Quick & Delicious Chocolate Cake

This is my trusty cake for when I’m pressed for time but still want something quick, simple, yet a little fancy. I call it my “last-minute cake”. It uses basic ingredients, requires hardly any effort – just mix, bake, and you’re done!

It’s also my go-to whenever my husband or kids casually announce that we’re having guests (because of course, it’s always last-minute!). The result? A cake that’s unbelievably moist and delicious. No one will guess how easy it was, and maybe you’ll want to keep that secret while you enjoy all the compliments! It’s a staple at our house on the weekends, and I have a feeling it’ll become a favourite in yours too!

Ingredients:

(baking pan 24cm)

For the cake:

4	large eggs, room temperature
200g	vegetable oil
80ml	warm water
500ml	cream
200g	white granulated sugar
70g	cocoa powder
300g	white flour
10g	baking powder

For the ganache:

300g	dark chocolate (at least 52% cocoa)
250ml	cream

Instructions:

Step 1Preheat the oven to a 165°C (top/bottom heat)
Step 2In a large bowl (or mixer), beat together the eggs, oil, warm water, cream, and sugar until well combined.
Step 3Sift the dry ingredients (cocoa, flour, and baking powder) right into the bowl and give it a good mix until the batter is smooth.
Step 4Grease your baking pan with vegetable oil and dust it with cocoa powder to prevent sticking.
Step 5Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 165°C for 45 minutes (all in all it will be 80 minutes).
Step 6After 45 minutes, loosely cover the cake with aluminium foil to prevent over-browning and bake for another 35 minutes.
Step 7Toothpick test
Step 8Once baked, remove the cake from the oven, cover it with a clean towel, and let it rest for about 15 minutes before taking it out of the pan.
Step 9For the ganache, melt the chocolate and cream together in a microwave-safe bowl (about 1 minute should do it). Stir until smooth and creamy.
Step 10Flip the cake onto a serving plate and pour the luscious ganache over it.

Notes, clarifications, pro tips and more:

If you’re like me and you prefer less sweet cakes adding the ganache will probably make it just right. If you have a little bit of a sweeter tooth, feel free to add an extra 50-100g of sugar to the batter – play around with it until it is just right.
For a lactose free version: Swap out the cream in the cake batter for plant-based milk or warm water and replace the cream in the ganache with coconut cream – it’s just as delicious!
Want to jazz it up? Wait about 30 minutes after covering the cake with ganache, then sprinkle on your favourite toppings – sprinkles, chocolate shavings, coconut flakes – whatever you fancy!