I absolutely adore anything chocolate! It is the ultimate comfort food and feel-good cake flavor. This recipe is as light and fluffy as they come. My favorite way to enjoy this cake as exactly the way I did when I was growing up and eating it at my neighbor’s house: with lots of White Frosting (this page) piled high on top. Thank you, Mary Alice, for letting me lick the beaters!
Ingredients
- 20.125 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 scant cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups warm water (105°F to 110°F)
- White Frosting (this page)
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat three 9-inch round cake pans with Pan Grease (this page) or a thin layer of butter with a light dusting of cocoa powder.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the sugar and butter on high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and around the bottom of the bowl.
- Beat in the eggs, egg yolk, oil, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture along with the warm water. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape down the sides and around the bottom of the bowl. Increase the speed to high and beat for 1 minute. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs on it, 22 to 24 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning the layers out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Once cool, put one cake layer on a serving plate. Frost the top with the white frosting, then add a second cake layer and frost the top. Add the final cake layer and frost the top and sides.
