Easy Chocolate Cake – G/F and D/F Options

This Easy Chocolate Cake recipe is rich and delicious, perfect for last-minute chocolate cravings and entertaining. It is quick to make and bake too. I have developed a gluten free and dairy free option too!

The recipe was originally called Barbara’s No-Fail Chocolate Cake and was given to me by a dear friend named, somewhat unsurprisingly, Barbara. The recipe is still known by that name in our house, but I have renamed it here for SEO purposes, to make it easier to find.

Barbara was an incredibly creative lady, a fantastic cook and I loved her dearly. She is an important part of my personal story, because without her, it is unlikely I would ever have met my husband. In many ways, I owe the life I have today to her, and to my Grandmother, who never lost ties with her British family.

The Story Behind This Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe

(If you’d rather have your Easy Chocolate Cake recipe without the story behind it, just click on the jump to recipe button at the top of this post. If you are curious, read on.)

My Grandmother, Ruby, was born in Shropshire, here in England. Her mother was in service, a cook in a large stately home, so Ruby lived with her grandparents. When Ruby’s mother announced they were emigrating to Canada, Ruby was devastated. She was only six but she was old enough to realise it was unlikely she would ever see her grandparents or the Shropshire hills she so loved ever again.

After she was settled in Canada, Ruby wrote to her grandparents regularly. Later, she also corresponded with with her extended family, including her widowed cousin Albert and his sons Alan and Noel. During World War 2, Ruby saved up her rations and even though she had a family of her own by then, she sent whatever non-perishable things she could in food parcels to the family in England. In later years, whenever we got together, my cousin Noel talked about how much it meant to the family.

My Grandmother passed away four years before I was born, so my Mom wrote to her “Uncle” Albert to share the sad news. Thus began a regular correspondence. After I was born Albert began to send me Christmas parcels. When I learned to write, I wrote him a thank you note for a present he had sent from the magical far away land of England. He replied, and from then on, my letters were regularly tucked into the ones my mother sent.

When Albert died a decade later, his daughter-in-law Barbara, Noel’s wife, found one of my letters, and began to write to me. I became fast, long-distance friends with Barbara and her husband Noel. My family and I met Barbara and Noel on our first visit to England in 1985. This was also the first time I tasted Barbara’s Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe. I loved it so much Barbara shared the recipe with me.

After one more visit in 1987, I emigrated to England in 1989. Not long after I arrived, Barbara’s niece, also my cousin, introduced me her friend Guy, the man who became my husband. I often wonder whether I would be where I am today, with such a lovely family, if Barbara had not taken the time to answer the letter she found amongst her late father-in-law’s papers so long ago.

Tips for Making Easy Chocolate Cake

I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count over the years. This year (2023), I developed a gluten-free and dairy-free version of the recipe.

Both versions are incredibly quick and easy, producing a delicious chocolate cake that is light and not too rich. It’s great on its own with a cup of tea, or with ice cream or whipped cream (choose non-dairy options for the dairy-free version) and fruit for a really special dessert.

Barbara’s recipe was originally written in ounces. I’ve converted it to cups and also to grams (click on the ‘metric’ button in the recipe card) in order to make things easier. I have also slightly reduced the flour in the recipe and increased the amount of cocoa to make the chocolate flavour more intense, without making it too sweet. I often use buttermilk instead of milk for a richer flavour but milk works just fine too. I suggest using full or half fat milk for this recipe (whole milk or 2%), not skimmed milk, unless you want to use a plant-based alternative. My favourite dairy-free option is coconut milk. You do not taste the coconut, but it gives a wonderful texture to the cake.

Golden Syrup is a very common sweetener in England. You can substitute corn syrup (preferably not high fructose corn syrup for health reasons) or liquid honey if you can’t find it. Honey does affect the flavour a little, but the cake is still delicious.

What Baking Size Pan Do I Need?

I like to bake Easy Chocolate Cake in a 8 inch (20 cm) square or round pan. You can also divide the batter between two round pans if you want a two layer cake. However, this cake can be made in an 9 x 13 inch (22 x 33 cm) rectangular pan instead, or as cupcakes. You just need to adjust the cooking time. As a general rule, I set the timer for 15 minutes and then watch the cake carefully thereafter until I am familiar with how the cake bakes in any particular size of pan. If you are using two 8 inch round pans or the 9 x 13 inch pan, the cake takes less time to bake than the one deep 8 inch round cake tin. My 9 x 13 inch pan takes about 25 minutes in my oven. Oven temperatures and performance can vary, so be sure to keep an eye on your baking.

How Can I Make The Recipe Gluten-Free?

Simply substitute an equal amount of gluten-free one to one flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill. The cake comes out beautifully light. In fact, most people do not realise it is gluten-free.

Can Easy Chocolate Cake Be Dairy Free?

I have a friend who is both gluten and dairy-free, so I recently made the cake with gluten-free flour and coconut milk. It was amazing – just as good as the gluten and dairy full version! I see no reason the recipe would not work with other plant-based milks and I am looking forward to giving them a try.

How To Serve Easy Chocolate Cake

This cake tastes delicious plain, but you can of course decorate or frost it once it is completely cool. If the recipe is made as two round layers, you can either fill and frost it with icing or use jam for the filling and chocolate or vanilla buttercream for the top (and sides if you like). If making the gluten-free and/or dairy-free version, be sure to use a gluten-free and/or dairy-free frosting.

Another alternative is to dust the cake with icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar) and top it with some cherries, raspberries or strawberries. A sprig of mint makes a lovely garnish.

If the cake does not need to be dairy-free, I sometimes I serve it with a bit of whipped cream laced with Amaretto or Cointreau liqueur (just whip a couple of tablespoons of liqueur into the cream with the sugar) with or without a fruit garnish.

However you serve it, this Easy Chocolate Cake is a delicious treat – and I love how little time it takes to make!

Easy Chocolate Cake – Printable Recipe