This is a beloved family recipe from my best friend’s mom. Auntie Jenny, as I called her, routinely baked this cake. She called it her “no fail chocolate cake” because the ingredients were so simple and instructions so straightforward. My husband loves that this recipe includes a cup of hot coffee.
Preheat oven to 350. Sift the following dry ingredients together: 2 cups flour, 2 cups white sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp baking soda, and 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup (8 oz) milk, 2 large eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet until well mixed. Add 1 cup (8 oz) of hot coffee (here, I used freshly brewed Melitta hazelnut). Mix well (the batter will be thin), then pour into a greased cake pan (here, a bundt). Bake until knife comes out clean (about 35 mins). (Dec. 2013)
Note: We tried a gluten-free version, using King Arthur’s Flour measure-for-measure GF flour. The baking took an additional 15 mins. The texture was slightly grainy and not as fluffy as the original version. (July 2020)
