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5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Snack Cake

By Britney Brown-Chamberlain
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 9
chocolate snack cake on a piece of parchment paper with spoons.
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This chocolate snack cake recipe is soft, moist, and easy to make! It's soaked with chocolate syrup and topped with chocolate ganache. It's a chocolate lovers dream come true!

Equipment

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Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup (112 g) Olive Oil , (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
  • 2/3 cup (145 g) Brown Sugar
  • 2 large (100 g) Eggs, (room temperature)
  • 1 (18 g) Egg Yolk
  • 3/4 cup (180 g) Sour Cream , (room temperature)
  • 1 tsp (5 g) Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup (85 g) Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
  • 1 1/2 cups (188 g) All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Espresso Powder, (optional)
  • 3/4 tsp Baking Soda
  • 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 2/3 cup (160 g) Hot Coffee

Chocolate Simple Syrup

  • 1/2 cup (120 g) Water
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) Sugar
  • 2 tbsp (12 g) Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp Espresso Powder, (optional)

Chocolate Ganache Topping

  • 1/2 cup (120 g) Heavy Cream
  • 1 cup (170 g) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 2 tbsp (28 g) Salted Butter

Instructions 

  • Start by making the chocolate ganache. Pour heavy into a medium mixing bowl. Microwave for 1 minute then add semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter. Let it sit for about 2 minutes, then whisk together until smooth. (If it's not fully melted, microwave in 15 second increments, whisking between each, until fully melted).
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 metal baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, sugar, and brown sugar for about 1 minute, until combined, then add eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, vanilla extract, and dutch process cocoa powder. 1/2 cup Olive Oil 1 cup Sugar 2/3 cup Brown Sugar 2 large Eggs 1 Egg Yolk 3/4 cup Sour Cream 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 1 cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
  • Add in the flour, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk together until just combined, then pour in hot coffee. Mix until smooth. 1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour 1 tsp Espresso Powder 3/4 tsp Baking Soda 3/4 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Kosher Salt 2/3 cup Hot Coffee
  • Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
  • While the cake is baking, make the chocolate simple syrup. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, about 5-6 minutes, then remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder and espresso powder. 1/2 cup Water 1/2 cup Sugar 2 tbsp Dutch Process Cocoa Powder 1 tsp Espresso Powder
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then poke holes into the cake with a toothpick and pour the chocolate simple syrup on top.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan then add the chocolate ganache on top.

Notes

  • Use high fat cocoa powder. You’ll need dutch process cocoa powder with high fat content, about 20-24% fat. (don’t worry, most dutch process cocoa powders have this, just check the label) This can make or break your cake! If you’ve ever made a chocolate cake and it was dry or chalky, it’s likely from the type of cocoa powder used. I swear by this dutch process cocoa powder, but use what you can find!
  • Weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale. Weighing your ingredients will yield the most consistent results and prevents adding too much (or too little) ingredients which can throw off the texture of the cake. I provide the gram measurements in the recipe card.
  • Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until combined to keep the cake tender. Overmixing can cause gluten to form and leads to a tough cake.
  • Overbaking the cake. Chocolate cakes dry out quickly if baked too long! Everyone’s oven is a little different so start checking the cake about 5 minutes before the recommended baking time.

Nutrition

Calories: 642kcal, Carbohydrates: 83g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 442mg, Potassium: 392mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 58g, Vitamin A: 490IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 102mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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