Mrs. Miller’s Chocolate Cake

I do not know who the heck Mrs. Miller is, but I do know she created one amazing chocolate cake recipe. Although this recipe is credited to Mrs. Miller, in my heart and mind, it is a Charlotte Webster cake. My wife’s grandmother Charlotte was well beyond her cooking years by the time I met her, so sadly, I never had the pleasure of tasting her culinary creations. In her prime, she was a legendary gourmet cook, hosting countless families and friends for lavish meals. Charlotte brought glamour, laughter and an ultimate sense of hospitality to the kitchen, always with her handsome husband by her side.

Jennifer (my wife), Bob Sr., Bob Jr. and Charlotte

Even though I never got to experience Charlotte’s cooking, we were able to enjoy many amazing meals together. She never stopped clipping recipes, ordering new fun foods to try via the internet nor did she stop wanting to talk about the latest trends and techniques in cooking. I’m pretty sure Mrs. Miller’s cake is precisely one of those recipes clipped from some magazine over the years that has become a family favorite. Even though this is not an original recipe, I couldn’t help but share it, there are so many things to love about it beyond nostalgia!

This cake is extremely moist and airy - in fact, it is the lightest and most moist cake I have ever tasted. This is an oil cake which contributes to its moistness, but the ingredients are carefully sifted and hot water used to give the leavening agents an almost instant rise.

This is an extremely fast cake to make. It doesn’t even require a hand mixer to make it, simply whisk it a little and it comes together beautifully. Additionally, this isn’t frosted cake but rather served with whipped cream, again making it that much simpler to make. Jennifer’s family loved to make a pistachio topping made of whipped cream mixed with pistachio pudding.

Mrs. Miller's Chocolate Cake

Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe

Author: Unknown

Yield: 12 to 15

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 40 minutes

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

4 Tablespoons cocoa powder

2 cups hot water

1 cup oil such as grapeseed, vegetable or corn oil

2 large eggs, beaten slightly

2 teaspoons vanilla

Step 1: Grease and Flour Pan

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat a tea kettle or pot of water to boiling with at least 2 1/2 cup of water in it.

3. Evenly coat a 13 x 9-inch cake pan with butter and coat with a light layer of flour.

Step 2: Prepare Batter

4. Place 2 cups of sifted flour back in a sifter or strainer, along with baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and cocoa and sift into a mixing bowl.

5. Add 1 cup of hot water and 1 cup of oil to sifted ingredients. Mix until just combined and free of lumps. Add additional cup of water and mix until just combined. 

6. Stir in egg and vanilla until just combined. Note: when a recipe says "just combined," it means just long enough until evenly combined. Do not overmix or you will have a tough cake.

7. This makes a thin batter, so don’t be surprised by that. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Step 3: Bake

8. Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. This is a delicate, airy cake so do not slam the oven door or check it frequently. It pretty consistently is done right at 40 minutes but you will see the sides of the cake starting to pull away from the sides of the pan when it is done.

I hope you enjoy this family recipe and that you love it so much that it becomes a part of many of your special occasions to come.

We would love for you to share your own family favorite baking recipes in our private Facebook group. That's this week's #tcbcookingchallenge!