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My husband’s away this weekend (the recently vegan husband, the only one I’ve got), and I’m getting together with friends.  I thought I’d contribute dessert, and the thought of making some bizarr-o concoction full of whole wheat flour, applesauce, and canola oil just didn’t cut it for me.  So if vegan hubby Joe’s not going to be at the get-together, why not make a big, fat, decadent chocolate cake?  I’ve got a dynamite recipe that’s so good and moist, it doesn’t even need frosting.  I usually bake it in a tube pan because of that, but feel free to divide the batter in three 8-9 inch round pans or make cupcakes (yield will be around 30) out of it.  Just be sure to reduce the baking time to approximately 15 minutes for round cakes, and around twelve minutes for cupcakes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour your choice of pan.  Cream two sticks of softened butter with 2 cups of sugar for five minutes on medium speed in a stand mixer.  If you haven’t got a stand mixer, poor you.  Meanwhile, sift together 2 and a 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Set aside.  Boil 3/4 cup of water and pour it over 3/4 cup of GOOD cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk.  Pour a cup of buttermilk into the cocoa mixture and whisk again.  In the mixer bowl, with the beater still running and the speed on low, add four eggs, one at a time.  Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and start’er up again on low.  Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture in four increments.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl once or twice.  Take care not to overmix the batter, just mix it until everything is incorporated and the streaks of flour are gone.  Scrape the batter into your prepared pan, spread it evenly, and bang it firmly on your counter a couple of times to express any air bubbles.  If you’re using a tube pan like me, bake the cake for approximately 35-40 minutes, testing for doneness with a toothpick.  Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then remove the cake from the pan by inverting it on a rack and cool it completely.  Frost, glaze, or dust with confectioner’s sugar as you desire.  

Well, I’m going to sign off and go figure out how I’m going to glaze this cake for the party tomorrow.  I CAN’T WAIT to have a piece of it!  I don’t know how I’m going to last.