You’ll never need a boxed mix again.

We all know that box mix makes for an easy cake baking experience. There’s no denying that it makes for a reliable one too – with a boxed mix you rarely have a fallen cake or an off-putting flavor. But we also all know that nothing quite compares to a cake baked totally from scratch. (It must be something to do with the love that goes into it.) Luckily, with our Better Than Box Mix Chocolate Cake recipe, you can have your cake and eat it too. This recipe always delivers the same reliable results that a box mix is known for, but it has that irreplaceable homemade flavor that no box mix can come close to matching.

Serves 8-10
45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Gently stir in boiling water, then fold in chopped chocolate. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: To bake in a 9×13-inch baking dish, bake 35-40 minutes at 350°F.