by: Alison Attenborough
Cook Time
30-35 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Yield
9"x13" cake pan
Total Time
30-35 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Yield
9"x13" cake pan
ingredients
- Cake Ingredients
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa, Dutch process or natural*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- 1¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¾ tablespoon cider vinegar or white vinegar
- â…” cup vegetable oil
- 1¾ cup cold water
- Chocolate Frosting Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2–3 tablespoons milk, room temperature
directions
- For cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly grease a 9"x13" rectangular cake pan.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- In the large bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine vanilla, vinegar, vegetable oil and water. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, stirring until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Serve the cake right from the pan, warm from the oven, or let cool and frost with the chocolate frosting and decorate with chocolate curls. Garnish with a mint sprig.
- Store cake, well covered, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
- For Frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add butter, vanilla and a pinch of salt; stir until smooth and free of lumps, then add milk to reach desired consistency and spreadability. Yields 2 cups.
notes
*Natural cocoa lends a robust chocolate flavor and a slightly reddish hue; Dutch-process cocoa is milder in flavor.
