Chocolate Cake

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 176°C. Lightly grease and flour your choice of pans: two 8" round pans or 24 cupcakes.

Step 2

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and sugar into a large mixing bowl.

Step 3

Add the butter and mix at low speed for 1 minute. With the mixer running, add the oil and continue mixing until the mixture looks sandy, about 30 seconds more.

Step 4

In a large measuring cup, combine the vanilla with the milk and coffee(or water), and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Mix for 1 minute at low speed, stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix for 30 seconds more.

Step 5

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well at medium-high speed between additions.

Step 6

Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, and mix for 30 seconds more. The batter will be thin.

Step 7

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan(s) of your choice. Smooth out the tops of the layers with an offset spatula.

Step 8

Bake for 34 minutes for a 9" x 13" pan, 28 to 30 minutes for 9" layers, and 24 to 26 minutes for 8" layers.

Step 9

The cake is done when the top springs back when very lightly touched in the center, and the edges just begin to pull away from the edge of the pan. A cake tester inserted in the center will come out clean.

Step 10

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely in the pan(s) on a rack before turning out of the pans to frost.

Step 11

Cake layers can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month before frosting.