No-fail Moist Chocolate Cake

This recipe was originally posted on another message board and tweaked by several people there... thanks to Sue B and CM for this great recipe! It makes a super-moist, deeply chocolatey cake that is a no-fail choice for sheet cakes and layer cakes alike. It is just as easy to make as a boxed cake and tastes a million times better.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• Group One

• 3⁄4 cup water
• 1  cup buttermilk
• 1  cup  vegetable oil
• 4  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla

• Group Two

• 3⁄4 cup cocoa powder
• 2  cups sugar
• 2  cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2  teaspoons baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare pans (makes one 9x13 sheet cake or two 8- or 9-inch layers) by greasing and flouring (use cocoa powder to avoid white residue).
3. In a large bowl, stir Group One ingredients together and set aside.
4. In another large bowl, stir Group Two ingredients together.
5. Stir Group Two (dry ingredients) into Group One.
6. It is quite a liquidy batter, so do not be alarmed!
7. Pour batter into prepared pans (fill no more than 2/3 full).
8. You may have extra batter, if so make a few cupcakes!
9. Rap baking pans sharply on the counter to release air bubbles.
10. Bake at 350 until edges are slightly dry, cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
11. Baking times will vary based on pan size, but check at 40 minutes and continue checking every 5 minutes thereafter.
12. For cupcakes, check at 15 minutes.