Better-than-boxed chocolate cake

{not just for birthdays}: This cake recipe is completely delicious, and not the least formal, which I’ve learned, from the staunchly loyal, old-fashioned cake lovers in my family, is a very good thing. It is filled with the love of my mother whose chocolate cake was never, ever remiss at a birthday or milestone even if it meant staying up past midnight while the rest of us slept. Her chocolate cake has flown miles and ridden over mountains in the backseat of a car to make it to our most special meals or occasions just in time, and it even made it on the menu at our wedding. And it’s kept my dad never far from her side for over forty years.

For the ones you love, you won’t mind putting in the extra effort to make them a chocolate cake from scratch, especially when it’s almost as easy as cake from a box. This one is based on ingredients from your pantry and comes together all in one bowl. And when you taste its luscious textures, you may just swear off your old mix for good.  The rich, silky, buttery chocolate icing is what really takes this over the top and makes it just the thing to make your chocolate cake legendary.

Ingredients
Cake

• 3 cups/ 385 g all-purpose/plain flour
• 2-2/3 cups/530 g granulated sugar
• 1 cup/100 g cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda/bicarbonate of soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1-3/4 cups/420 ml warm water
• 1 cup/240 ml vegetable or grapeseed oil
• 4 tbsp/ 55 g melted butter, plus more for the pans
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting

• 1-1/2 cups/340 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 tbsp/45 ml agave nectar or honey
• 1/2 cup/50 g confectioners’/icing sugar
• 1-1/4 cup/120 g cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup/60 ml warm water
• 1/4 cup/60 ml cold heavy/double cream