Brown Family

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1–2 oz. red food coloring (more or less depending on desired color depth)
• ½ cup plain hot coffee, prepared (don’t skip this ingredient)
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Generously grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil.
5. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and red food coloring until combined.
6. Stir in the coffee and white vinegar.
7. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing after each addition, just until combined. Batter will be thin.
8. Pour the batter evenly into each pan.
9. Bake on the middle rack for 30–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake — the cake will continue to cook as it cools.
10. Let pans cool on a cooling rack until warm to the touch.
11. Slide a knife or offset spatula around the inside of the pans to loosen the cake.
12. Gently remove the cakes from the pans and let them finish cooling. The warm cake will be very delicate.
13. Frost with cream cheese frosting when the cakes have cooled completely.

Notes

• Don’t overbake — check at 30 minutes as some ovens run hot.
• These cakes are very moist; refrigerate the layers to firm them up before stacking and frosting if needed.
• For cupcakes: Bake 18–20 minutes, checking at the 18-minute mark.