If you are new to baking or want a non-fussy chocolate cake, then this one-bowl chocolate truffle cake recipe is for you.
While the 5-min chocolate mug cake is great to satisfy instant chocolate cravings and is often quoted as the most dangerous chocolate cake recipe, sometimes you want the “real” deal. And you want it fast. I had one of those nights the other …err… night. I turned to Piece of Cake, the awesome book SJ recommended to me that gave inspiration to my Orange Cake Recipe. All the recipes are one-bowl, easy, and fuss-free and therefore perfect to whip up quickly even on a weeknight.
I made this super fuss-free one-bowl chocolate truffle cake in the night and took pictures of the final pieces the next day morning. You don’t even need to bring the butter to room temperature and you can easily make this eggless too. Oh and btw, these were used as the base for the Cake Pops I made for the first time.
One-bowl chocolate truffle cake recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate chunks
- 6 tbsp of unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1 tsp of instant coffee powder
- 1.25 cups of plain flour
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1/2 tsp of baking soda
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- 2 eggs preferably at room temperature
- 3/4 cup of milk
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease an 8" metal baking pan with butter. Add 1 tbsp flour to this and spread across by tilting the pan all around. Tap out the extra flour. Or, just use
- a non-stick baking spray
- This is a one-bowl chocolate cake so start with a large enough microwave-safe bowl for melting the chocolate and butter if you can. Add the chopped chocolate or chips along with the butter to the bowl.
- Microwave on medium heat for a minute and increase to 2 mins if you need to. The mixture should look like below, just about melted. Add the instant coffee powder.
- Use a whisk and combine the ingredients. Although they look solid, the butter and chocolate will soften pretty quickly so make sure you start with one minute.
Notes
5. Add the eggs, flour, salt, sugar, milk, baking soda and vanilla to the chocolate mixture.
Combine together gently with a whisk. I used my electric beater's whisk for this and then proceeded to the next step. This step is optional - I do it so that flour won't fly into my face when I turn the electric mixer on.
6. Now, using an electric mixer, beat the batter on medium speed (if you can adjust, otherwise it's fine) for a minute. Scrape down sides and beat for another 30 seconds. Take care not to overbeat.
7. Pour into the greased tray and bake for 25-30 mins...
... until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out with dry crumbs.
That's it! Invert onto a cake tray or just a regular plate after about 10 mins. Slice and serve as soon as it's cool enough to handle.
Step by Step One Bowl Chocolate Truffle Cake Recipe
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease an 8″ metal baking pan with butter. Add 1 tbsp flour to this and spread across by tilting the pan all around. Tap out the extra flour. Or, just use PAM baking spray.
2. This is a one-bowl chocolate cake so start with a large enough microwave-safe bowl for melting the chocolate and butter if you can. Add the chopped chocolate or chips along with the butter to the bowl.
3. Microwave on medium heat for a minute and increase to 2 mins if you need to. The mixture should look like below, just about melted. Add the instant coffee powder.
4. Use a whisk and combine the ingredients. Although they look solid, the butter and chocolate will soften pretty quickly so make sure you start with one minute.
Note: if you are using a regular pan over the stove and not the MW, then wait for the pan to cool down after this step before proceeding.
5. Add the eggs, flour, salt, sugar, milk, baking soda and vanilla to the chocolate mixture.
Combine together gently with a whisk. I used my electric beater’s whisk for this and then proceeded to the next step. This step is optional – I do it so that flour won’t fly into my face when I turn the electric mixer on.
6. Now, using an electric mixer, beat the batter on medium speed (if you can adjust, otherwise it’s fine) for a minute. Scrape down sides and beat for another 30 seconds. Take care not to overbeat.
7. Pour into the greased tray and bake for 25-30 mins…
… until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out with dry crumbs.
That’s it! Invert onto a cake tray or just a regular plate after about 10 mins. Slice and serve as soon as it’s cool enough to handle.
Notes:
– The book suggests chocolate ganache to be slathered on this cake but I used some toffee sauce I had lying around in the fridge (and I wonder why I don’t lose weight!). If you serve it unfrosted, the cake won’t be too sweet so adjust the sugar quantity if you’d like.
– You can easily make this eggless by substituting 1 egg with 1 tbsp flaxseed + 3 tbsp warm water beaten together. You can also substitute 1 egg with 1/4 cup plain yogurt. The texture will different slightly but should turn out delicious nevertheless.
– The measurement method used in this book is the scoop-and-sweep method. For measuring flour, scoop it into the measuring cup with a spoon and sweep the excess off the top making sure the cup is full but not packed. Don’t scoop using the measuring cup itself or tap it when measuring since that will result in more flour going into the cake, making it harder.
– It’s ok for the melted chocolate to be warm but don’t let it boil on the stove top. Just melt it gently and that’s enough. Also, if you are using the stove top, make sure you cool down the chocolate mixture before proceeding.
– The book Piece of Cake is awesome! I have tried 3 recipes so far, all with great success. Will do a detailed review soon but meanwhile, if you are looking for a great baking book to get next, I would recommend this for sure.
Chocolate Truffle Cake with Warm Toffee Sauce |
Smri
Why is Milk added?
Prangya
Thank you Nag for such a wonderful recipe…I made it for my hubby’s Birthday n everybody loved it… I just increased the sugar to 1 cup as I was not making any frosting… I sprinkled with some icing sugar n M & M ???????? thank you so much again n will try some more recipes from your blog…keep up the good work n let us know more wonderful n easy to follow recipes … Love PS
nags
so lovely! thank you for the kind words
Frency
Hi,
Up until now I have always stuck to baking plain vanilla sponge cake because it always turns out perfect and so yummy. But another reason for me not straying from this tried and tested path is that all of my prior attempts with chocolate cake were futile.
Fortunately, and what timing – just around Christmas baking time, I hit upon your recipe and dared to make one more attempt with chocolate cake and boy, it worked!
It took longer to bake though – 50 mins (at 30 mins the crust was done but the inside was all runny. But that's approximately the time I take for my regular cakes too, perhaps because I bake it in the microwave oven with convection mode ON).
The cake turned out nice and soft, it's not overly sweet, the coffee powder lends a subtle bitter flavour and the house smells lovely, very Xmassy. 🙂
Thank you for breaking my chocolate cake jinx.
Merry Christmas!
Nagalakshmi V
That's great to hear Frency. Merry Christmas to you too!
Parul Garg
Hey hey hey, So you think a sugar-free version of this will work for a diabetic? I usually use equal, but in this recipe, since you are using chocolate chunks– will need to add sugar-free dark chocolate.. any ideas?
Nagalakshmi V
hmmm.. haven't tried that myself but if you can get your hands on sugar-free dark chocolate, that will work well.
S
Hi – just wanted to say that the cake came out perfectly and everyone loved it! This is the first cake I made where it actually tasted yummy – so thanks so much for your post!
Subha
I made this cake last night – it was a cinch to make and the texture was perfect. This will be my go to chocolate cake recipe from now. Thank you! Have you posted the other recipes that you have tried from this book?
Sangeetha Nambi
Lovely place to stare…… Happy to follow you Nags !
-S
http://recipe-excavator.blogspot.com
rahul aggarwal
when is the cake cutting…i hope my name is on the list 😀
Anonymous
I tried this cake today and it came out yummy!!
I am gonna make some cake pops with the rest of it.
Thanks,
Bharathi.
Ambika
The cake looks gorgeous and perfectly moist! Lovely snaps!