Crazy Good Chocolate Cake

This is Mom’s famous chocolate cake recipe. With a light, tender, crumb and rich chocolate flavor, it is the BEST chocolate cake out there, and has been a decades-long staple in our family. It’s great with a variety of frostings and toppings, whether as a simple sheet cake, fan-favorite cupcakes, or elegant layer cake. We’ve used it as a cake base for birthdays, large family gatherings, neighborhood social events, and even weddings. My sister Meg used it as the base for a German chocolate cake assignment in culinary school, and her professor said he liked her cake the best out of the whole class. (This proves that both the cake and my sister are superstars–she’s an amazing cook all around.) The best part is, it’s so quick and easy to make, even a beginner cook can whip it up in no time with rave-worthy results.

My mom, Heather Bullough, is a fantastic food adventurer, and I’ve always been so grateful she taught me how to bake from a young age. I remember her showing me how to follow a recipe–and how to write one too; how to gently fluff and scoop the flour, pack the brown sugar, temper the eggs, and most importantly, how to relax and have fun with the learning process, even if the results don’t turn out out perfectly every time. Mom is a great teacher, and isn’t afraid to break the status quo when it feels like the right thing to do. She homeschooled all six of us kids, covering art, science, reading, music, technology, math, plus general life skills, etc, and in the process, taught all of us to love learning for learning’s sake. 
She and my Dad have been away serving as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Dominican Republic for the past year and a half or so, and she’s continued to approach this experience as a learning opportunity, whether that’s developing her Spanish-speaking abilities, adapting to the office environment, trying new foods, and experiencing a different lifestyle and culture. She also exemplifies living faith: putting her trust in God every day to help her navigate the challenges of life with love, compassion and courage. Thanks for your inspiring example, Mom.

I’ve adapted Mom’s crazy cake recipe slightly by adding a dollop of sour cream and increasing the cocoa powder to make it even more decadent, but otherwise it’s her iconic classic from start to finish. I’m also including my grandma’s (Mom’s Mom) recipe for chocolate cream cheese frosting, which Grandma slathers over her popular Brownies, and it is incredible with this cake. 
Ganache, whipped cream, or other favorite frostings all complement this cake, so be creative! (We’ve dressed it up Black Forest style, German chocolate style, BTS-cake style–with whipped cream, caramel and toffee bits–or loaded it with fresh berries and ganache, you name it, it’s stunning and delicious!) 

Here’s the recipe:

Crazy Good Chocolate Cake 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Butter a 9″x13″ baking pan for a sheet cake, or grease and line with parchment two 9″ round cake pans for a layer cake. (For cupcakes, line two 12-count cupcake tins with paper liners and coat lightly with cooking spray.)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour 
• 2 cups sugar 
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 2 tsp baking soda 

In a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients together until fully incorporated, then set aside.

Next, in a mixing bowl, beat together wet ingredients one at a time, whisking well after each addition:

• 1/4 cup sour cream or buttermilk 
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 Tbsp vinegar 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 2 cups water 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir just until blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan(s), and rap pans once on the worktop (to release excess air in batter). Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.
(For cupcakes, bake for 18-20 minutes, or until they test done.)

Let cool for 15 minutes in pans, then transfer round cake layers or cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before applying frosting.

For a layer cake, wrap cooled round cake layers in plastic and chill in the freezer for a couple of hours before applying frosting. This makes the cake much easier to frost without crumbling, and helps the frosting set quickly and neatly.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz (1/4 cup) butter, softened 
4 oz cream cheese, softened 
1 tsp vanilla 
Pinch of salt 
1/2 cup cocoa powder 
1/4 cup milk
1 lb powdered sugar 

In a mixer, cream together butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add cocoa powder and beat until fully incorporated, then scrape sides of mixing bowl and beat again. Add milk and powdered sugar, mixing slowly until ingredients begin to incorporate, and then increase mixing speed to high and whip together until smooth and fluffy. 
If mixture seems too thick, add another teaspoon or two of milk as needed until desired spreading consistency is reached. 

Use immediately to frost sheet cake, chilled layer cake, or cupcakes as desired. (For cupcakes, if you like to frost generously, you may want to double the frosting recipe.) After applying frosting, store cake in the fridge until ready to serve.

Tip: Any leftover frosting is delicious spread between graham crackers to make sandwich cookies, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.