Best Chocolate Cake

This is the chocolate cake recipe from a bakery that I worked at back in late 2006. I think it's the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted. It's very moist and the addition of coffee enhances chocolate flavor. The amount of batter that this recipe makes is enough for about two double-layer 8- or 9-inch round cakes. Again, it's primarily in weight measurements, not volume. Do not skip greasing and parchment-lining the cake pans — otherwise the cake will stick. 

Chocolate Cake
Recipe by Ann B. 

Ingredients

• 9 ½ oz unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 15 oz sugar
• 3 ½ oz unsweetened cocoa
• ½ oz baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup coffee (add 1 ¼ tablespoons instant coffee to 1 cup boiling water)
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Combine water and coffee, set aside to cool.
2. Sift flour into mixing bowl. Sift sugar and cocoa together into mixing bowl. Stir in baking soda and salt.
3. Add the eggs and oil, and half of the coffee/water mixture, and mix on low speed until combined.
4. Scrape the bowl.
5. Add the remaining coffee/water mixture and vanilla, and mix on medium-high for 3 minutes.
6. Divide batter into greased- and parchment-lined pans and bake at 310 degrees until cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean (about 45 minutes for two 9-inch round pans).