Chocolate Birthday Cake

• Vegetable shortening for greasing the pan
• 1 tablespoon flour for dusting the pan
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup water
• Optional: confectioners sugar for dusting the cake
• 8-inch Round Cake Pan
• Measuring Spoons
• Small Saucepan
• Measuring Cups
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Large Spoon
• Small Bowl
• Rubber Spatula
• Kichen Timer
• Pot Holders
• Cooling Rack
• Knife
• Large Plate
• Metal Spatula

1. Turn the oven on to 350F.
2. Make sure the rack is set in the middle.
3. Use your fingers to grease the bottom and sides an 8-inch round cake pan with a little vegetable shortening.
4. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour into the pan.
5. Tilt the pan around, shaking it a little, until the bottom and sides are lightly covered with flour.
6. Then turn the pan upside down over the sink or into the trash basket and tap the pan firmly so any extra flour falls out.
7. Set the pan aside.
8. Put the 5 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan on the stove and turn the heat to low.
9. Stand right by the stove and keep an eye on the butter.
10. As soon as it has melted, set the pan aside and let the butter cool a little.
11. Put the 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl.
12. Stir with a large spoon until the ingredients are well mixed.
13. Pour the 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1 cup water into a small bowl and stir them until they are well mixed.
14. Add the liquid mixture into the flour mixture, and then stir in the melted butter.
15. Now roll up your sleeves and with a big spoon in one hand, holding onto the bowl firmly with your other, stir the batter fiercely for about a minute until it looks very thick, smooth, and creamy.
16. Pour the batter into the cake pan, and use a rubber spatula to get it all out of the bowl.
17. Then gently spread it evenly in the pan.
18. Put the pan in the oven an set the timer for 25 minutes.
19. When the timer bell goes off, use a pot holder to pull the cake out enough so you can test it for doneness by sticking a toothpick into the center.
20. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.
21. If the tooth pick has some sticky batter on it when you remove it, let the cake bake 5 to 10 minutes.
22. This cake usually takes about 30 minutes to bake.
23. Remove the cake from the oven with pot holders.
24. Set it on a rack, and let it cool 10 minutes.
25. Turn the cake upside down onto a large plate.
26. If the cake doesnt come right out of the pan, loosen it by running a knife carefully around the sides, between the cake and the pan, and then carefully push a metal spatula under the bottom of the cake to loosen it.
27. This cake, however, usually comes right out of the pan without coaxing.
28. When cool, the cake can be dusted with confectioners sugar and served.
29. For a special occasion, be grand and frost and decorate your cake.

vegetable shortening for greasing, flour, butter, flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, salt, cider vinegar, vanilla, water, confectioners sugar, pan, measuring spoons, saucepan, measuring cups, mixing bowl, spoon, rubber, kichen, holders, cooling rack, knife, plate

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/chocolate-birthday-cake (may not work)