Yes, it looks pretty in pink attractive and delicate, but this cake is super easy to make. You will not be stress out making this cake, just fun delicious times. This is a simple chocolate cake with double layers frosting. The cake is soft and moist, the frosting are decadent, soft and creamy. The combination of moist cake, decadent Chocolate Ganache and fluffy Homemade Whipped Cream is a melt in your mouth cake in every bite. I love, love, love it!

I like making cakes for all kinds of occasion regardless if I celebrate it or not. I know that not all people celebrate Valentines Day, and there’s nothing wrong with that ( I do not celebrate it too). Not celebrating it doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of enjoying some fancy decadent and delicious dessert. I say, you deserve to treat yourself to something, whether you are staying in or dining out. What better way to pamper yourself than to make a chocolate cake, you can never go wrong with chocolate cake. It’s an all time favorite of most people, I am hoping you are in the same boat as me, chocolate lover.

I’ve made different kind and variation of chocolate cakes and still I cannot stop on making more. I just cannot get enough of it, there’s just so many of them. I have a small collection of chocolate cakes in my website and they are the ones I featured in my 12 Chocolate Cake Lovers Collection post, if you have time check it out. If you don’t feel like making this cake that I am featuring in this post, I’m pretty sure there will be at least 1 or more that you can find my cake collection post.

About this Cake

For me every chocolate cake have something different if not unique about it. Chocolate cakes can be light, air and fluffy like my Triple Dark Chocolate Chiffon Cake,  or it can be flourless and light like my Chocolate Almond Torte Cake, or flourless and compact like my Chocolate Quinoa Cake. Different variation, different taste, different texture. This one is a simple chocolate cake, with simple ingredients. The method is a simple mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately then mix the mixture together.

• Ease in Making the Recipe:
• This is a super easy chocolate cake recipe. If you are familiar with the method wet the dry & wet ingredients separately then mix them together, that’s the method that was used to make this cake. The steps are simple, and even the ingredients.
• Ingredients: Aside from plain greek yogurt, all the ingredients are basic for making simple chocolate cake. I used yogurt to make this cake extra moist, but if you do not have any yogurt, you can substitute it with the same amount of oil, mashed banana or apple puree. Of course, substitution will have a slight difference in taste and texture. I personally like to cut down oil in my cake recipe and replace some of it with other ingredients that could make the cake moist. I find using all oil can make the cake to oily (which make sense) and I do not like the taste of it. Anyway, some people like it, some don’t and some are in between (this is where I sit).
• Texture, Taste & Flavor:
• I know you probably do not like to hear moist again, some people tends to be annoyed with using moist to describe the cake, but it is what it is, MOIST 🙂 It has a almost like a brownie cake texture in it, not the usual soft spongy cake like chiffon or sponge cake. I like the slightly compact chewy texture the chocolate ganache added to this cake. The chocolate frosting inside is like a surprise, you would not be able to tell there is a chocolate frosting until you eat it, then you will be hit by a decadent chocolate taste that will make you wonder where is it coming from. Is it from the cake? No :)That is the 1st frosting layer. Now the whipped cram frosting, I would say is also a must. Altough you can use just one of them, but why choose one when you can have both. trust me, the combination of decadent chocolate ganache plus the fluffy soft whipped cream frosting is .. heaven in a bite.
• Make-Ahead: Yes you can. store the cake in the fridge or at room temperature and frost it the day you are serving it, or at night. You can leave the un-frosted cake in room temperature for 3 days. I like this cake better not refrigerated, but if you have a left over keep it in the refrigerator after a day especially if it has been frosting with whipped cream. Take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes – 1 hr before serving so it it gets back to the soft texture again.

The Cake Pan

I baked this pan in a 9-inch heart pan just because the theme of the post is for Valentines day. On normal day, I bake this in round or square pan, cupcake tin or bundt pan.

Frosting- Chocolate Ganache & Whipped Cream Frosting

There are several options for frosting and decorating this cake. I went for a double frosting. 1st layer is a chocolate ganache, my favorite frosting of all time. The second top frosting is a simple homemade Whipped Cream Frosting. I put a tiny amount of red gel coloring just to give it a light pink tone so it aligns with a Valentines theme. You can of course just use plain white Whipped Cream or use my Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting for a more decadent 2 layers frosting. I have a video for both of these frosting, have a look if you have time. They are both super easy, not to mention delicious and not too overwhelmingly sweet. This is why these two types of frosting are my favorite.

Other Frosting Options:

• Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
• Espresso Whipped Cream Frosting
• Real Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

A 3 ingredients, delicious, decadent and finger licking good Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting that you will really love. This is the kind of frosting that you will not scrape out of the cake, and trust me when I say it’s really good. This is your anytime, any day, all-year round chocolate frosting.

Light, fluffy and finger licking good Espresso Whipped Cream Frosting. One of the easiest frosting to make and one that You can really eat without feeling overwhelmed with sweetness. This is my go to frosting when I just feel like enjoying the frosting on my cakes and cupcakes. A quick and delicious frosting, truly.

This Strawberry Buttercream Frosting has REAL strawberry flavor, it has real strawberry bits and real sweet and tangy taste that you can only get from real strawberry, you know why? Because it uses real fresh strawberry, yes! All real, no artificial food coloring so say goodbye to those bottled liquid of gel food color. They don’t have any place for this frosting. This simple recipe uses a unique Strawberry flavoring that is homemade using only 1 ingredient and 2 simple steps.

Baking Time:

This recipe is not only for Valentine’s day, you can make this an everyday cake. I used this cake recipe and made it into cupcakes, I baked it in round and square pans. Here is a baking time chart depending on pan size (credits to thespruceeats)

For Baking in a 350F oven:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/3 cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 Egg – room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

• 1/2 cup chopped Dark or Semi-Sweet Chocolate
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoon Cream
• pinch of Salt

Whipped Cream Frosting:

• 1/3 cup Whipped Cream
• 2 tablespoon Icing Sugar ( make it 3 if you want it sweeter)
• 1 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract

Cake Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350F/(175C). Spray or line baking pan with parchment paper. I used a 9-inch heart-shaped pan. Please note that baking time could vary depending on the pan size. I left a pan size baking time
• Bloom the Cocoa Powder: In a large bowl combine the cocoa powder with the hot water and whisk up with a wire whisk until smooth. The hot water will “bloom” the cocoa powder and bring out its best flavor.
• Wet Ingredients: Then add the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Set Aside.
• Dry Ingredients: In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.
• Wet + Dry Ingredients: Combine the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, slowly whisking until combined.
• Transfer in a grease and parchment lined baking pan
• Bake for 20 minutes of until toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. If you are using a square or round pan, adjust baking time as needed.
• Decorate as desired. Let the cake cool completely before decorating. Spread the chocolate ganache on top and let it sit until it set. Do not add the whipped cream, frosting while it is still wet as it could have a tendency to slide down especially the one in the side. Once the chocolate ganache is set, decorate with whipped cream. I used Wilton 1M and did a simple florets on top.

For the Frostings:

1. Make Chocolate Ganache Frosting. Get the full recipe HERE and watch the VIDEO
2. Make the Whipped Cream, (you can also use ready made whipped cream on tub or canister). Get the full recipe HERE and watch the VIDEO
3. Transfer the cream a piping bag and have fun decorating your cake.

Happy Valentines Day!  

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