We’re in the thick of the holiday hustle and bustle at the flower shop. This means long work days and short weekends. My favorite way to recharge my batteries is house-mousing at home on Sunday with Gilmore Girls on Netflix and a new recipe to try. (Usually of the dessert variety.) I watched this video of Bon Appetit‘s Chris Morocco making the *easiest chocolate birthday cake* and thought, ‘there’s my Sunday plans.’
This recipe is so simple. It comes together with a handful of pantry staples and requires minimal tools. If you have a cheap hand mixer, a couple of bowls and a whisk, you’re good to go; it’s the perfect recipe for a baking beginner. I had to pop into Publix for a few things, but had most of the ingredients in my baking stash.
Chris Morocco is my snarky/bossy/Type-A soulmate and I love watching him rule the test kitchen. Plus his recipes always deliver; see: BA’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This is a super-satisfying, dense chocolate cake — topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting that balances out the rich cocoa. (I got excited and frosted it before the cake cooled completely, so my frosting is a little soft; oops.)
Instead of posting the recipe here, I’m going to point you to BA’s link, which includes all the details you need + handy video inserts to guide you along from start to finish.
Quick Tip
Bon Appetit suggests mixing up the dry ingredients and storing them in an air-tight container. Then you have a DIY cake mix on-hand to throw a cake together for any occasion with minimal effort. Birthday celebration, dinner party, Sunday supper, stressful day at the office… whatevs. This is a life hack I didn’t know I needed!
I highly recommend giving this ‘Easiest Chocolate Birthday Cake‘ recipe a try. Serve up a big slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or an ice cold glass of milk. No birthday required.
Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on the blog on 12/15/19. It felt like a great time to rescue it from the archives for some holiday baking!
Merry Christmas Beautiful Lady!