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Mary Berry All-in-One Chocolate Cake Recipe

Mary Berry All-in-One Chocolate Cake Recipe

Mary Berry's all-in-one chocolate cake puts everything in one bowl and produces a perfect, deeply chocolatey sponge every time.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Cooling Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 Slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 545
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Chocolate Sponge:
  • 225 g unsalted butter softened
  • 225 g caster sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 175 g self-raising flour sifted
  • 50 g good quality cocoa powder sifted
  • 2½ tsp baking powder
  • 4 tbsp boiling water
  • 2 tbsp whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Chocolate Buttercream:
  • 175 g unsalted butter softened
  • 300 g icing sugar sifted
  • 50 g good quality cocoa powder sifted
  • 3 –4 tbsp whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • To Finish:
  • Chocolate shavings or cocoa for dusting

Method
 

  1. Mix cocoa with boiling water to a smooth paste. Cool 5 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins.
  3. Place butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, milk, vanilla, and cooled cocoa paste in a large bowl. Beat with electric whisk 2–3 minutes until smooth. Scrape down sides halfway through.
  4. Divide equally between tins — weigh for even layers. Smooth tops. Bake 22–26 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in tins 5 minutes. Turn out. Cool completely.
  5. Beat butter alone 3–4 minutes. Add icing sugar and cocoa in two batches. Add vanilla and milk until smooth. Beat 2 more minutes.
  6. Fill and top with buttercream. Finish with chocolate shavings or cocoa.

Notes

Bloom cocoa in boiling water — even with the all-in-one method this step matters.
Butter must be genuinely soft — room temperature, not fridge-cold.
Beat for the full 2–3 minutes — under-beating gives a dense sponge.
Weigh batter between tins for perfectly even layers.
Check at 22 minutes — remove the moment the skewer is clean.
Stores in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
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