This is the cake recipe (jump to bottom to skip all the photos) that serves as the foundation for many other cakes we have at our family gatherings. I am not a great cake decorator but when a kiddo needs a birthday cake, at least it tastes good! Cupcakes? Family Favorite Chocolate Cake. Need a German Chocolate Cake? Add coconut pecan frosting to Family Favorite Chocolate Cake.
Want a large sheet cake for a picnic? Family Favorite Chocolate Cake in a bar pan (or Aunt Julie’s Texas Sheet Cake, of course). White frosting. Fluffy frosting. Bundt cake with icing drizzle. Cupcakes with dark chocolate glaze. They all start with the same recipe (which, by the way, won my daughter a blue ribbon in the Virginia state fair one year, even made with freshly milled whole grain flour!).
The recipe is in my Everyday Cooking cookbook, page 136 — you can pick up a copy or two for yourself or gifts. But try out the basic recipe here:
- 2 C. Sucanat with Honey (or Savannah Gold….or sugar)
- 2 ½ C. freshly-milled soft wheat flour (or 2 cups All Purpose white)
- ½ - ¾ C. cocoa
- 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder (OPTIONAL – for a fluffier cake, such as cupcakes)
- 2 eggs
- 1 C. buttermilk (or ¾ cup milk with ¼ cup vinegar)*
- ¾ C. mild olive oil or other mild oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 C. boiling water (or hot coffee, for deeper flavor – I sometimes use Godiva chocolate coffee!)
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease 13x9 pan with lecithin and oil mixture.
- Combine dry ingredients in white DLX whisk bowl (or any mixer bowl).
- Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
- Carefully stir in water (batter may splash because it’s very thin).
- Pour into pan and bake 35-40 min. Cool. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar or frost with any frosting.
- Makes 13”x9” sheet cake or two 9” layers or 24-28 cupcakes—For cupcakes: fill ½ to ⅔; any higher will overflow. (See Everyday Cooking for alternative pan times, variations)
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