Chocolate Cake with White Icing

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4.57 from 30 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
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Chocolate Cake with White Icing is a fantastic, must-have recipe you need in your baking stash. It’s the best celebration or no occasion cake because it’s quick, easy and bursting with chocolate flavor!


If you are a fan of chocolate cake, (like I am) try my Chocolate bundt cake with pudding and Triple Chocolate Cake.

A chocolate cake reminiscent of a delectable chocolate cake with white icing, is adorned with vibrant sprinkles and elegantly presented on a plate.

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Why this Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting Recipe is a Keeper

I love this chocolate cake recipe because it is so simple. You will not believe how quick it can be made and how moist and delicious and rich chocolate is.

  • 15 Minute Prep: This recipe takes 15 minutes of easy preparation before baking for 30 minutes!
  • Easy Ingredients: Chocolate dessert uses 11 common ingredients you often have on hand.
  • Family Favorite: Everyone in the family will love your chocolate cake, making it a go-to treat for holidays or birthdays.
  • Easy for Beginners: This perfect chocolate cake is a great recipe to try if you’re new to baking as it’s easy and comes out great every time!

How Can I Tell when my Chocolate Cake is Done?

A slice of rich chocolate cake with white icing, delicately adorned with colorful sprinkles, rests elegantly on a pristine white plate.

You can tell when your cake is done by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out with little to no crumbs, it’s done; If the toothpick comes out with batter still on it, that means it needs just a few more minutes to bake.

Ingredient Notes for the Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients for a chocolate cake with white icing are arranged on a table, including flour, sugar, cocoa powder, butter, milk, vanilla, and baking powder, along with measuring cups.

You will need just a few simple ingredients to make this chocolate cake scratch recipe. They’re all easy to find at the store, but you may even have some of the ingredients in your kitchen already.

  • Cocoa Powder: Feel free to use your favorite kind of cocoa powder!
  • Flour: Instead of special cake flour, this black magic chocolate cake with chocolate frosting uses all-purpose flour.
  • Sugar: You will need both white sugar and powdered sugar to make the cake and frosting for the best chocolate cake ever.

See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

Prep Ahead Suggestions for the Chocolate Cake Recipe with Vanilla Buttercream

Preparing steps ahead of time can help to save you time and kitchen space when it comes to making this moist chocolate cake recipe.

  • Bake Ahead: Bake the a day or two in advance. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature.
  • Make Icing: Prepare the chocolate lovers icing in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before using on chocolate birthday cake.

Pro Tip for Iced Chocolate Cake

Don’t Overmix: Overmixing can lead to a tough cake. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

How to Make Chocolate Cake with White Frosting

This easy chocolate cake comes together in just 4 super simple steps. This black magic cake is so good, it will quickly become one of your favorite easy recipes!

These are the basic steps for making Chocolate Cake with White Icing. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.

The three-step process of making a chocolate cake with white icing involves mixing ingredients, spreading the rich batter in a pan, and the finished cake topped with luscious white icing and colorful sprinkles.

1. Preheat Oven and Prep Baking Dish

Preheat the oven to 350℉, grease a 9×13 baking pan and coat with cocoa powder.

2. Make the Cake Batter

Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder. Add melted butter, vanilla extract, water and vinegar to the dry ingredients.

3. Bake the Cake

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.

4. Make the Creamy Frosting

In a medium bowl, beat powdered sugar and butter. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk. Gradually mix in the additional tablespoon of milk until the frosting is smooth and spreadable to frost the cake.

How to Store and Freeze this Black Magic Cake

  • Storing: Store any leftover chocolate cake with buttercream frosting in the fridge for up to 3 days. Be sure to store the cake in an airtight container once the cake has cooled.
  • Freezing: Slice the cake and wrap the pieces tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze in freezer bags for up to 2 months.

Variations and Substitutions for Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake

The best recipes are super easy to customize to make your own! Try taking this cake to the next level by trying different flavors or changing up the consistency.

  • Spiced Chocolate: Add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves to the batter. You can also try chocolate frosting by adding cocoa to white buttercream to make it chocolate buttercream frosting.
  • Moist Chocolate Cake: Use buttermilk to make sure the cake is moist.
  • Dense Chocolate Cake: Reduce the amount of leavening agents for a denser texture.

Homemade Chocolate Cake with White Frosting Recipe FAQs

What to Serve with this Recipe?

Serve this recipe with Crock Pot Cheeseburger Dip, Peppermint Hot Chocolate Bombs or Easy Charcuterie Board.

How Do I Get Smooth Icing?

Make sure your butter is completely at room temperature before you begin beating the powdered sugar and butter together.

How Do I Make a Moist Chocolate Cake?

To make a super moist chocolate cake, add just a bit of sour cream! It will keep your cake extra moist without adding flavor.

Can I Make this Sheet Cake into a Round Cake?

Yes! If you would rather use 9-inch cake pans instead of a 9×13 pan to make this cake recipe, you will end up with 2 round cakes.

A slice of chocolate cake with white icing and colorful sprinkles sits on a white plate, accompanied by a spoon and a small bowl of extra sprinkles.

Expert Tips for Loving This Cake with Buttercream Frosting Recipe

  • Pan Trick: Use shiny cake pans if you have them, dark pans can dry out the cake. You can also line your cake pans with parchment paper.
  • Enhance the Flavor: Add cayenne pepper or espresso powder or brewed coffee for a unique flavor added into the batter.
  • Chocolate Surprise: Try upping the chocolate! Add more chocolate to the cake with dark, milk, white or semi sweet chocolate to add extra moisture and rich chocolate flavor.
  • Frosting Variations: Try this cake with a cream cheese frosting, peanut butter frosting, marshmallow frosting, white chocolate frosting or chocolate fudge frosting.
  • Frosting Consistency: If frosting is too thick, add more milk a little at a time. If frosting is too thin, add small amounts of powdered sugar until thickened.
A chocolate cake reminiscent of a delectable chocolate cake with white icing, is adorned with vibrant sprinkles and elegantly presented on a plate.

Chocolate Cake with White Icing

4.57 from 30 votes
Chocolate Cake with White Icing is a fantastic, must-have recipe you need in your baking stash. It's the best celebration or no occasion cake because it's quick, easy and bursting with chocolate flavor!
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Prep Time : 15 minutes
Cook Time : 30 minutes
Total Time : 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Author: Christina Hitchcock

Equipment

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Ingredients
 
 

Cake

  • 3 cups Flour
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 teaspoons Baking soda
  • ⅔ cup Cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons White vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla
  • 2 cups Water
  • ⅔ cup Butter, melted

Buttercream Frosting

  • 3 cups Powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup Butter, softened
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla
  • 1-2 tablespoons Milk

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350℉.
  • Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
  • Add melted butter, vanilla, water and vinegar to dry ingredients.
  • Grease a 9×13 inch pan and coat with cocoa.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool before frosting.

Frosting

  • In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with a mixer on low speed.
  • Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk.
  • Gradually mix in the additional tablespoon of milk until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
  • If frosting is too thick, add more milk, a little at a time.
  • If frosting is too thin, gradually add small amounts of powdered sugar until thickened.

Christina’s Notes

  • Pan Trick: Use shiny cake pans if you have them, dark pans can dry out the cake. You can also line your cake pans with parchment paper.
  • Enhance the Flavor: Add cayenne pepper or espresso powder or brewed coffee for a unique flavor added into the batter.
  • Chocolate Surprise: Try upping the chocolate! Add more chocolate to the cake with dark, milk, white or semi sweet chocolate to add extra moisture and rich chocolate flavor.
  • Frosting Variations: Try this cake with a cream cheese frosting, peanut butter frosting, marshmallow frosting, white chocolate frosting or chocolate fudge frosting.
  • Frosting Consistency: If frosting is too thick, add more milk a little at a time. If frosting is too thin, add small amounts of powdered sugar until thickened.
Helpful Tips for All RecipesThese quick tips will help you get perfect results every time.

  • Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
  • Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
  • Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
  • Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
  • Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.

For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.

Click here to add your own private notes.

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcalCarbohydrates: 91gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 502mgPotassium: 115mgFiber: 3gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 475IUVitamin C: 0.004mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 2mg
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
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42 thoughts on “Chocolate Cake with White Icing”

  2. My mom always made a chocolate sheet cake with buttercream frosting. Seriously nothing better in the world. I’m must try your from scratch version!

    Reply

  14. I have a recipe from my husband’s family called “Garbage Cake” (because you dump it all in the mixer like this one) that they all love, but I find not worth the calories. This one is very similar, but slightly different in a few important ingredients (butter vs. oil and less vinegar) – not the least of which is the icing. I’m definitely going to try this cake in the future and pass it off as the Garbage Cake to see what they think! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  18. I look forward to trying this recipe! Thanks for sharing…and congrats on your “15 seconds of fame” too…Ü

    Reply
4.57 from 30 votes (25 ratings without comment)

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