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Busy Day Chocolate Cake
Busy Day Chocolate Cake is a classic chocolate cake recipe that is quick and easy to make and comes out moist with a rich frosting on top.
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Busy Day Chocolate Cake is an easy chocolate cake that is incredibly moist and tender! This old-fashioned chocolate cake is baked from scratch and topped with a rich, homemade frosting.
If you love chocolate cake then you’ll want to make Chocolate Poke Cake, Chocolate Dump Cake, and Better Than Anything Chocolate Cake.
Busy Day Chocolate Cake Ingredients
You will need:
Cake:
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2½ cups flour
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup hot coffee
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Icing:
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon coffee
- ½ tablespoon vanilla
Substitutions and Additions
BUTTERMILK: You can make your own buttermilk using whole or 2% milk and lemon juice or distilled vinegar. For every 1 cup of milk, stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Add a little bit extra to this moist chocolate cake with chocolate chips mixed into the batter.
NUTS: If you like nuts in your cake, add chopped walnuts or pecans to your cake batter.
COFFEE: If you absolutely do not want to use coffee in this recipe, you can substitute the same amount of hot water for the coffee
How to Make Busy Day Chocolate Cake
Cake:
STEP ONE: Heat oven to 375°F.
STEP TWO: Grease and flour a 9×13-inch cake pan.
PRO TIP: Rubbing cocoa powder on the pan instead of flour keeps the chocolate flavor going.
STEP THREE: Using a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
STEP FOUR: Add the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, coffee, and oil. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes, the batter will be thin.
STEP FIVE: Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
STEP SIX: Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
STEP SEVEN: Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before icing.
Icing:
STEP EIGHT: In a medium saucepan on medium-low heat melt the butter. Remove from heat.
STEP NINE: Whisk in cocoa.
STEP TEN: Return to stove on medium-low heat and cook until just begins to boil.
STEP ELEVEN: Remove from heat. Whisk in the powdered sugar (you can sift it to remove any lumps before adding).
STEP TWELVE: Add the vanilla and coffee and stir until mixed.
STEP THIRTEEN: Let the frosting cool for 10 minutes to let it set up just a bit. Then ice the cake.
PRO TIP: Don’t let the icing cool too long or it will harden in your pan and not be easy to spread.
STEP FOURTEEN: Spread the icing over the cake.
How to Serve Busy Day Chocolate Cake
An easy homemade chocolate cake, Busy Day cake takes less than an hour to make, making it ideal for busy days. This delicious cake pairs perfectly with a freshly brewed cup of hot coffee or a mug of hot chocolate. You could serve this yummy cake with a scoop of ice cream, a spoonful of whipped cream, or even hot fudge sauce drizzled over the top.
Storage
IN THE COUNTER: This simple cake will store in an airtight container on the counter for three days.
IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze this cake, either in slices or as a whole. If you plan to freeze a frosted cake, it is helpful to freeze the cake unwrapped first, and then wrap the frozen slice or pan once the frosting will no longer transfer to the wax paper or other wrapper.
Busy Day chocolate cake is a classic chocolate cake recipe that is quick and easy to make and comes out moist with a rich frosting on top. This cake is dense and moist, with a secret ingredient, coffee, that enhances all of that delicious chocolate flavor. Whip this up the simple cake next time you are craving chocolate or even for special occasions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I freeze this cake?
This easy recipe can be frozen either as a whole or cut into slices for up to two months.
What makes this dense chocolate cake so moist?
The buttermilk and oil make this black magic chocolate cake extra moist.
Is this cake the same as wacky cake?
While not exactly the same as wacky or depression cake, this busy day cake has many of the same ingredients.
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Busy Day Chocolate Cake
Busy Day Chocolate Cake is a classic chocolate cake recipe that is quick and easy to make and comes out moist with a rich frosting on top.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2½ cups flour
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup hot coffee
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Icing:
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon coffee
- ½ tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
Cake:
- Heat oven to 375°F.
- Grease and flour a 9×13-inch cake pan.
- Using a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, coffee, and oil. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes, the batter will be thin.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before icing.
Icing:
- In a medium saucepan on medium-low heat melt the butter. Remove from heat.
- Whisk in cocoa.
- Return to stove on medium-low heat and cook until just begins to boil.
- Remove from heat. Whisk in the powdered sugar (you can sift it to remove any lumps before adding).
- Add the vanilla and coffee and stir until mixed.
- Let the frosting cool for 10 minutes to let it set up just a bit. Then ice the cake. Don’t let it cool too long or it will harden in your pan and not be as easy to spread.
- Spread the icing over the cake.
Notes
TIP: Rubbing cocoa powder on the pan instead of flour keeps the chocolate flavor going.
TIP: Don’t let the icing cool too long or it will harden in your pan and not be easy to spread.
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