By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 4, 2026
Serves 8
342 cal · 85 min
Easy Chocolate Cake
Recipe GLPR2b5b8f725a5e45
A simple, kid-friendly chocolate cake made with basic pantry ingredients. This straightforward recipe uses the classic vinegar and baking soda reaction to create a tender, moist crumb. Topped with a rich, fluffy chocolate frosting, it's perfect for birthdays or everyday celebrations.
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Ingredients
1½ cups All-purpose flour
3 tablespoons Cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Salt
6 tablespoons Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon White vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 cup Cold water
4 tablespoons Butter
1 cup Granulated sugar
1½ cups Powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Milk
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish or one 9-inch round cake pan with butter or cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a fork until the dry ingredients are evenly combined. Create three wells in the center of the dry mixture.
Pour the vegetable oil into the first well, the white vinegar into the second well, and the vanilla extract into the third well.
Pour the cold water over all the ingredients in the bowl, then stir everything together with a fork until the batter is smooth and well-blended with no lumps of flour visible.
Transfer the batter into your prepared pan and bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan before frosting.
For the frosting, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl until everything is well-mixed. Add the milk and beat with a fork or mixer until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Spread the chocolate frosting evenly over the cooled cake.
Comments
Every ingredient is a pantry staple at any Charlotte grocer—no special trips needed. At roughly $1.50 to $2 per serving, this is genuinely budget-friendly; cocoa powder and oil are the main cost drivers, and both are cheap. The stated 85 minutes is honest for mixing, baking, and frosting without rushing. This works fine for a family dessert and reheats adequately in the oven, though the cake will dry slightly if held more than two days.
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