBS (75g) granulated sugar
• 3 TBS (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 TBS vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Just use plain unsifted all-purpose flour. No need for any special kind of flour.

I use organic granulated sugar. The kind you can buy at Costco.  In the U.K. use castor sugar. I liked to use the golden caster sugar when I lived there. it was less processed.

Do make sure you use cocoa powder and not chocolate drink mix. The two ingredients are not the same thing at all.  See my notes below.

Buttermilk is what makes this a moist cake. I tell you below how to make a suitable substitute for buttermilk if you do not have or cannot get this ingredient.

Baking powder and baking soda are not the same thing.  Baking soda is 100% sodium bicarbonate, whereas baking powder is a mixture of baking soda, a thickener and an acid such as cream of tartar.  Generally speaking, if you are using soda in a cake recipe, you will also see an acidic liquid such as buttermilk, which helps to activate the leavening qualities of soda.

I used light olive oil and my own homemade vanilla extract.

 

HOW TO MAKE A

DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR TWO

This recipe employs the simple one bowl method of putting together a cake. There is no need for any special equipment. You can use a wire whisk.

1. Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3. Butter a 6-inch round baking tin and line the bottom with baking paper. (See recipe notes for alternate sized pans. Baking times will need adjusting for these.)
2. Whisk the flour, coco powder, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl.
3. Whisk the buttermilk, egg, vanilla and oil together in another bowl.
4. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry mixture, whisking until a smooth batter forms. Pour this into the prepared pan, smoothing over the top. (I used a simple wire whisk, which worked perfectly.)
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. When done the top will spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
6. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then tip out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
7. Once cold, split in half through the middle and fill and frost as desired. (Easily done with a serrated knife.)
8. Cut into wedges to serve. (Cake will cut into four lovely wedges. Two to enjoy on the day and two to enjoy a day later.)

NOTE: You can freeze this cake, un-frosted and properly wrapped for up to three months.

 

    HOW TO MAKE A SIMPLE 

yet 

DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE FROSTING

This simple frosting will give you enough to fill and cover the cake.  Rich and delicious.

• 1/2 cup (110g) butter, softened slightly
• 1/4 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/8 cups (150g) icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 - 1 TBS heavy whipping cream or milk

Measure everything into a bowl and beat together with an electric hand mixer until smooth and fluffy, adding only enough of the cream or milk to give you the right consistency.

 

WHY THIS CAKE WORKS

This simple one-bowl, stir together batter utilizes unsweetened cocoa powder for a simple, deep and chocolatey flavor. Do not use chocolate drink mix. They are not the same thing Chocolate drink mix has things like sugar and milk powder added. Cocoa powder is simply ground cocoa beans.

The use of buttermilk also ensures a lovely and moist texture. No access to buttermilk? No problem. You can make a suitable substitute by one of the following ways.

• whisk together a small amount of white vinegar or lemon juice (1 tsp) and add whole  milk to the required amount of buttermilk needed. Leave at room temperature to clabber for five minutes.
• whisk together equal amounts of whole milk and whole fat yogurt or sour cream. (In this case 1/8 cup/30ml of each.)

 

A FEW OTHER

DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CAKES TO ENJOY

BUTTERMILK CHOCOLATE CAKE -Rich, moist, and irresistibly chocolatey—this old-fashioned one-bowl Buttermilk Chocolate Cake is the kind of dessert that turns any day into a celebration. The secret? Tangy buttermilk, which transforms simple pantry ingredients into a tender crumb and deep cocoa flavor that lingers lovingly on the palate. There is nothing fancy here, just simple baking cupboard ingredients put together in the most delicious way.

CREOLE CHOCOLATE CAKE - This is my all-time favorite chocolate cake. I have been baking and enjoying this delicious cake for over 40 years now. It is a rich and dangerously delicious cake that combines the deep richness of bittersweet chocolate with the luxurious surprise of a fruit-and-nut caramel filling along with a layer of rich whipped cream. Finished with a tangy sour cream chocolate ganache frosting, every bite is a taste of luxury. Perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, or any moment that deserves something special.

  

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Yield: Serves 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Chocolate Cake for two

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min

This is a delicious chocolate cake that is perfectly sized for just two people. Quick and very easy to make. Buttermilk makes it rich and moist.

Ingredients

You will need:

• 6 TBS (50g) all-purpose plain flour
• 6 TBS (75g) granulated sugar
• 3 TBS (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 TBS vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Optional:

• 1 cup of your favorite frosting (homemade or canned)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3. Butter a 6-inch round baking tin and line the bottom with baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, coco powder, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl.
3. Whisk the buttermilk, egg, vanilla and oil together in another bowl.
4. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry mixture, whisking until a smooth batter forms. Pour this into the prepared pan, smoothing over the top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. When done the top will spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
6. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then tip out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
7. Once cold, split in half through the middle and fill and frost as desired.
8. Cut into wedges to serve.

Notes

OTHER SUITABLE PANS:

16 ounce ramekin

1/8th inch sheet pan (6-inches by 9-inches)

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