Description
A forgiving chocolate cake recipe specifically designed for baking with children, creating both delicious results and meaningful kitchen memories.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup warm water
For the Simple Chocolate Frosting:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
⅓ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Create a well in center of dry ingredients. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
Stir with a wooden spoon until mostly combined.
Add warm water and stir until well combined. Batter will be thin.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool cake completely before frosting.
For frosting, beat softened butter until creamy. Add cocoa powder, then gradually add powdered sugar alternating with small amounts of milk. Add vanilla and beat until smooth.
Spread frosting over cooled cake. Add sprinkles or other decorations if desired.
Notes
For youngest bakers (under 5), pre-measure ingredients into small bowls
Consider laying down a plastic tablecloth for easier cleanup
Let children crack eggs into a separate bowl first to easily remove shell pieces
Remind children to stir slowly at first to avoid flour explosions
The cake batter is meant to be quite thin, so don’t worry if it seems runny
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 48g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 64g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
Keywords: kid-friendly chocolate cake recipe, baking with kids, easy chocolate cake, children's baking project, family baking, simple chocolate cake