There are five members in our tribe. This is good. It means my numerically challenged brain can remember our birthdays on one hand. Counting fingers helps me remember who is celebrating when. As soon as one of my appendages reminds me its birthday-time I focus on the gift.

Fortunately, there’s one thing I don’t have to think about…the cake.

Since the dawn of time we’ve established there is only ONE cake worthy of being called the birthday cake. The ingredients aren’t exotic but they are perfectly blended by the final addition of boiling water.

The DoAhead for this recipe is that it is best when it has sat for 24 hours prior to serving. Believe me, I and my kin don’t ooze with self-control when it comes to things like cake, but we’ve learned to wait for this bad boy because…

It’s worth it!

It’s a treat to eat such deliciousness when the celebration ensues. The day-before DoAhead is also a treat for “Chef Mom” when on the day of the party I’m not scrambling to finish or frost a cake!

Enough rambling! Check out our “beater-lickin’-good” Chocolate Cake!

Best Ever {DoAhead} Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

2 Cups Sugar

3/4 Cup Butter

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 Cup Cocoa (Dutch Cocoa is a nice variation…most days I simply grab the Hershey’s.)

1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Baking Soda

2 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Boiling Water

Blend butter, sugar and vanilla well. Add cocoa, salt and baking soda. Mix well. Add eggs and milk, blend. Add flour and mix thoroughly. (Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. The batter should be well blended prior to the addition of boiling water.)

Finally, add the boiling water. Do so slowly so as not to splash and get burned! Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 X 11 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool and then cover with choice of frosting. (Cream Cheese is the bomb but our family fave is Rich Chocolate Frosting.) As stated above it’s delicious right away but now that’s it’s frosted it will be even better if it sits a day prior to serving.

Ooops!

I forgot one item on the list of ingredients.

A tape measure.

Over the years, Doc has found it invaluable for keeping peace. The deliciousness of this cake has been known to prompt squabbles over who got how much of what was left!