The easiest, most perfect chocolate cake recipe. Ever.

This post is a special one, because in this write-up I will be sharing my biggest success story in the baking world - my go-to perfectly soft and moist chocolate cake sponge recipe. You know when you find something whether it be a recipe, clothing item, or even a route to work that just succeeds every time and is your go-to when in a hurry or in need of an easy way-out? Well, that is this chocolate cake recipe.

I have made this recipe countless times, and every time it comes out so fluffy and soft and perfect. I personally am a chocolate lover, and know that anyone I have made this cake for, absolutely adores it too. It is just so simple yet deep in its chocolatey flavour that I don't think even non-chocolate lovers (if there is such a thing) could fault it.

In this recipe you can either add a cup of hot black coffee, or just hot water if you don't have coffee or prefer not to use it. When I make this cake I pour the hot coffee every time, and I feel like its the secret ingredient that makes everything sing together. When the cake bakes the strong coffee flavour cooks away slightly, and what you are left with in the end is a subtle, yet present mocha-chocolate tasting cake - which in my opinion is freaking bomb!

Another tip I have that I have learnt through my baking experiences, is that it is always better to look for a cake recipe that is oil based. Yes, you heard me, OIL-BASED. The oil (even if it is less than half a cup) in the recipe allows the cake to cook at an even temperature and it makes the sponge light and fluffy. For the longest time I was finding recipes online and when I made them they all did not come out like the pictures and were dense and so solid compared to this recipe, and only once I did a comparative analysis on any recipe to this one, the one variable I realised was missing was the added oil! So take it from me friends, oil is a good thing when it comes to baking a lovely birthday cake.

But, enough ranting about a cake, and let's get into the recipe.

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INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups cake flour

• 3/4 cups cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp baking soda

• A pinch of salt

• 1 cup milk

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• 2 cups sugar

• 1/2 cup oil

• 1 cup of boiling coffee (or 1 cup boiling water)

• 2 eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line two 23cm round cake tins with butter and baking wax paper at the bottom (or I use three 18cm cake rounds, but you can use whatever you have really. (Just make sure that you only fill them 1/3 of the way each).

2. In a large bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together and mix to combine (this includes the sugar).

3. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla essence to the dry mix and beat with an electric mixer for about two minutes. Add the boiling water or coffee and mix until well combined.

4. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake tins and bake for 30-35 minutes.

5. To test if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick into the middle of the pan. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready to come out of the oven.

6. Allow the cakes to cool slightly in the pans (just enough that you can actually touch the cake) and then turn the cakes out onto a wire rack for them to cool down completely.

7. Let the cakes cool completely before icing them - otherwise the icing will melt off!

There are two types of icings that can pair so well with this sponge - a simple chocolate icing, or even a salted caramel icing. Please leave comments and let me know if you'd want me to do posts on my best icing recipes.