Monday, November 2, 2009

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

While trolling through cookbooks for an outstanding "second birthday cake" for my baby (the first having been the traditional marble cake), I came across a recipe for Chocolate Buttermilk Cake in my new old Fannie Farmer Cookbook. There are tons and more tons of new cookbooks out there filling specialty niches, but I'm convinced that the old fashioned (preferably 1950s to 1970s) compilations of recipes for all manner of foods remain the best. This recipe, even with my adaptations, proves me right.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK CAKE

1-2/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tbsp buttermilk powder

1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Stir together all of the dry ingredients. Beat in all of the wet ingredients. Beat 2 minutes. Pour into a greased 9x12 pan, and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 28 to 32 minutes. Frost with buttercream frosting, or whatever else floats your boat.

Of course, if you have real buttermilk, use it in place of the water and omit the buttermilk powder. I don't have real buttermilk, and no way to get it from my milkman or restaurant supply house. But if you don't believe me that this worked wonderfully, let me quote Patrick, my nearly 25 year old who is pathetically indifferent to food on his best day:

"This has got to be, without a doubt, the best cake I've ever had."

And since this is, without a doubt, the worst cake picture I've ever seen, you'll h
ave to take Patrick's word for it.

11 comments:

Tobi said...

Marjie - Why do you torture us with pictures of the foodz that we cannot eat through our monitors!!!

Anonymous said...

speaking of chocolate... this looks yum :) :)

gp

buffalodick said...

The description of the cake was all the picture I needed! Yum!

noble pig said...

You are talking my language with this cake!

Pam said...

Catching up on your posts today. Happy b-day to your baby. Loving the carved pumpkins and of course Thor.

The cake looks wonderful - I happen to have buttermilk in the refrigerator, I may just have to make this.

The Blonde Duck said...

I'm with Tobi.

Mickle in NZ said...

With the buttermilk and oil this would be wonderfully moist.

I'll store a reminder away in my brain as my Dear Dad will be 79 next month and I'll be there in time to make a cake. This will be quick and delicimo. Huge thanks, Michelle xxx

(Zebbycat doesn't get cake - he's overly wide enough as it is)

tavolini said...

Yum!! That looks great--I love the addition of buttermilk.

SissySees said...

Chocolate AND buttermilk?! Be still my heart...

grace said...

that's high praise, indeed! buttermilk seems like such a sneaky way to bump baked goods up a notch or two. it's like magic. :)

Buffy Alten said...

What icing did you use on this yummy looking cake? I'm dying to make it!