Why a Chocolate Cake Recipe?

Amy's Great Chocolate Cake

Sift together:

1 ½ cups flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup cocoa

Beat in:

½ cup vegetable oil

until mixture is consistency of bread crumbs.

Add:

2 beaten eggs
1 cup hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Beat by hand for one minute.

Pour into greased cake tin or cupcake cases.
Bake at 180 C (350 F) for 20 – 25 minutes (cake) or 12 – 15 minutes (cupcakes)


Why am I posting a chocolate cake recipe? Because it's the recipe I always use for every occassion - it's quick, easy, and tastes delicious - and because when I went to make cupcakes and a birthday cake for Jess's birthday this week I COULD NOT FIND IT. I have made this recipe forty seven thousand times so I figured I'd be able to remember it, but could I? I made three batches of cupcakes, varying the recipe slightly each time and while they were all edible (thanks to the girls for being guinea pigs) none was quite right.

Luckily it turned up in time for me to make Jessie's cake but I started panicking about losing it again. I have written it into a recipe book, but what if I lose the book? I have stored it in the computer, but our computer... well, let me show you our computer...

Who needs an internal fan?

So then I realised that if I posted the recipe here, then when the computer dies (and it's definitely when not if) I'll still have the recipe safe and sound. Plus, since people are apparently visiting this blog (still freaked by that!) someone else may need a good cake recipe :) The recipe is Amy's Great Chocolate Cake Recipe because that's what it's always been called in our family. Amy was the woman who gave this recipe to my mother in the late 60s or early 70s - may her name be honoured forever!

And if anyone else has a child having a birthday, you must read this, which is just the loveliest thing ever, thank you Stephanie.