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One-Bowl Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup hot water

Icing

  • ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk, shaken (plus more if needed to thin icing)
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Grease and 9x13 inch baking pan. Line with parchment. Grease the parchment. Flour the paper and pan.
  • In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla and whisk well to combine. Add hot water and whisk until smooth.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap pan gently on counter to release air bubbles.
  • Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 30 to 35 minutes.
  • Cool completely before applying icing. You can remove the cake from the pan before or after applying icing.

Icing

  • Once cake has cooled, melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk in salt and cocoa powder. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, making sure it does not boil.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Add powdered sugar and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
  • Add vanilla and whisk to combine. The icing should be thick and spreadable. If you need to thin in, stiff in extra buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time.
  • Spread icing over cooled cake. Let ice cool and set before slicing and serving.

Notes

Adapted from One-Bowl Buttermilk Chocolate Cake, Blair Lonegan, The Seasoned Mom.