• Cooking Time: 35-40 minutes
• Servings: 12
• Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
• For Cake:
• 1/2 c. oil
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 t. vanilla
• 1 c. water (or strong coffee)
• 2 c. GGFG Cake Flour or other GF cake flour including zanthum gum
• 3/4 c. cocoa
• 1 t. baking powder
• 2 t. baking soda
• 1 t. salt
• 1 c. buttermilk
• For Frosting:
• 1 lb. confectioner's sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 2 t. vanilla
• milk as needed for consistency
• shortening as needed for consistency

1. For Cake:
2. Place oil in bowl of stand mixer and start on low, add sugar, eggs, vanilla, and beat well. On low, beat in water or coffee and buttermilk. Turn mixer off and add GGFG Cake flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir by hand until moistened, then turn mixer back on and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into parchment lined sheet cake pan (or well greased and floured, lined on the bottom with parchment paper layer cake pans). Bake in an oven preheated to 350F for 35-40 minutes until knife come out with moist crumb. Layer cake pans take about 25 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
3. Frosting:
4. Put softened butter in bowl of mixer with confectioner's sugar. Add 3 T. milk and vanilla. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir by hand to moisten, then turn mixer on low. When frosting comes together beat well on medium speed adding additional milk by spoonful as needed. Professional decorators also use 1/2 c. shortening to make better spreading consistency. Frost cake and serve.

A family favorite chocolate cake for birthdays and as a basis to use for other cakes.