This Thermomix Chocolate Cake is rich and fudgy with a to-die-for chocolate buttercream. It is my go-to Thermomix cake recipe for birthday cakes.
I find this to be a very forgiving cake. It holds up well to layering and icing - whether you stop at the buttercream or cover it with fondant.
I usually make it as a three-layer cake using 3 x 8-inch round cake tins. However I have also used it for 6-inch cake tins for a tall thin cake, as you can see in the surf cake below. You could also use 2 x 8 or 9-inch cake tins.
Note that this recipe will use a TM5 or TM6 bowl to full capacity. If you have a TM31, you may need to reduce portions.
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Ingredients
The best thing about this Thermomix chocolate cake recipe is that it uses basic ingredients from your store cupboard. Nothing fancy to see here, folks! (But just wait til you taste it!)
You will need:
- Water
- Coffee (don't be put off, you won't be able to taste it!) - see below
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
- Butter
- Cocoa Powder
- Eggs
- Plain Flour (can substitute with self raising powder, just skip the baking powder)
- Baking Powder
- Bicarbonate of Soda
- Vanilla Extract
Using coffee in Chocolate Cake
Don't be put off by using coffee in a chocolate cake. You can totally skip it if you want to. HOWEVER, I think you will like the results.
Using a little coffee in any chocolate recipe does not make it taste of coffee... it makes it taste even more chocolatey!
I have an espresso machine in my kitchen, so it is very easy to quickly make a shot of espresso and add to my recipes.
If you don't have an espresso machine, you can toss in a teaspoon of instant coffee granules, brew a strong cup of coffee (just make sure if you add a full cup of coffee you reduce the water by the same amount) or use a teaspoon of espresso powder.
How to make the cake
The other great thing is that it is such an EASY recipe. Seriously easy.
To get started, melt and warm the water, coffee, butter and cocoa powder. Once you have done this, you need to let it cool down before you add in the eggs.
This will take around 10 minutes. Ideally, you want the temperature to come down to around 50 degrees.
While you are waiting for it to cool down, you can get your cake tins greased and lined and ready to go.
I do this by lightly coating the cake tin with softened butter, lightly coating in flour and then lining the base with baking paper. You can read my full method here.
Once the butter/cocoa/water mixture has cooled down, mix in the eggs and vanilla. And finally add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and and mix together.
You can now pour the cake batter into the prepared tins and bake for around 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes away clean.
You will see from the photo above that the batter is quite runny so you can pour it directly from the Thermomix jug into the cake tins.
Allow to cool for a few minutes in the tin and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before icing with the buttercream.
Thermomix Chocolate Buttercream
This is the best chocolate buttercream. Honestly I think it could turn any old chocolate cake into the best chocolate cake!
It is rich and creamy and delicious. And so easy to make!
I suggest using cold butter (straight from the fridge is fine) to get the best consistency for covering the cake.
The recipe makes enough to cover a 3-layer 9-inch cake with icing between each layer and covering the cake.
You will need:
- Icing sugar
- Butter
- Cocoa Powder
- Vanilla Extract
- Milk
To make the buttercream, start by blitzing the icing sugar for 10 seconds on speed 9 to make sure it is well sifted, and set aside.
Next, whip up the butter for 30 seconds on speed 5 before adding in all the remaining ingredients and mixing for a further 30 seconds on speed 5. Done.
FAQs and Top Tips
You sure can! Pour the batter into lined muffin tins and bake for around 20 minutes. You might want to half the recipe as it makes A LOT of cupcakes!
I usually make this as a three-layer 8-inch cake, so I use 3 x 8-inch cake tins. I have also used 3 x 6-inch cake tins for a taller cake. You could also divide by two x 8 or 9-inch cake tins.
No you can easily skip the coffee if you don't want to use it. I think you will find it makes the cake even more chocolatey though 🙂
Love Chocolate? You will also love these Thermomix recipes:
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
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Thermomix Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 500 g water
- 1 shot espresso* see notes
- 250 g butter
- 70 g cocoa powder
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200 g brown sugar
- 200 g caster sugar
- 350 g plain flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
For the Chocolate buttercream
- 500 g icing sugar
- 300 g butter cold from fridge
- 80 g cocoa powder
- 90 g milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Pre-heat the oven to 150 C / 300 F.
- Add the water, coffee (if using), butter and cocoa to the bowl and heat/melt for 3 minutes / 80 degrees / speed 2. Remove lid and allow to cool. (This will take around 10 minutes, ideally you want the temperature to drop to 50 degrees or below)
- Meanwhile, grease and line two or three cake tins (see notes).
- Once the mixture is cool, add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix for 5 seconds / speed 4.
- Add the sugars, flour, baking powder and bicarb soda. Mix for 30 seconds / speed 4.
- Pour into cake tins (the batter is quite runny so you can pour directly from the TM bowl).
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes away clean.
- Allow to cool for a couple of minutes in the tin before carefully turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream icing
- Add the icing sugar to a clean dry Thermomix bowl. Blitz for 10 seconds / speed 9. Set aside.
- Chop butter into pieces and add to the bowl. Cream for 30 seconds / speed 5.
- Add the icing sugar, cocoa powder, milk and vanilla extract. Mix for 30 seconds / speed 5.
I wanted to check that you mean 50g not 500g of water???
Hi Fiona- no it is definitely 500g! I know it sounds a lot, but trust me, it works! If you look at the other ingredients, the quantities are large too. It makes a large cake perfect for parties. The batter is runny so you can pour it directly into the cake tin from the Thermomix bowl.
Hi,
How do you find this holds up if making the cake the day before?
Can you ice the day before or best to leave it to the day of?
Thanks!
Absolutely fine. I often make this for birthdays and ice it the day before.
Beautiful cake.
Have you or any of your followers made this cake with gf flour? I know some cakes work really well with a direct substitute and others don't, so I thought I'd check in on that. Thanks.
how did it go with gf flour? i am making it today with GF
it worked really well with GF flour. I just used the aldi brand
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve never cooked such a delicious chocolate cake! I made it 2 days before my sons party and use 8 grams of Nescafé espresso mixed in a bowl with some boiling water (that when combined with cool water, was 500ml). No coffee flavour evident when eating but so gooey and yummy! Lots of rave comments. Thanks again
Thanks Melissa! So happy to hear this 🙂
My family love this recipe! Best chocolate cake ever, Thank you
Should you use the butterfly whisk?
Hi - no you don't need to use the butterfly whisk.
I have no talent for baking so I followed the cake instructions to the word, including the tin prep, and the cake came out delicious and moist.
We iced it the day before and kept in the cool oven.
The only odd thing was the butter cream quantity:
Indeed, my son accidentally poured in too much milk (160 instead of 90) . It still came out great - so yummy and good texture, but we had way way too much! Like 2-3 times too much for a two-layer birthday cake, and I ended up throwing out more than half.
Thank you, so glad I discovered this recipe, best chocolate cake! This will be my go-to for the kids birthday cakes! I've made a few already, iced and frozen them a week in advance and they have tasted delicious!
This was the best chocolate cake I have ever made. It makes heaps so
I gave it away to all my neighbours and they all said it was amazing. I’m going to make it again next week for my sons 4th birthday.