All cakes should be this easy to make, not to mention delicious! It's moist and tender, and has a rich, decadent chocolate flavor that pairs well with either chocolate or vanilla frosting. If there's a chocolate cake-lover in your life, this is sure to be his/her birthday cake of choice.
Place a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly grease your choice of pan(s): one 9" x 13" pan, two 8" or 9" round cake pans, or the wells of two muffin tins (24 muffin cups). You can also line the muffin tins with papers, and lightly grease the insides of the papers using non-stick spray.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended. Set aside.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients until evenly blended.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until smooth and well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake the cake until the center feels firm when gently pressed, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean — 42 to 50 minutes for a 9" x 13" pan; 30 to 36 minutes for 9" pans; 35 to 40 minutes for 8" pans, or 22 to 26 minutes for cupcakes.
Remove the cake from the oven. Allow it to cool completely in the pan, then loosen the edges with a knife and gently remove from the pan. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
Want to make this gluten-free? For great results, substitute King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for the cake flour in this recipe, no further ingredient changes necessary. Be sure to bake thoroughly; gluten-free baked goods often need a bit more time in the oven.
