Chocolate Cake

CHOCOLATE CAKE

Burns Family Meals

This is the best chocolate cake I've ever made.
It started with Julia introducing me to Preppy Kitchen; then I tried his chocolate cake recipe.
One day, I ran out of all-purpose flour, and ended up substituting wheat for the remainder:
(3/4 cup wheat flour) + (2 tsp half-and-half) as a substitute for 1 cup all-purpose flour.
We ended up loving it!
Also, we like not-so-much and not-so-sweet icing.
I've now made enough tweaks/changes/simplifications to his recipe that I need to record what I actually do!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup wheat flour

2⅔ cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder (Hershey's special dark)

1½ tsp baking powder

1 Tb baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup whole milk + 1 Tb lemon juice (or: 1 cup buttermilk)

2 tsp half-and-half

3 large eggs

1½ cup warm water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 Tb vanilla extract

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Put all dry ingredients in a large bowl; whisk to combine.

Put all wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Add to dry ingredients; whisk to combine; then whisk vigorously for an additional two minutes.

Generously spray a 9" x 13" baking pan with Baker's Joy no-stick baking spray with flour.
Pour batter into pan.
Bake for 50 minutes; check that a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cake cool thoroughly before frosting.

Beat 2 sticks butter with an electric mixer until very smooth and creamy.

(Put bowl in sink to contain splatters!)
Add 1/3 cup cocoa powder; mix to combine.
Add 2 cups confectioners sugar and 1/2 tsp salt; mix thoroughly.