The Only Chocolate Cake Recipe You'll Ever Need
Up until a few years ago, I made birthday cakes from a box. Betty Crocker's Devils Food mostly. Now, I'm saying birthday cakes, but anyone who knows me well, knows that I procrastibake. Hard. So if there is something pressing to do in the house (laundry, bookkeeping, paying bills, making beds), you can find me in the kitchen. Baking. Anything chocolate. My pantry is killer, and you would always be able to find a boxed cake mix in there. So there was a good chance you would find me baking a chocolate "birthday" cake any day of the week that ends in Y. (We legitimately have a whole bunch of birthdays coming up so I felt natural to tell you about the cake but also my baking problem).
Fast forward a few years and I have found the most scrumptious, moist, delicious chocolate cake recipe in all the land! No joke. I have done it in two 9” round pans but they work great as cupcakes or in a 9x13 cake pan.
I have to be perfectly honest with you. I begged for this recipe from my sister-in-law, who got it from a friend in the church, who probably had it passed down on a well-used, butter-stained recipe card. So I can’t even really give true credit to anyone. I hope you absolutely love it as much as I do!
THE BEST Chocolate Cake
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup hot coffee
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Sift together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add oil, coffee, and milk. Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes. (Batter will be thin). Pour into two greased 9” round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before removing from pans. Cool on wire racks.
Icing:
1 cup milk
5 tbsp flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Combine milk and flour in a saucepan. Cook until thick. Cover and refrigerate. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add chilled flour/milk mixture and beat for 10 minutes. Frost cooled cake.