Go-To Chocolate Cake

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This is such a simple cake and yet I have so much to say about it. It’s a recipe that came to me from my Mother-in-law, and came to her from an old neighbor. After researching it a bit, the ingredients are so simple because it’s a recipe from The Great Depression, when ingredients were sparse…but people obviously still wanted chocolate cake.

If you’ve ever spent any real amount of time at my house, I have made you this cake. I have made it for birthdays, at 4 in the morning after a late night of drinking (approx 800 years ago), and most frequently on random weeknights when nothing but chocolate cake will suffice.

The original recipe is quirky in it’s own right, you basically whisk (with a fork) each ingredient together in the actual pan, adding the cup of water last, and while this method works, I am a bit of a perfectionist and feel like the results are a touch better when mixed more like a traditional cake. I also do not own a non-stick cake pan, and although I haven’t tested this, I’d be a bit worried it would stick to the pan like crazy.

Top with a classic fluffy buttercream frosting and you’ve got yourself a stunner. One of my favorite things to do with this cake is then sprinkle it with different sprinkles; in this case colorful “spring” sprinkles (springles?) just to switch it up and make it match whatever the occasion. Any occasion that is… in this case, a Tuesday in Spring.

What You'll Need

Makes one 8” round cake

Flour - 1.5 cups

Sugar - 1 cup

Baking Soda - 1 teaspoon

Cocoa Powder - 3 Tablespoons

Kosher salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Vegetable oil - 1/3 cup

Vinegar - 1 Tablespoon

Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon

Water - 1 cup

Frosting:

Salted butter - 1 stick (1/2 cup), room temp

Powdered Sugar - 2 cups

Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon

Milk - 2 Tablespoons

What You'll Do

1. Preheat oven to 350 and prepare an 8” round cake pan by spraying with cooking spray and lining the bottom with a circle of parchment. (A 9” pan will also work, it just won’t be as thick.)

2. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, making sure to get all clumps of cocoa powder out.

3. Combine wet ingredients then add to dry. Stir just until combined.

4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 min. Until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

5. To make the frosting: Combine butter and powdered sugar in mixer on low speed, add vanilla and milk and mix on high until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

6. Let cake cool completely, then frost and top with sprinkles if you so wish!

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