This Best Ever Chocolate Snack Cake is perfect for when you need a small chocolate cake quickly! It’s moist, flavorful, super chocolaty and SO simple!
I don’t know what it is, but lately my body has been craving chocolate almost insatiably. I went from being meh about chocolate to being a certified chocoholic.
I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that necessarily. Everything in moderation, right? But chocolate was never my go-to and now I cannot get enough.
But since I don’t need a whole, normal-size chocolate cake lying around my apartment tempting me all hours of the live long day, I figured I’d better brainstorm a recipe that was smaller in size but delivered that delicious craving.
Chocolate Snack Cake
First things first: what’s a chocolate snack cake? Snack cakes are becoming more popular and they’re essentially a one layer cake made in a small 8″ or 9″ round or square pan. They’re great when you’re craving an actual cake but don’t need the whole enchilada of a layer cake or sheet cake. I love how simple they are to whip up!
This cake has some pretty standard cake ingredients, including all-purpose flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa (of course!), salt, baking soda, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, a little vinegar which interacts with the baking soda to help create a lovely crumb, and a secret ingredient to help really jazz up this cake. That ingredient is brewed black coffee and it is my secret weapon for the BEST chocolate cakes ever. Don’t worry; it won’t make your cakes taste like mocha or coffee; instead, the coffee mixes with the cocoa powder and richens the chocolate notes, creating a deeper chocolate flavor.
You’ll also need to frost your little snack cake which can be easily done by combining some softened butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and confectioners’ sugar whipped together until nice and creamy. I’m all about easy recipes here, and this one is no exception!
Tips for Chocolate Snack Cake
- Make sure you use a toothpick or a cake tester to test the cake for doneness. The cake tester should come out clean or with moist, but not wet, crumbs.
- You can bake the cake in an 8″ round or square pan or a 9″ round pan. I used an 8″ round pan. The baking times should be similar enough, but if you use the larger size (9″), check for doneness sooner.
- Wait for the cake to cool completely before frosting it so the frosting doesn’t melt.
- The cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
This rich, chocolaty Chocolate Snack Cake is easily going to be my new favorite, and I hope it’ll become yours too!
Best Chocolate Snack Cake
This Best Ever Chocolate Snack Cake is my go-to for an easy, moist, deliciously chocolaty snack cake that comes together quickly and satisfies my chocolate cravings!
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 cup brewed black coffee, at room temperature
FOR THE FROSTING:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2-4 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- Rainbow sprinkles for garnishing, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 8″ or 9″ round light metal baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. If desired, you can place a parchment paper round in the bottom of your pan for added security.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda until just combined. Add in the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, vinegar and room temperature coffee to the dry ingredients and whisk until fully incorporated, taking care to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, but not wet, crumbs. Cool completely before inverting onto a wire rack or cake plate.
For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, cocoa powder and vanilla extract together with a handheld electric mixer on medium-low speed. Add in the confectioners’ sugar and the heavy cream and continue mixing until it all comes together in a soft and creamy frosting.
Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake. Sprinkle with rainbow jimmies if desired. Store any leftover cake airtight at room temperature, for up to 5 days.
Notes
You read the recipe correctly; there are NO eggs in this recipe. The vinegar and baking soda react together creating a lovely texture that replaces the need for eggs here, along with the oil adding enough moisture. In other words, minus the frosting, this cake is vegan.
This cake is so moist, richly chocolaty and divine! I know you’re going to love it!
Craving more cocoa? Check out this chocolaty recipe!
Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
