If asked what your favorite cake is, I believe most people would answer chocolate. It is so easy to make; there are thousands of chocolate cake recipes and I wanted to narrow down my most favorite few. So here they are….

Chocolate Cake I

2 cups flour, less 1 Tbl.

1¾ cup sugar

¾ cup cocoa

1¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

salt

¾ cup oil

1¼ cup coffee (boiling water with heaping tablespoon of coffee)

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix first six ingredients in a bowl.

Make well in center.

Add remaining ingredients to well.

Grease and flour (I only use floured Pam) a bundt pan.

Bake 50-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean

Glaze if desired when cool

Chocolate Cake II

If you want to make a birthday cake (2 round cakes put together with frosting) try this recipe:

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

½ cp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups hot water

¾ cup oil

2 Tbls. distilled white vinegar

1 Tbl. instant coffee

1 Tbl. vanilla

Spray two 8 x 2 inch round pans with floured Pam or use parchment paper(precut rounds are the easiest).

Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt in a large bowl. Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee, and vanilla in large measuring cup or bowl. Add to the dry ingredients. Whisk until just combined. Divide batter into the two pans and then bake for approximately 35-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes. Frost as desired. Note: If you are out of eggs, this is a great cake to make because you don’t need them.

Chocolate Cake III

This chocolate cake calls for brown sugar so if you need to use up some brown sugar, try this one.

1 cup butter softened (for parve obviously use margarine or Crisco)

3 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2⅔ cup flour

¾ cup baking cocoa

3 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 ⅓ cup sour cream (again use parve)

1 ⅓ cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 °

Grease and flour 3 8 inch round pans.

Line with parchment rounds (as discussed above). In a mixer, combine, margarine and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating them well. Add vanilla. In another bowl whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt adding to creamed mixture alternatively with sour cream beating well after each addition. Stir in boiling water. Transfer batter to 3 pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Frost as desired. This recipe makes a large cake.

Gail Hochman has been a resident of Bergen County for over 30 years and has been blessed with many grandchildren

By Gail Hochman