MAKES TWO 9-INCH CAKE LAYERS, ONE 9 × 13-INCH SHEET CAKE, OR ABOUT 1½ DOZEN CUPCAKES
The one-bowl chocolate cake is a busy baker’s workhorse, and a concept that’s been riffed on in countless ways by just about every cookbook, food magazine, and professional domestic goddess over the past few decades. And for good reason—who doesn’t love being minutes away from homemade chocolate cake, no complicated machinery required? My version is naturally sweetened with maple syrup, which also makes it unbeatably moist.
1½ cups (6¾ ounces/192 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
¾ cup (2½ ounces/72 grams) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (11⅞ ounces/336 grams) pure maple syrup (dark or very dark preferred)*
1 cup (8½ ounces/242 grams) 2% Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
¼ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) grapeseed or canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*I like honey here, too. It creates a noticeably different flavor profile when combined with cocoa, which makes this recipe great for mixing and matching with a variety of frostings and toppings.
1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. Lightly grease a 9 × 13-inch rectangular baking pan or two 9-inch round pans (and line them with parchment paper), or line 18 wells of two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
3. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, yogurt, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Using a whisk, energetically blend the batter by hand until smooth and thick, about 1 minute. Spread the batter into the prepared pan or pans. (For cupcakes, fill the cups no more than two-thirds full—you should get 18 cupcakes.)
6. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched, 30 to 35 minutes for sheet and layer cakes, or 20 minutes for cupcakes. Cool completely in the pan or pans on a wire rack before inverting and frosting.