Chocolatey Chocolate Cake
This cake is pure celebration and my chocolate go-to. Not too rich but ridiculously moist, it is decadent without being overly sweet. It’s almost impossible to mess up and so easy to make; it gives Betty Crocker a run for her money. If you have a whisk and two large bowls you can pull this off. Since the batter is very runny, avoid using a springform pan, which can leak. This cake is a slight adaptation of my dear friend Simon’s recipe. He effortlessly cooks for thirty people without breaking a sweat and everything he makes tastes delicious, including this cake. There’s also an added bonus—the final product has some serious shelf life—it will keep fresh for days, and freezes well if you would like to bake it ahead of time.
Makes: One 10 by 3-inch round cake. Bake for 50 minutes.
One 8 by 12-inch or 13 by 9-inch. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Two 12-cup cupcake pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Preparation: 20 minutes
Photograph: Hallie Burton
Ingredients—
1 3/4 cups (225g) all- purpose flour
1⁄2 cup (45g) unsweetened Dutch- processed cocoa powder
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 1⁄2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (240ml) whole milk
1⁄2 cup (120ml) grapeseed oil or any mild- flavored oil
1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240ml) boiling water
Preparation—
1—Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10 by 3- inch round pan with butter, line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper, and grease the paper. (I’ll let you just grease, line the bottom of the pan, and lightly flour the sides if you’re feeling lazy.)
2—Place a large sifter or a sieve in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and sift.
3—Add the sugar and whisk until combined.
4—In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla together.Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth.
5—Carefully pour in the boiling water and stir until combined. (Watch the little ones with the hot water!)Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for approximately 50 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake bounces back when lightly pressed.
6—Remove from the oven and let the cake stand for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the cake to gently release. Peel off the parchment paper from the sides. Invert the cake, peel off the bottom piece of parchment, and cool on a wire rack.