Chocolate Cake

I love cake mix from a box and when I didn't have a mix I looked up this recipe and was pleasantly surprised that it tasted a lot like cake from a box or even better! I'll be using this recipe again, it's easy and tasty. Ingredients 2 C cake flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder 1 3/4 C sugar 1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft 1/3 C vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 C milk 1/2 C brewed, cooled coffee, or water 4 large eggs Directions 1. Place a strainer over a large mixing bowl. Measure in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and sugar. Sift/shake the dry ingredients through the strainer into a mixing bowl, to eliminate any lumps. 2. Add the butter and mix at low speed for 1 minute. With the mixer running, add the oil and continue mixing until the mixture looks like sand. 3. Combine the vanilla with the milk and coffee or water, and add all at once. Mix for 1 minute at low speed, stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix for 30 seconds. 4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well at medium-high speed between additions. The batter will be thin. 5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan of your choice (one 9 x 13 pan, two 9 in round pans, or three 8 in round pans.) Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 34 minutes for 9 x 13, 28 to 30 min for 9 in layers, or 24 to 26 min for 8 in layers. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack before frosting.