Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake with Glossy Chocolate Icing

This old-fashioned chocolate cake with glossy chocolate icing is an easy, egg-free, one-bowl chocolate layer cake made with cocoa powder for deep flavor. The stovetop icing comes together in minutes and sets into a smooth, glossy finish. Perfect for any occasion, including birthdays, this vintage cake is simple to make and tastes even better the next day.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake with Glossy Chocolate Icing

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Cooling: 5

Total Time 6 5

Servings

Calories 554kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

measuring cups and spoons For accurate ingredient amounts.
mixing bowls For combing ingredients.
large pourable measuring cup Makes it easy to mix and pour wet ingredients.
Sieve For sifting ingredients.
whisk For combining the batter without overmixing.
2 8-inch round cake pans For baking the cake layers evenly.
cooling rack Cools cakes evenly.
Toothpick Checks if cake is fully baked.
Large saucepan Used to melt butter and make the icing.
offset spatula Makes spreading the icing easier.
Parchment rounds (8-inch) or parchment paper cut to fit. Keeps the cake from sticking to the pan.

Ingredients

Cake:

Icing:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. table salt
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. instant coffee granules
2 tsps. vanilla extract
confectioners' sugar (if necessary)

Instructions

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F, with the rack in the center.
Spray the sides and bottom of two 8" round cake pans well with nonstick spray. Place parchment rounds (or cut parchment paper to fit) on the bottoms and spray those as well.
cooking spray
Sift the dry ingredients—flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt—together in a mixing bowl. (This is especially important for cocoa powder, which can clump.)
3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsps. baking soda, 1 tsp. table salt
In a large, pourable measuring cup, combine the water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined—some lumps are okay. Do not overmix. Divide the batter among the pans (about 3 cups in each), then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
2 cups hot water, 3/4 cups vegetable oil, 2 tbsps. white vinegar, 1 tbsp. instant coffee granules, 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Cool cakes for 20 minutes on a rack, then invert them onto the rack. Leave cakes upside down to cool completely (this helps flatten domed cakes), then frost.

Icing:

For the icing, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, cocoa, and salt. The mixture will be extremely thick and grainy.
1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1-1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/8 tsp. table salt
In a large, pourable measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream, sour cream, and instant coffee until smooth. Gradually add the cream mixture to the chocolate mixture, stirring until blended and smooth. Heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch, but do not boil. Remove from heat.
1-1/4 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tsp. instant coffee granules
Off heat, stir in the vanilla.
2 tsps. vanilla extract
Let the icing cool at room temperature until it is spreadable, about three hours or longer. If needed, refrigerate to speed up the process. The icing is quite soft, so spreading it too soon will cause it to slide off the cake. If it seems too thin, stir in confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a spreadable consistency (If you've waited long enough for the icing to thicken, this is likely unnecessary.)
confectioners' sugar
Spread 1 cup of icing all the way to the edges of the first cake layer. Top with the second layer and spread another cup of icing over it. Blob more icing on the sides, then spread evenly around the cake.

Notes

For optimal outcomes when making this old-fashioned chocolate cake with glossy chocolate icing, I recommend referring to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

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Nutrition