1-2 Chocolate Cake
If you've got whole wheat flour, granulated sugar and unsweetened chocolate, you're most of the way to this vegetarian: about 60 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (1)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 175 C and lightly grease a 20 cm square or round cake tin, lining the base with baking paper.
- Melt the unsweetened chocolate gently in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave, then let it cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
- Add the vegetable oil, egg, vanilla extract and melted chocolate, then beat until smooth and well combined.
- Pour in the hot water and stir gently until the batter is thin and even; the thin batter is normal and gives a moist crumb.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
You'll use: Oven · Saucepan · Whisk · Microwave
Tips & common questions
How long does 1-2 Chocolate Cake take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is 1-2 Chocolate Cake vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
1-2 Chocolate Cake is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Chocolate cake and Victoria sponge.jpg by Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.