My sisters and I took to baking western-style cakes soon after we got to America in 1975. There was so much butter, flour, and sugar that we could not resist beating up a batter to create cakes of all sizes and flavors. We used an old electric mixer that my dad picked up from a garage sale. We read recipes from French and American cookbooks, as well as magazines such as Good Housekeeping, which we’d get from the library.
We didn’t usually frost our cakes as that was time consuming. Plus, we saved making butter cream frostings and piping out fanciful decorations for my mom’s annual Christmas Yule Logs (Buche de Noel). We mostly ate our cakes straight, with some seasonal fruit on the side. Asians like the combination of fruit and cake. Witness the popular strawberry and cream layer cake.
I bake cakes whenever I want to re-taste my youth or cheer up. (I needed some cheering up this week, as you may have noticed.) My cakes may be a simple sponge cake (banh bong lan) that I whip up, or a quick chocolate cake like this one, a riff on a recipe I clipped from a 1995 Gourmet article by Laurie Colwin, one of the most soulful food writers.
I’ve been baking this particular cake ever since then. That’s 15 years, my friends. It’s one of my stealth recipes because it’s a no-brainer. With just some flour, buttermilk, cocoa, butter and sugar, you can stir together the batter in minutes. No sifting of anything.
Preheat the oven – that takes 15 minutes – and by the time the oven is ready, just slide the cake pan into the oven. Thirty minutes later, you’ve got chocolate cake in the house. There are smiles all around.
The result is light, somewhat like a cake brownie. With defatted cocoa and low-fat buttermilk, the cake is a low-guilt pleasure. Store leftover cake in an airtight container and eat it over the course of a week.
15 Minute Chocolate Cake
Use a good unsweetened cocoa. I keep a kilo of extra brut (extra dark) cocoa around to make this cake on a whim. Substitute canola oil for the butter when you’re in a major rush. Enjoy alone, with fresh berries, or crème fraiche, whipped cream or ice cream, depending on your mood.
Makes 1 (10-inch) cake to serve 8
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
8 ¾ ounces (1 ¾ cup) bleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Optional ingredients: (choose one or none)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅓ cup chopped crystallized ginger
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup melted unsalted butter, cooled
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350F. Oil a 9-inch, high-sided round cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Flour the pan, tap out the excess flour.
2. Stir together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the cinnamon, ginger, or chocolate chips, if using.
3. Whisk together the buttermilk, butter, and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients until all is moistened and mixed well.
4. Pour into the prepared cake pan, spreading the thick batter out to the edge. Bang the pan on your counter to even things out.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cake has risen and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding.
For more cake recipes: See the recipe index!
Update on 5/4/10: Mary (see her comment below) made the cake yesterday for her daughter's birthday. Mary's 3-year-old son assisted as he promised, and per Mary, the 15-minute cake turned into the 45-minute cake. But look how happy this little guy is!
facelift says
I am fond of cakes. I just love it. I am surely going to try this recipe. Thanks sharing the recipe.
MaryMoh says
Looks very delicious. That's very quick to bake this cake. Thanks for sharing.
Affiliate Program says
Great recipe! I love it. Thanks for sharing. I'm planning to bake this on my friend's birthday..
Mary says
My daughter's birthday is Tuesday -- this will be perfect for a mid-week family celebration (with icing; she's turning 8 so that isn't optional). Her little brother has already told me he'll help, but he wants this cake for *his* birthday. It's tough to be two sometimes. I made something similar to this with a tablespoon or two of instant coffee, and it works great. I'm going with chocolate chips this time, though!
medical consultation says
My sister and I love to bake different kind of cakes also.. And were searching the less hour to bake because we have a lot of customers ordering in us. And thank God I found your blog, now we can try that 15 minutes chocolate cake recipe.thanks for sharing..
Andrea Nguyen says
Mary -- this is perfect for your kids to help out with and to eat. Great idea with the addition of the instant coffee (espresso).
Wendy says
This recipe seems so simple and delicious. I'm definitely going to make one tomorrow, especially since I have some leftover buttermilk.
Question... can a bundt cake pan be used? If so, would I need to adjust the baking time? And I only have unbleached flour...is that ok to use in this recipe too?
Andrea Nguyen says
Hi Wendy -- A bundt pan would work. You may have to increase the amount of batter if the bundt pan is a big one.
Unbleached flour will work but the result is not as tender as bleached flour. I use regular all purpose, grocery store stuff for cookies, cakes and the like.
clea walford says
well, chocolate cakes are just wonderful. Thanks so much for this quick recipe!
Mary says
My little man and I did make the cake tonight. Here's what I learned about having a 3-year-old "help" make chocolate cake:
1. we'll call it our 45 minute recipe
2. you'll hear yourself saying things you never thought, like "keep those nasty chocolate fingers away from me!"
3. three-year-olds don't understand the difference between baking cocoa and chocolate, and it's *really* funny to watch them figure it out. The hard way.
Boracay accommodation says
I think I'm going to make chocolate cake for my birthday. Yum!
Helen says
Yum! Thanks for this recipe Andrea. Describing it as a cake brownie fit perfectly. The top of the cake had a slight crisp on it and the inside was chocolately rich. It completely fulfilled my Hubby's and my own chocolate craving last night.
Andrea Nguyen says
Mary sent photos of her 3-year-old, which are now part of this post. May he grow up to remember his initial online fame!
Miss B says
Hi
Thanks for sharing this recipe. One question - what is the replacement for buttermilk ?
Sharon says
I'm curious, how does this work w/o eggs?
Andrea Nguyen says
@Miss B: I usually buy a small container of buttermilk at the store for this cake. To make 'instant' buttermilk try this from About.com:
* Milk (just under one cup)
* 1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.
3. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.
Andrea Nguyen says
@Sharon: It works as there's leavening via the baking soda. Richness from the butter and buttermilk. Try it out. Other people have. I've been baking this cake for years.
Everybody Eats Well in Flanders says
Hi Andrea
Thanks for the advice on buttermilk. I have 2 more questions.
Most cakes require u to fold in the flour carefully, so for step 3, do u mean "folding in" instead of "stirring"??
I see that the sugar is mixed together with the other dry ingredients and not whisked together with the butter. In that case, does it have to be extra-fine sugar ?
Thanks !
Miss B
Andrea Nguyen says
@Miss B: This is a 'sturdy' cake that you don't have to worry about. I know, it's funny. But that's the beauty of the recipe. Fail-safe. Just stir, and you'll find that you don't have to be gentle. The batter is very thick.
Chocolate says
This is really a Easy one...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Viva-Magazine-Your-Premium-Womens-Natural-Health-Magazine/262734921452?ref=ts
Semi permanent make-up says
Healthy living style is very effective than diet. I think diet is not effective like healthy life style. It will be good to take some herbal treatments and practice chocolate for healthy living life. Scientist say that chocolate is well in any situation.
Semi Permanent Make Up says
Eat right and stay healthy. Exercises are also very important and always keep your head up. Don’t try to look around for the new fad diets, the food has always been on the table, it’s just about the amount you eat and the way it’s portioned.
Diane says
I made this tonight for my reading group, and it was a big hit. I used slightly thinned yogurt instead of buttermilk, but then the batter looked too thick, so I added just a bit more water to the batter to make it look less like cement. It came out OK, but the added liquid meant longer cooking time (45 minutes). But it turned out perfectly. Next time I will just change the proportion of yogurt to water to make it a bit looser, so I don't have to dilute it. Served with whipped cream and everyone raved.
MissB says
Hi
I just baked this cake, its really easy! But I had to bake it for 50min though, cos the inside is still wet at 40min. I thought that a smaller baking pan (8 inch) will be better cos the cake is rather flat in a 9 inch.
I am gonna post the fotos on my blog soon. Thanks for ur recipe again !
MissB says
Here is a pic of my 15 min chocolate cake 🙂
http://everybodyeatswell.blogspot.com/2010/05/baking-frenzy-15-min-chocolate-cake.html
Andrea Nguyen says
@MissB: Awesome! Thanks for sharing your link to the gorgeous cake. Makes me want to bake one today.
Fruit Brochettes says
Chocolate cake is my Favorite....
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Viva-Magazine-Your-Premium-Womens-Natural-Health-Magazine/262734921452?ref=ts
LV Epi Leather says
wo zai malu bian,jian dao yi fen qian,ba ta jiaogei jingcha shushu.
Bruce Madsen says
I genuinely prefer Nuwave oven because it is effortless to work with and clean up. The foods are mouth watering and delicious also. You will be thrilled to see fat deposits dripping along the stand as you cook the meat without having to sacrifice the taste in the foods.
latte machine says
Tasty Recipe. My younger daughter loves chocolate cakes, all kinds of them. So I’m always looking for some new recipe. Thanks 🙂
Pedro says
This cake looks divine, with a 15 minute timeframe i will definitely be making this for the kids.
Justin Bieber Shoes says
Ok. I used the whole cauliflower and got 5 cups! I had such a great time making these...
Definitely making these this week!
...
Canada Goose sale says
Gone are the days when girls would love to have a fair skin tone.
Weber Grills says
I am a choco-holic, the thing is I never bake a cake to satisfy my cravings, I recon with this "no-brainer" I could pull it off. 'Move aside my beautiful desert making wife.'
Red Bottom shoes sale says
Live and let live.
Red Bottom shoes says
Life is shore and time is swift.
cigarette lectronique jetable says
I couldn't agree with you more..
marlon says
Thanks so much for this quick recipe! It really helps me more!