This Featherlight Chocolate Cake Recipe is a moist and fluffy recipe, which is made with good-quality cocoa powder and cake flour. It’s a classic, foolproof recipe, ready in about 1 hour 55 minutes (including cooling).
Jump to RecipeFeatherlight Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), plus more for the pan
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour, plus more for the pan
- 1/2 cup good-quality cocoa powder (e.g., Valrhona or Droste)
- 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/4 cups ice water
How To Make Featherlight Chocolate Cake
- Preheat Oven and Prep Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease the parchment. Dust the pans with cake flour and tap out any excess.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the 1 1/2 sticks of room-temperature butter and the sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the vanilla extract.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Alternate Wet and Dry: With the mixer on low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the ice water in two parts (begin and end with the dry ingredients). Mix only until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Bake the Cake Layers: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Completely: Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment paper, and let the layers cool completely before frosting.
Recipe Tips
- Why must I use cake flour? Cake flour is milled to be much finer and has less protein than all-purpose flour. This is the “secret” to a “featherlight” cake, as it creates a softer, more tender, and lighter crumb.
- Why use ice water? The cold water helps keep the butter in the batter from melting, which creates a more tender, delicate crumb. It also reacts with the baking soda and cocoa to create a light texture.
- Is sifting the dry ingredients really necessary? Yes, for this recipe, it’s crucial. Cake flour is prone to clumping, and cocoa powder is very lumpy. Sifting them together ensures there are no dry pockets and incorporates air, which is essential for a “featherlight” texture.
- How do I prevent the cake from being dry? Do not overbake. Check the cake at the 30-minute mark. As soon as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs), it’s done.
What To Serve With Featherlight Chocolate Cake
This cake has a delicate flavor that pairs well with simple frostings or toppings.
- A simple chocolate or vanilla buttercream
- A light dusting of powdered sugar
- Fresh raspberries or strawberries
- A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream
- A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream
How To Store Featherlight Chocolate Cake
- Room Temperature: Store the unfrosted or buttercream-frosted cake in an airtight cake dome at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: The unfrosted cake layers freeze beautifully. Once completely cool, wrap each layer tightly in two layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
Featherlight Chocolate Cake Nutrition Facts
(Per slice, assuming 12 slices, unfrosted)
- Calories: ~300 kcal
- Total Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
- Sodium: 310mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 44g
- Dietary Fiber: 2g
- Sugars: 29g
- Protein: 4g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
You can, but the cake will be denser and not “featherlight.” If you must, for every 1 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour and replace it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
No, not for this recipe. Hot coffee is used in many chocolate cakes to “bloom” the cocoa, but this recipe’s structure relies on the cold ice water for its specific light texture.
Yes, this recipe will make about 24 standard-sized cupcakes. Fill the liners 2/3 full and bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes.
Featherlight Chocolate Cake Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy16
servings20
minutes35
minutes300
kcalA truly light, tender, and moist chocolate cake made with cake flour and ice water for an incredibly delicate, “featherlight” crumb.
Ingredients
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour, plus more for pans
1/2 cup good-quality cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups ice water
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease, line with parchment, and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes).
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- On low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the ice water in 2 parts (begin and end with dry).
- Mix only until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Sifting the dry ingredients is not optional for this recipe; it is key to the light texture.
- Using room-temperature butter and eggs will result in a more even, fluffy cake.
- Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added, or the cake will be tough.
