Simple Chocolate Water Cake
Chocolate Water Cake is a simple cake recipe made with baking staples and water instead of milk. It’s a quick and easy dessert when you’re craving chocolate!
This chocolate water cake is an easy dairy-free cake recipe that is so simple to make with pantry staples. Even though it’s made with water instead of milk, it’s still rich with a nice chocolate flavor.
Water cakes have been around a long time. In the past, across many cultures, they were made when ingredients like eggs and dairy were hard to find or expensive. In the US, it’s often called “depression cake” because they were made a lot during the Great Depression.
But other cultures have versions, too, even Italy! Italian water cake is a beloved easy cake recipe that our family has made many times.
So, this time we’re making a chocolate water cake. Some water cake recipes are egg-free, but our recipe has them because they add moisture and give the cake a nice tender crumb.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Cake flour
- Cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Granulated sugar
- Room temperature water
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
- Large egg
- Large egg yolk
- Salt
Can you use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
We haven’t tested this recipe with all-purpose flour. We use cake flour because it makes a cake with a softer crumb.
Cake flour and all purpose flour are not a 1 to 1 substitute so if you want to try it. We recommend using 1 3/4 cup of all purpose flour. Again, we haven’t tested it so let us know if you do and how it works.
Or you can make your own homemade cake flour, for every 1 cup of all purpose remove 2 tablespoons and replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, be sure to sift the ingredients to remove any lumps.
Can you use milk instead of water?
Yes, but then it’s not a water cake! If you want to use milk, you can use the same amount.
How to Make a Water Cake
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
In a separate large bowl, beat the egg, the extra egg yolk, water, oil, salt, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Mix for about five minutes so the mixture is well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and beat until the cake batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into a prepared 8″ cake pan and bake the cake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Toppings
You can serve the cake plain or dust it with powdered sugar. Or, you can frost it with chocolate frosting, cream cheese frosting, chocolate ganache or another frosting that you like.
Some whipped cream with fresh fruit would also make a nice topping. It’s the perfect birthday cake to cover in buttercream and sprinkles!
How to Store Chocolate Water Cake
Once the cake is cool, keep it covered and store it at room temperature. It will keep for a few days. I don’t recommend storing it in the fridge because it will dry out.
You can freeze it for several months, too. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer. Let it thaw at room temperature before slicing it.
This is such an easy delicious chocolate cake recipe – definitely one to keep on hand when you need a quick dessert! I hope you give it a try soon.
More Easy Cake Recipes
Simple Chocolate Water Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cake flour
- 6 ¼ tablespoons cocoa
- 1¾ teaspoons Baking powder
- ¾ cups +1 tablespoon Sugar
- ¾ cups Water (room temperature)
- 6½ tablespoons Vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 large Egg
- 1 Egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C) and grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan.
- In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder.
- In another medium bowl add the egg, yolk, sugar, water, oil, salt and vanilla and beat everything together for about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour mix to the wet ingredients and beat until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake approximately 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool, then dust with some powder sugar. Enjoy!
Would this cake work in a 9 inch baking pan or would the cake be too shallow? If it would work in a 9 inch pan, what would be the baking time?
Hi Steve, the cake would work in a 9 inch pan but it wouldn’t be as high as the one in the photo.I would start checking it for doneness after 30-35 minutes. Hope that helps! 🙂
Yummy 😋
So good! 😀