A 3-layer chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting, this is for all the chocolate lovers out there. As one Swans Down customer told us, “Best chocolate cake ever! And I’ve been baking for 70 years.”
My hubby and I had a chocolate cake craving. I went searching for a box mix in our pantry and only had about 2 cups of Swans Cake Flour and regular flour. I saw the recipe on the back, and thought, this isn't going to be the decadent cake we saw earlier at the stores. But, wow! We absolutely loved it.. and the frosting! Yes, others say it's quite nostalgic, and we agree. I accidentally threw away the empty box and had to come find this website to save the recipe. This WILL be made again and again. Cool thing, is all the ingredients are most likely in every household. I ended up grabbing leftover Christmas chocolate minis vs unsweetened as in the recipe.
Hi Dee! Thanks for the awesome feedback. Nana's Simple Chocolate Cake is definitely a Swans Down favorite, and Simple to put together! Happy baking!
I'd like too try w mayo?
Hi Sylvia, We haven't tested Nana's Simple Chocolate Cake using mayonnaise so unfortunately we don't have an ingredient suggestion. We do have this delicious Chocolate Coffee Mayonnaise Cake if you'd like to give it a try. Happy baking!
My mother used to make this cake all the time for me and my siblings birthdays, holidays or just because. She had a recipe from the 60's or early 70's that she cut from the back of the Swan's Down Cake Flour Box that was called an " Elegant Chocolate Cake" that didn't have sour cream in it, she used milk and she used Hershey's chocolate powder instead of the unsweetened chocolate. It did infact have brown sugar in it. She had the original recipe
for years that she had cut out from off the box of the box of Swan's Down Cake Flour. The recipe was lost. I would like to have that original recipe.
Hi Lillian, Thanks for sharing your story! We've forwarded your info on to our Consumer Affairs Department. Someone should be reaching out with information. Happy baking!
This is a delicious chocolate cake recipe. I have made it many times. Can you bake this cake in a Bundt pan?
Hi Jennifer! We agree, Nana's Simple Chocolate Cake is simply, delicious! You can bake it in a Bundt pan. Make sure to not fill the pan more than 2/3rds of the way full, then bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Happy baking!
Are there any high altitude adjustments I should make when making this cake? I live at 7,500 feet. Thank you!
Hi Patty, There is information for baking at high altitudes on our Tips page. Here's a link for you: https://swansdown.com/tips/. Happy baking!
Can you substitute sour cream with buttermilk?
Thank you,
Danette
Hi Daniette, You can substitue the cour cream with buttermilk. Because of the thinner consistency you may want to use about 3/4 of a cup buttermilk for every 1 cup of sour cream called for in a recipe. Happy baking!
Love the cake. Have made many times - little cakes, full three layer cakes, and cupcakes. Used a less-sweet frosting though; the listed one seemed too sweet even with a touch of salt.
Made this for the first time and it was delicious!! Best chocolate cake I have ever had!! You have to FOLLOW the directions CLOSELY and do not over mix it!! I had my husband helping and we had fun making the cake and then making the frosting!
Love this cake❣️
Do you have a recipe for a marshmallow frosting?
This cake reminds me of something I had as a child. My friend’s German grandmother made a cake just like this but with a marshmallow frosting and I was in love with it!
View Comments
My hubby and I had a chocolate cake craving. I went searching for a box mix in our pantry and only had about 2 cups of Swans Cake Flour and regular flour. I saw the recipe on the back, and thought, this isn't going to be the decadent cake we saw earlier at the stores. But, wow! We absolutely loved it.. and the frosting! Yes, others say it's quite nostalgic, and we agree. I accidentally threw away the empty box and had to come find this website to save the recipe. This WILL be made again and again. Cool thing, is all the ingredients are most likely in every household. I ended up grabbing leftover Christmas chocolate minis vs unsweetened as in the recipe.
Hi Dee! Thanks for the awesome feedback. Nana's Simple Chocolate Cake is definitely a Swans Down favorite, and Simple to put together! Happy baking!
I'd like too try w mayo?
Hi Sylvia, We haven't tested Nana's Simple Chocolate Cake using mayonnaise so unfortunately we don't have an ingredient suggestion. We do have this delicious Chocolate Coffee Mayonnaise Cake if you'd like to give it a try. Happy baking!
My mother used to make this cake all the time for me and my siblings birthdays, holidays or just because. She had a recipe from the 60's or early 70's that she cut from the back of the Swan's Down Cake Flour Box that was called an " Elegant Chocolate Cake" that didn't have sour cream in it, she used milk and she used Hershey's chocolate powder instead of the unsweetened chocolate. It did infact have brown sugar in it. She had the original recipe
for years that she had cut out from off the box of the box of Swan's Down Cake Flour. The recipe was lost. I would like to have that original recipe.
Hi Lillian, Thanks for sharing your story! We've forwarded your info on to our Consumer Affairs Department. Someone should be reaching out with information. Happy baking!
This is a delicious chocolate cake recipe. I have made it many times. Can you bake this cake in a Bundt pan?
Hi Jennifer! We agree, Nana's Simple Chocolate Cake is simply, delicious! You can bake it in a Bundt pan. Make sure to not fill the pan more than 2/3rds of the way full, then bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Happy baking!
Are there any high altitude adjustments I should make when making this cake? I live at 7,500 feet. Thank you!
Hi Patty, There is information for baking at high altitudes on our Tips page. Here's a link for you: https://swansdown.com/tips/. Happy baking!
Can you substitute sour cream with buttermilk?
Thank you,
Danette
Hi Daniette, You can substitue the cour cream with buttermilk. Because of the thinner consistency you may want to use about 3/4 of a cup buttermilk for every 1 cup of sour cream called for in a recipe. Happy baking!
Love the cake. Have made many times - little cakes, full three layer cakes, and cupcakes. Used a less-sweet frosting though; the listed one seemed too sweet even with a touch of salt.
Made this for the first time and it was delicious!! Best chocolate cake I have ever had!! You have to FOLLOW the directions CLOSELY and do not over mix it!! I had my husband helping and we had fun making the cake and then making the frosting!
Love this cake❣️
Do you have a recipe for a marshmallow frosting?
This cake reminds me of something I had as a child. My friend’s German grandmother made a cake just like this but with a marshmallow frosting and I was in love with it!
Hi Jan, Both the Swans Down Chocolate Swill Roll and Gingerbread & White Chocolate S'mores recipes have a marshmallow filling that could be used as a frosting. Happy baking!
How long do you bake the chocolate cake at 350 degree for cup cakes? I tried this recipe in the 9x13 pan and it was really good!
Hi Samiya, For this recipe you would bake cupcakes approximately 18 minutes. Nana's Simple Chocolate Cake is definitely a favorite! Happy baking!