MY MOTHER'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

(This is the recipe for the choclate cake only)

3 C Flour 2 C Sugar
1 t Salt 2 t Baking Soda
6 T Cocoa (I use Drost Dutch processed cocoa)
2 t Vanilla ¾ C Vegetable Oil
2 T Vinegar (I use white)
2 C Water

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly grease and line 3 8 inch cake pans for Ribbon Cake (2 pans for standard layer cake or 9 X 13 pan for sheet cake).

Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl to combine. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Measure all wet ingredients into a separate bowl. Pour all wet ingredients into the well and stir with a fork until well combined. Try to get all the lumps out. You can use a mixer with paddle attachment but try not to incorporate too much air (don’t use the wisk attachment).

Pour into pans and tap gently on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched or a cake tester comes out clean. About 25 to 30 minutes depending on your oven.

Cool on rack for 10 minutes then remove from pans. Cool completely on rack; wrap and freeze if not using right away.

*This cake benefits from freezing up to 1 month.
**This cake will usually dome, so if you have cake strips use them. If you don’t, you can fold wet paper towels to slightly less than the height of the pans and long enough to fit all the way around. Then wrap that with foil and wrap around your pans. If you don’t want to go to this trouble make a double recipe use 4 pans and just trim off the dome of 3 and freeze the extra layer for another use.