Dara Bunjon's Best Ever Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Best Ever Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
To make cake
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Grease and flour your baking pan (see size information in the notes below) or line your muffin pan with paper liners for cupcakes.
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, vanilla and peppermint extracts to dry mixture and mix with an electric mixer on medium for about 2 minutes. Gently mix in boiling water. Note: Your batter will seem thin and it’s supposed to be.
- Pour into pans and bake. Cool on wire racks.
To make frosting
- Add the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and salt to a heat-safe bowl of a stand mixer.
- Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with a few inches of simmering water. If you aren’t using a stand mixer, use any large heat-safe bowl, with high sides for mixing.
- Heat the mixture, whisking constantly until the egg whites are warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and transfer to your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Mix on high speed, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 7-9 minutes. Add the vanilla and peppermint during the last 10 seconds of mixing.
- Spread or pipe onto cake immediately.
Notes
Baking Times and Prep:
- 9x13 pan: 35-40 minutes
- 3 layers (3 x 8” round cake pans) 30-35 minutes
- Cupcakes: Line with paper cups. Fill 2/3 full and bake 22 minutes