Dark Chocolate Cake

This cake is so easy and so good that I made it twice last week. Both times for Deacon's birthday - once on The Day and then again yesterday for his Family Birthday Dinner (a tradition at our house where everyone who can gathers). Both times there was way too much going on before the cake was cut to take a picture and very little left after. I figured that perhaps that would be a good enough endorsement.

As in the case of the Lemon Bars with Coconut I know there are tons of chocolate recipes everywhere you look - many even claim to be the best cake "ever". Having not tasted most of them I can't argue but Deacon rated this as the very best chocolate cake he has ever had, and at the ripe old age of eight he can be trusted as an experienced cake connoisseur. (David did agree with him and as he is a considerably more seasoned chocolate cake tester/lover you might want to give his opinion a bit more weight.) From my perspective all I can say is that I think everyone needs this recipe in their repertoire because it is so, so, so much better than a nasty boxed cake mix and absolutely as fast and easy. Faster probably since you most likely have all the ingredients in your pantry and won't even need to go to the store to buy the mix!

I made a single recipe and it was perfect for a 9" round cake pan. It doubles easily and well to make a two layer cake (two 9" pans), three layer cake (three 8" pans) or one 9"x13" cake. It also makes fantastic chocolate cupcakes. And you can crumble it to bits to make 'cake pops' from scratch (instead of using a mix). So see - you do need this recipe. 

Dark Chocolate Cake

1 cup white sugar
3/4 cups + 3 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9" round pan and line the bottom of the pan with a parchment circle cut to fit.

Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixer bowl. Add eggs, milk,  coconut oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes. Pour in boiling water and mix carefully - the batter will be quite thin. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake  for 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack, then turn the cake out of the pans. Cool completely before frosting.*

*I made the frosting by beating together:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa

2 1/2 - 3 cups (depending how stiff you want it) powdered sugar

(about) 1/2 cup of coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp sea salt

I slathered the frosting only on the top of the cake (letting it go "outside the lines" and over the edges a bit) and topped the frosting with a think layer of Oreo crumbs. It was pretty messy to be sure but oh my! it was worth it. Yes it was.