Chocolate Traybake Cake Squares | Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake

These chocolate cake squares are soft, rich, and wonderfully simple — the kind of bake that slips effortlessly into any pudding moment. With a light, tender crumb and a deep chocolate flavour, they’re perfect served warm with custard, cream, or a scoop of ice cream.
Easy to make and even easier to enjoy, they’re a reliable, comforting dessert that works just as well for weeknight treats as it does for family gatherings.
Serving Suggestions with Chocolate Cake Squares
- Warm custard — the classic pairing; pour over warm squares for a comforting pudding.
- Vanilla or chocolate ice cream — melts beautifully into the soft crumb.
- Whipped cream — lightly sweetened for a soft, cloud‑like finish.
- Fresh berries — raspberries, strawberries or cherries add brightness and colour.
- Berry compote — raspberry, cherry or mixed berry for a tangy contrast.
- Chocolate sauce — drizzle over the top for extra indulgence.
- Caramel or toffee sauce — adds buttery sweetness that works perfectly with chocolate.
- Greek yoghurt with honey — a lighter option that still feels creamy.
- Toasted nuts — chopped hazelnuts, pecans or almonds for crunch.
- A dusting of icing sugar or cocoa — simple but elegant for serving.
- Coffee or espresso — the bitterness balances the sweetness beautifully.
- Hot chocolate — for a cosy, ultra‑chocolatey moment
Variations: Chocolate Cake Squares
- Chocolate Orange Cake Squares — add orange zest to the batter for a bright citrus flavour that complements the chocolate.
- Triple Chocolate Cake Squares — add milk, white and dark chocolate chips for extra richness and texture.
- Chocolate & Raspberry Cake Squares — fold raspberries into the batter for a sweet‑tart contrast.
- Chocolate & Cherry Cake Squares — add chopped cherries for a Black Forest‑inspired twist.
- Chocolate & Hazelnut Cake Squares — stir in chopped hazelnuts for nutty crunch and flavour.
- Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cake Squares — swirl peanut butter through the batter for a rich, nutty finish.
- Chocolate & Biscoff Cake Squares — ripple Biscoff spread through the mixture for caramelised biscuit flavour.
- Chocolate Mint Cake Squares — add peppermint extract for a refreshing chocolate‑mint combination.
- Chocolate & Salted Caramel Cake Squares — drizzle salted caramel through the batter for sweet‑salty indulgence.
- Mocha Cake Squares — add espresso powder for a subtle coffee flavour that enhances the chocolate.
- Chocolate & Walnut Cake Squares — fold in chopped walnuts for crunch and earthy richness.
- Chocolate & Coconut Cake Squares — add desiccated coconut for texture and tropical sweetness.
- Chocolate Honeycomb Cake Squares — stir in crushed honeycomb pieces for caramel flavour and crunch.
- Chocolate & Strawberry Cake Squares — add chopped strawberries for a fresh, fruity contrast.
- Chocolate & Banana Cake Squares — mash ripe banana into the batter for extra moisture and sweetness.
- Cookies & Cream Cake Squares — fold crushed chocolate sandwich biscuits into the mixture for added texture.
- Chocolate & Almond Cake Squares — add almond extract and flaked almonds for a subtle Bakewell‑style twist.
- Chocolate Chilli Cake Squares — add a pinch of chilli flakes for gentle warmth that enhances the chocolate.
- Chocolate & Toffee Cake Squares — mix in toffee pieces for pockets of caramel sweetness.
- Chocolate Marble Cake Squares — swirl vanilla batter through the chocolate mixture for a striking marbled effect

Chocolate cake squares
Chocolate cake squares cut into neat portions, showing a soft, moist crumb beneath a smooth chocolate topping, creating an indulgent treat that looks rich, satisfying and perfect for sharing.
Equipment
- 23cm square cake tin
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wire rack
- Scales
Ingredients
- 200 g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 150 g soft brown sugar
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 150 ml vegetable oil
- 150 ml semi-skimmed milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170ºc/Gas 3.
- Grease and line a 23cm square cake tin.
- Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, bicarbonate soda, syrup, eggs, oil and milk. With an electric mixer, mix all the ingredients together.
- Pour into the tin and spread out. Bake for 40-45mins, until baked and springs back to you touch. Leave to cool. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cut up into squares and serve with creamy custard and any left over put into an airtight tin.
