Chocolate No-no Cake

Why I Love This Recipe

This is my favorite cake in the world to bake. It was passed down from my Great Grandmother, to my Grandmother, to my Mother. The "no-no" part in the name, I've been told, is in reference to the fact that it uses no eggs and no milk.

It's always a huge hit with choc-o-holics because it's very dense, moist, and rich. It's also great for situations when you need to bake a cake and realize you don't have any eggs! Also worth mentioning: if you "stack" the dry ingredients just right, then add the vinegar, you get a fun reaction which is great for when you're baking with kids! (I have lots of fond childhood memories of my mom letting me pour the vinegar in and creating a "cake mix volcano", ha ha.)

I've noticed that baking times for this cake vary a lot. In some ovens, I've known it to take up to 40 minutes. Look for the edges to "pull away" from the sides of the pan and/or stick a toothpick in the middle to test. The cake will be EXTREMELY heavy (it's a very dense and moist cake). Even if you under-bake it a little -- it's super tasty that way too with a "puddingy" center!

I like to top the cake using the standard Wilton buttercream frosting recipe with 1/4 c. of cocoa to make it chocolate. Also try adding a little bit of peanut butter if you'd like to have chocolate-peanut butter frosting (not a favorite of mine, but has been a huge hit with family members).

Ingredients You'll Need

3 c. Flour
2 c. Sugar
2/3 c. Cocoa
2 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Vinegar
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 c. Vegetable oil
2 c. COLD water

Questions, Comments & Reviews