Chocolate cake "in the pan"
Dry Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
Dash of salt

Wet Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 tablespoons (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
2 cups water.

Sift the Dry Ingredients into an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2 cake pan. Make three holes. Add the vinegar in the first hole, vanilla to the second and oil to the third. Pour the water over everything. Mix thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Use the toothpick test to test doneness (if toothpick poked in center comes out clean, it’s done). Cool completely before frosting.

Cut recipe in half for an 8 x 8 x 2 or 9 inch round cake pan.

This recipe is also known as Depression Cake as it was very popular during the Great Depression. I came across it once in a book on the cattle drives of the 1800's as a possible standard recipe for chuck wagon cooks on said cattle drives. They used cold, leftover coffee in place of the water. Of course that last cup always had the grounds in it. I'm sure that added extra "texture" to the cake. This cake needs to be kept covered when not being served or it will dry-out quickly.

Note: To cook in a 10 inch cast iron Dutch-oven use 14 charcoal briquettes on top and 7 underneath. I use a piece of metal coat hanger turned into a circle in the bottom of the dutch oven to lift the pan off the bottom and help air/heat circulate around the cake.


Vanilla (white) Frosting (pictured on the round cake)
For a 13 x 9 cake:
2 cups confectioners (powder) sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup vegetable shortening
Dash salt

Combine together in bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Cut recipe in half for 8 x 8 or 9 inch round cake.

Peanut Butter Frosting (the one the squirrels are digging into)
For a 13 x 9 cake:
2 cups confectioners (powder) sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter (not chunky)
1 heaping tablespoon vegetable shortening
Dash water (helps the above to blend together)

Combine together in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. You might need to add another tablespoon of peanut butter if it doesn’t mix well at first. Cut recipe in half for 8 x 8 or 9 inch round cake.