Chocolate Cake

This is the favorite cake at my house.  Today is Ezra's half birthday and he wanted to take a treat to school tomorrow.  This is the cake he asked for. 

The one I normally make for everyone's birthday cakes.  And I am told to NOT make a boxed cake.  Well this cake is so easy and pretty much fool proof (minus me not being able to get any cake out of a pan for decorating!) there is no need to use a box of cake mix.

Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees grease and flour pan of choice.  I've done either 2 9" round, a 9x13 and 24 cupcakes with 9 mini cupcakes.

2.  Mix together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Mix together for 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling water which makes the batter very thin.

3.  Pour into prepared pan/cupcakes.

Cupcakes fill between 2/3 to 3/4 full.

4.  Bake
        2 9" round pans 30 to 35 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes then remove from pan.
        9x13 pan 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes then remove from pan.
        30 cupcakes 22 to 25 minutes.

5.  Frost when cooled.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter or shortening
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla



Melt butter.  Stir in cocoa and vanilla.  Add powdered sugar and milk a little of each until you have the thickness you want.

Makes about 2 cups of frosting.