15 mins prep
25 mins cook
12 servings
Chocolate Cake Without Cocoa Powder
Run out of cocoa powder? This chocolate cake without cocoa powder is the perfect recipe for you!
No Cocoa Powder Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Caster Sugar: 250 g
- Unsalted Butter: 230 g
- Large Eggs (Separated): 4
- Dark Chocolate: 125 g
- Milk: 60 ml
- Self Raising Flour: 250 g
- Baking Powder: 0.5 tspn
- Salt: 1 small pinch
No Cocoa Powder Chocolate Fudge Icing Recipe
- Double Cream: 134 ml
- Unsalted Butter: 84 g
- Icing Sugar: 73 g
- Dark Or Milk Chocolate: 166 g
- Freshly Brewed Coffee: 1 tbspn
- Vanilla Extract: 0.5 tspn
- Salt: 0.5 tspn
No Cocoa Powder Chocolate Cake Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°c (350°f) and grease and line two 8inch cake tins with baking paper
- Whisk the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the yolks and whisk for a couple of minutes until creamy
- Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Leave it to cool slightly, then add it to the butter, sugar, and egg yolk mixture and whisk for another minute.
- Sieve in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the milk and whisk briefly until just combined.
- In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add a teaspoon of caster sugar at a time and continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
- Add half of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and gently fold until combined. Then fold in the remaining egg whites until the batter is smooth and creamy.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared baking tins. Bake for 20 minutes at 180º, then turn the oven down to 160º and bake for a further 5 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean
- Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
No Cocoa Powder Chocolate Fudge Icing Method
- Melt all of the ingredients together in a saucepan over a low heat until smooth and glossy.
- Once melted, pass the melted mixture through a sieve into a bowl to ensure no lumps remain. Cover this
- Cover the mixture with clingfilm and leave to cool at room temperature. Stir it every 15/20 minutes to avoid any lumps forming.
- After around 30/45 minutes, it should have thickened enough to spread onto the cake. Cover each layer with the icing, put one on top of the other and cover with the rest of the icing. Top with raspberries and cool in the fridge for half an hour. Enjoy!
USEFUL PRODUCTS I RECOMMEND FOR THIS CAKE
The Accidental Chocolate Cake Recipe I Keep Making
It happens to all of us. It was late in the day and I was about to make my partner’s sister’s birthday cake. Everything was going great until I saw the sad-looking amount of cocoa powder I had left, so I had to improvise.
I ended up with the most amazing cake and, dare I say it, I actually think it tastes even better than the chocolate cakes I normally make! It has a light fluffy texture with a delightfully soft and tender crumb, while still having a rich chocolate flavour. The fudge icing pairs with it perfectly too because a chocolate cake just isn’t the same without a rich chocolatey icing to go with it.
So, I included the icing recipe as well, and it doesn’t contain a trace of cocoa powder either. It’s silky smooth, creamy, and absolutely divine paired with this cake. If you’ve run out of cocoa powder but still want a show-stopping chocolate cake, this is the recipe for you.
Chocolate vs Cocoa Powder
Chocolate and cocoa powder both come from the cacao plant, but they are quite different when you actually use them in baking.
Cocoa powder gives a really deep, rich chocolate flavour and is what most chocolate cakes are usually built on. Chocolate, on the other hand, already has cocoa butter and sugar in it, so it behaves a bit differently in recipes.
Normally, I would always reach for cocoa powder when making a chocolate cake because it is easier to balance and gives a stronger flavour. But things do not always go to plan, and sometimes you have to work with what you have.
The good news is, you can still make a really good chocolate cake without cocoa powder. If that happens, just use dark chocolate (around 70% cocoa solids) and you will still get a rich, chocolatey result.
Serving & Storage
While I use a chocolate fudge icing in this recipe, you can use any buttercream or icing you like. Or plain if that’s your thing! I love serving this cake with fresh tart fruit, such as raspberries, but you can decorate it in any way you fancy.
Because this cake contains fresh cream in the fudge icing, it should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 5 days if stored properly and stays wonderfully moist the whole way through, just as good as the day it is baked.
Making The Cake (In Photos)
Preheat your oven and line your tins
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease two 8-inch cake tins with butter, then line them with baking paper to prevent the cakes from sticking.
Whisk the butter, sugar and egg yolks
Separate the eggs carefully. Add the egg yolks to the softened butter and caster sugar, then whisk on high speed for 2/3 minutes until pale and creamy.
Melt the chocolate
In a heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds to make sure it does not burn. Once melted, set aside to cool slightly. When cooled, add it to the egg yolk, sugar, and butter mixture and whisk for another minute until light and fluffy.
Sieve in the dry ingredients and add the milk
Sieve in the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add the milk. Whisk briefly on low speed until just combined.
Whisk the egg whites
Using clean utensils and a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites. It helps to start on a low speed until bubbles begin to form, then increase to high speed and whisk until soft peaks form. Add a teaspoon of caster sugar, which helps stabilise the egg whites, then whisk again for a couple of minutes until you reach stiff peaks. You should end up with a soft, cloud-like meringue that holds its shape.
Fold in the egg whites
Add half of the whisked egg whites to the chocolate mixture and gently fold until incorporated. Then add the remaining egg whites and continue folding until smooth and creamy. If the mixture is struggling to come together, give it a very brief whisk for about 5 seconds. This will help it loosen and become smooth again.
Bake and cool
Divide the mixture evenly between the two lined baking tins and smooth the tops. Bake for 20 minutes at 180°C, then reduce the oven to 160°C and bake for a further 5 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the cakes are browning too quickly, loosely cover them with foil. Once baked, leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Making The Chocolate Fudge Icing (In Photos)
Melt all the ingredients together
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and melt over a low heat until smooth.
Pass the mixture through a sieve
Once melted, pass the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps and ensure the icing is silky smooth.
Leave to cool
Cover with cling film and leave to cool at room temperature, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes to prevent lumps forming. After around 30 minutes, it should have thickened enough to spread onto the cake. If you leave it for too long, it may become too firm to spread. If this happens, simply microwave it for about 5 seconds until it loosens back to a spreadable consistency.
Ice the cake
Once your cakes and icing are cool, it is time to assemble. Spread half of the icing over one layer of cake, then place the second layer on top. Cover the top with the remaining icing. I chose to decorate this cake with raspberries, but you can decorate it however you like. Once iced, place the cake in the fridge for around 30 minutes before serving. Then it is ready to enjoy!
Why not try my no cocoa powder fudgy triple chocolate brownies too? If you liked this how to make chocolate cake without cocoa powder recipe, leave a comment below!
