World’s Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (2024)

Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh

Adapted by Yotam Ottolenghi

World’s Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (1)

Total Time
1½ hours, plus cooling
Rating
4(6,295)
Notes
Read community notes

The recipe for this cake, adapted from "Sweet" by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh, first appeared in an article written about Ms. Goh when she ran her cafe, the Mortar & Pestle, in Melbourne, Australia. Rather intimidatingly for her, the headline for the article was "World’s Best Chocolate Cake." It could actually be called lots of things: “world’s easiest cake,” possibly, requiring nothing more than one large bowl to make it all in. Or “most versatile cake,” given that it can be served without icing and just a light dusting of cocoa powder, or dressed up to the nines, as it is here, with a thin layer of chocolate ganache and served with espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream. In the Ottolenghi shops in London, it is smaller and goes by the name Take-Home Chocolate Cake, designed to be shared by four people after a meal. This larger version is no less delicious, and keeps well for four to five days. As with any baking project, you should weigh your ingredients in grams for the best results. —Yotam Ottolenghi

Featured in: Yotam Ottolenghi on Creating Recipes and His Cookbook ‘Sweet’

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

    For the Cake

    • 1cup plus 1½ tablespoons/250 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks plus 1½ tablespoons), at room temperature and cut into ¾-inch/2-centimeter cubes, plus extra for greasing the pan
    • 7ounces/200 grams dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids), chopped into ¾-inch/2-centimeter pieces
    • teaspoons instant coffee granules, dissolved in 1½ cups/350 milliliters boiling water
    • cups/250 grams granulated sugar
    • 2large eggs, lightly beaten
    • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
    • cups plus 2 tablespoons/240 grams self-rising flour (see note)
    • cup/30 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus 1½ teaspoons, for dusting
    • ¼teaspoon salt

    For the Chocolate Ganache (optional)

    • 7ounces/200 grams dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids), broken or chopped roughly into ¾-inch/2-centimeter pieces
    • ¾cup/180 milliliters heavy cream
    • 1tablespoon light corn syrup
    • 1tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

    For the Espresso Cinnamon Mascarpone Cream (optional)

    • cups plus 1 tablespoon/375 milliliters heavy cream
    • ¾cup/190 grams mascarpone
    • Scraped seeds of ½ vanilla pod
    • teaspoons finely ground espresso
    • ¾teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

917 calories; 66 grams fat; 40 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 72 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 35 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 548 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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World’s Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/170 degrees Celsius. Grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter round springform pan with butter and line with parchment paper, then set aside.

  2. Step

    2

    Make the cake: Place butter, chocolate and hot coffee in a large heatproof bowl and mix well until everything is melted, combined and smooth. Whisk in sugar by hand until dissolved. Add eggs and vanilla extract and whisk again until thoroughly combined and smooth. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt together into a bowl and then whisk this into the melted chocolate mixture. The batter here is liquid, but don’t think you have missed something; this is how it should be.

  3. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs attached. The top will form a crust and crack a little, but don’t worry, this is expected. Leave the cake to cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan, then set aside until completely cool.

  4. Step

    4

    Make the chocolate ganache, if desired: Place chocolate pieces in a food processor, process until fine and set aside. Combine cream and corn syrup in a small pan and place over medium-high heat. As soon as bubbles begin to appear (just before it comes to a boil), remove from the heat. Get the food processor running again, with the chocolate still inside, and pour in the hot cream in a steady stream. Process for 10 seconds, then add butter. Continue to process until mixture is shiny and smooth. (You can also make the ganache by hand; just make sure the chocolate is chopped fairly finely before adding the cream mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until almost melted, then add the butter. Stir again until the ganache is smooth.)

  5. Step

    5

    Use a rubber spatula to scrape the ganache into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, with the plastic actually touching the top of the ganache. Set aside until it has set to the consistency you want. If you want a thin layer to spread over the cake, it can be poured over while liquid so that you get an even, light and shiny coating. For a thicker ganache with a spreading consistency, leave it for about 2 hours at room temperature. (The ganache can be stored at room temperature, providing it’s not too warm, for 3 days or kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It can also be frozen, although it will lose a bit of its shine when defrosted.)

  6. Step

    6

    Make the espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream, if desired: Place all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft peaks form.

  7. Step

    7

    Peel the parchment from the cake and discard. Transfer to a serving platter and spread the ganache, if using, on top of the cake. Slice into wedges, divide the cake among plates and, if using, spoon the mascarpone cream alongside. With or without icing, the cake will keep well for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container.

Tip

  • If you can’t find self-rising flour, whisk together 1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons/240 grams all-purpose flour and 2¾ teaspoons baking powder and use this mixture instead.

Ratings

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6,295

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Zeus G

Great cake, but why so much fuss about the ganache? Just dissolve semi-sweet chocolate with heavy cream over a bowl of hot water and out comes a delicious, fudgy ganache icing that I use for everything.

Steve

"finely ground espresso" - is that finely ground espresso beans or finely ground instant espresso or something else?

Cyndie

World's Best Chocolate Cake
As calculated by MyFitnessPal
250 gram, Butter - Unsalted
1 tsp, Instant Coffee Granules
350 ml, Water
250 g, Sugars, granulated
2 large, Egg
2 tsp, Vanilla extract
0.25 teaspoon, Salt
200 gram, 70% Dark Chocolate
1.88 cup(s), Self Rising Flour
30 g, Dutch Process Cocoa Powder

12 Servings
Amount Per Serving
calories 416
Fat 26 g 40 %
Total Carbohydrate 44 g 15 %
Protein 5 g 10 %

Ann

There's nothing optional about chocolate ganache, ever!!!

Lynda H.

One final note: A number of people commented that the cake was dry and/or crumbly. As mentioned in other post, the cake should bake at 325F (160C) for about 1 hour (per the corrected edition of "Sweet"). I use an instant-read thermometer and baked the cake to 200F. At that temperature, the probe had a few moist crumbs (not the dry crumbs noted in the recipe). The cake was scrumptious: moist (but not gooey) with a fine crumb.

Joanne

As a professional pastry chef for 25 years corn syrup, not high fructose corn syrup, is used to keep the ganache shiny and keep it from cracking if the cake is stored at all. You can leave if it bothers you.

MJS

Best chocolate cake is on the container of Hershey's Cocoa."Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate CakeRich, moist, easy. My kids want it for every birthday - 30+ years. I've tried other recipes and I always go back to this one.www.hersheys.com/kitchens/en_us/recipes/hersheys-perfectly-chocolate-chocolate-cake.html

Jean Pippin

Can 1.5 cups of hot coffee be used in place of the water and instant coffee?

Kiss Marianne

Thank you very much this fantastic recipe!I have an old Chocolate Cake recipe about 80 years old and it's too very fine.I write it for you:6 eggs 6 tblsp sugar5 tblsp flour5 tblsp water3 tblsp cocoaFirst stir the egg yolks with sugar, flour and water. Add the cocoa and finally add the beat up eggs white. Bake it in a round baking dish and when it baked and no longer too hot, cut it three layer and spread it with a fine chocolate cream.with loveMarianne

LMK

If the ganache and the mascarpone cream are optional, is it possible to give the nutritional information for the cake "with" and "without"? I'm assuming that the 880 calories per serving includes the two optional toppings. I'd be curious about the calorie count per serving without ganache and mascarpone cream.

Judi

If the butter is melted, why does it have to be room temperature first?

mjan

I went with espresso powder. It is, indeed, the world's best chocolate cake.

JaneEYB

One reason for the difference in the bake is that the Celsius temperature (which is what Yotam/Helen would use) has been wrongly converted to Fahrenheit. 170C is 338F, not 350 so that would be a reason why the bake time is off. I baked the cake at 170C and it needed 65 minutes before a skewer came out without wet batter. The cake was moist and well flavored. I agree the ganache and cream make it special - without those it is not anything very different.

JaneEYB

I found the comments here fascinating for the wide variety - loved it/meh/hated it; dry/crumbly/moist; bitter/perfect level of sweetness; overbaked it at 50 minutes/ perfect at one hour and 20 minutes. Just goes to show we all have different ideas of the best chocolate cake.

dimmerswitch

Hi JH, Corn syrup is an invert sugar used in things like this ganache to provide body and enhance shine. I think you can probably more easily find Golden Syrup in Scotland...it's harder to find in the States...and that should work for substitute. Also honey could work, or brown rice syrup or cane syrup (sugar cane derived) or even an agave syrup I think would work too. But I think Golden Syrup would be the best substitute here. I'll bring the tea if you're baking! ;-)

MysteryDancer

A word abt the ganache: I'm very experienced. Made the ganache exactly as written. It became pudding-like in the very brief time it took to make the mixture. Very disappointing becz I intended to pour the liquid ganache over bunny shaped cakelets and this ganache wasn't liquid or pourable. Used Ghiradelli dark choc. Karo corn syrup. Can't imagine why it started to set while my Cuisinart was still on! Advice welcome. Next time: more cream.

ml

Didn’t read comments first, and regretfully baked for 50 mins at 350F. It's incredibly overbaked and dense.

Don Greenberg

Can be very good with modifications.Like many other posts, I found that the cake was perfect at 325 degrees for 55 minutes in my oven. Timing is critical. At 50 minutes, the center was still loose, but an extra 5 minutes was all it needed.Also, instead of 1-1/2 cups of coffee in the batter, I used 1 cup of coffee plus 1/2 cup of sour cream. It adds just the right touch, I think.

Tai

I left for 20 min to cool but the cake was still too warm and broke when I transfered it to a serving platter. Perhaps the "world's best" deserves a bit more of our patience.

Cynthia in Hawaii

I baked at 325, 55 minute in a Costco leftovers metal rectangular pan ~ 10.6 x 6". Served it in the pan. Super moist and delicious. 1 stick butter and 1/2 cup + 2 T canola oil (from the comment about oil vs butter). 7/8 cup sugar because we like things less sweet. for the Ganache -melted whipped cream with chocolate chips. Spread a thin layer of jam first.1 1/2 C coffee, heated to almost boiling. Worked great. 14 squares of Trader Joe's dark chocolate 72% (red package). Lightly chopped.

ProfMama

I wanted to use my grandmother's 9x8x1" heart pan (not springform) to make this for Valentine's Day. The recipe makes 6 cups of batter. Three cups filled my pan, so I baked half the batter at a time. Didn't know what the 1.5t of cocoa powder for "dusting" was for, so I dusted the pan/parchment after buttering. Cake pulled away from sides and released beautifully. I used the mascarpone cream (not sweet enough) as a filling between the layers and loaded the ganache on top. It was a big hit!

Tanya B.

As much as we enjoyed this cake, the texture was more like a brownie.

Jacqueline

I love this cake and have baked it over years now. I love to serve it with a mascarpone cream as a simple frosting on top.

Skier Runner Eater

Not all that impressed!! Perhaps the title over-sold, but the ganache was unimpressive and overall, good but not great.

Flour Powered

I made a batch as mini-muffins (makes 6 dozen) for my son’s hockey team. Because I had to bake in batches, I found that letting the batter sit for about 20 minutes makes for a fluffier and more tender structure

Susan

Only Ottolenghi would call a cake with 19 ingredients the world’s easiest chocolate cake!

D Steiner

I made this for a dinner pot luck and it was a roaring success! Great cake!

steve

Bake at 325, check at 50 min

Name

Bake at 325 for 60 min

Leilah

Made it twice exactly as written, with ganache and mascarpone, and was wonderful. No clue how people could have messed up. Very easy to make

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World’s Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in cake? ›

When it comes to baking moist and delicious cakes, you might be surprised to learn that mayonnaise can be a secret ingredient worth considering. Made up of eggs and oil, mayonnaise acts as an emulsifier, adding creaminess and moisture to your cake.

Why is it called better than Robert Redford cake? ›

It had been a very long time since I had an icebox cake. In the book, Dylan calls it the Robert Redford Cake and it comes from the chapter that features recipes from the 1970s. Apparently the cake is named after Redford because its as tasty as he is sexy.

How do you make a cake taste richer? ›

8 Simple Tips and Tricks to Make Box Cake Better
  1. Use Room Temperature Ingredients. ...
  2. Replace Water with Milk or Buttermilk. ...
  3. Substitute Sour Cream in the Mix. ...
  4. Substitute Oil for Butter. ...
  5. Use More Eggs. ...
  6. Add Vanilla Extract. ...
  7. Make It a Chocolate Lovers' Cake. ...
  8. Decorate Your Cake Like A Pro.

What is the main ingredient that makes a cake moist? ›

USE VEGETABLE OIL

While butter undoubtedly imparts excellent flavor, vegetable oil can really elevate a cake when it comes to moisture. Replacing butter with vegetable oil in your cake recipes typically yields moist results.

Which 2 ingredients help the cake to rise? ›

Most cakes will call for a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda. These create the bubbles you need for the cake to rise. If the flour you use is self-raising, it already has a leavening agent in it. Make sure your butter is room temperature, and beat the butter and sugar together until properly creamed.

Which cake is king of cakes? ›

A king cake, also known as a three kings cake, is a cake associated in many countries with Epiphany. Its form and ingredients are variable, but in most cases a fève ( lit. 'fava bean') such as a figurine, often said to represent the Christ Child, is hidden inside.

What is the oldest cake in the world? ›

The world's oldest known cake, baked during the reign of Pepi II in Egypt between BCE 2251 and 2157. Alimentarium, Vevey, Switzerland. The Egyptians gave us the world's oldest known cake–and also the world's oldest Tupperware as it happens.

What is the most expensive cake in the world? ›

Diamond Cake

What is Elvis Presley cake? ›

An Elvis Presley cake is a single-layer classic yellow cake that's topped with a pineapple glaze. Much like a poke cake, the syrup and juices of the pineapple will seep into the cake through fork holes, resulting in a decadent, ultra-moist cake.

What is a Tom Selleck cake? ›

Tom Selleck – Sometimes Better Than Sex Cake or Robert Redford is a Midwest dessert that is a shortbread crust, chocolate pudding layer, and cream top.

What cake is Louisiana known for? ›

Doberge. Doberge is a popular cake that originated in New Orleans.

What is the secret to a perfect cake? ›

The next time you're baking a cake, keep these simple tricks in mind:
  1. Prep the ingredients. Have all of the ingredients at room temperature, unless the recipe directs otherwise. ...
  2. Use the right flour. ...
  3. Prep your pans. ...
  4. Alternate wet and dry ingredients. ...
  5. Preheat. ...
  6. Release air bubbles. ...
  7. Test for doneness. ...
  8. Cool down.
Jun 29, 2022

What gives most flavor to a cake? ›

Vanilla extract or essence, citrus fruits like orange and lemon in the form of zest or even juice, cocoa powder or even good-quality chocolate, they are some of the commonly used ingredients that give most flavour when used in baking cakes.

Why do my cakes never taste good? ›

Most common reason is when the oven door is opened too soon and the cake hasn't set up and baked properly. The mixture could be too soft due to not enough ingredients or if there is too much liquid added. Using too much raising agents can make the cake rise too much too quickly and it implodes on itself.

What is the most important ingredient in a cake? ›

Flour is perhaps the most important ingredient in a cake mix, as it creates the basic structure of the entire cake. A major component of flour is gluten, which is a protein that provides a way for the cake to bind to itself.

What is the top ingredient in a cake? ›

What Are The 5 Basic Ingredients Of A cake?
  1. Flour – The Main Structure Of A Cake. ...
  2. Sugar – Sweetness, and Flavor. ...
  3. Salted or Unsalted Butter – Fat That Makes A Cake Moist. ...
  4. Eggs – Binds All The Ingredients Together. ...
  5. Baking Powder or Soda – Makes The Cake Rise.

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