One Tray Chocolate Cake
This recipe took a few tries to get just right, and it truly has that chuck-all-in-one-bowl effortless feeling. I’m really loving these cakes because they are so satisfying to make. It’s all about the little tricks that add extra flavour, like using brown butter and brown sugar. You can dress it up to look fancy for a dinner party with double cream or crème fraîche. If you prefer, you could swap the dark chocolate chips for milk chocolate and reduce the sugar to 100g for a milder sweetness. Please let me know if you try it!
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), 100g roughly chopped into chunky pieces
160g unsalted butter
150g soft brown sugar
3 medium eggs
160g ground almonds or 130g plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of sea salt
Cocoa powder for dusting
Double cream or crème fraîche to serve
Instructions:
Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F) and line a 9-inch baking tray with baking paper.
Prepare the Brown Butter: Add the butter to a frying pan and set it over medium to high heat to melt. Allow it to bubble for a few minutes, swirling it around the pan. Let it turn golden and release a hazelnut aroma. At this point, take it off the heat.
Melt the Chocolate: Get a large heat-proof mixing bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler method). Place 100g of the dark chocolate into the bowl and let it melt completely. Remove from heat and leave to cool for about 5 minutes.
Make the Cake Batter: Using the same bowl with the melted chocolate, whisk in the brown butter, followed by the soft brown sugar. Crack in and beat 2 of the eggs. Mix in the ground almonds (or plain flour), vanilla extract, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and sea salt. Crack in the last egg and mix until combined.
Add the Chocolate Chunks: Gently stir in the remaining 100g of roughly chopped chocolate pieces until just combined.
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray and place it in the middle of the preheated oven. Bake for 35 minutes. The cake should have a slight skin formed on top but still be a little soft inside.
Cool and Serve: Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tray for 10 minutes to firm up a bit. Dust with cocoa powder before serving. You can enjoy this cake warm or at room temperature.
Store: This One Tray Chocolate Cake keeps well for up to 4 days. Serve with a dollop of double cream or crème fraîche for a perfect dessert!
Enjoy!
This One Tray Chocolate Cake is perfect for those who want a rich, delicious dessert with minimal fuss. It’s got all the depth of flavour thanks to the brown butter and dark chocolate, and it’s so easy to whip up in just one bowl. Enjoy with friends and family, or keep it all to yourself—no judgment here!
Looking for more chocolate recipes with less of the guilt? Try my gluten-free and vegan chocolate celebration cake.