Ingredients
1 cup (250 mL) milk
1 tbsp (20 mL) white vinegar
¾ cup (190 mL) canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup (220 g) brown sugar, packed
½ cup (120 g) caster sugar
1 cup (150 g) plain flour / all-purpose flour
¾ cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp (16 g) baking powder
1 (6 g) tsp salt
½ cup (125 mL) boiling coffee or water
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan/convection) or 180°C / 355°F (standard). Grease and line a 20 cm (8 inch) circular cake tin with baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk and vinegar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until thickened. Whisk in oil, eggs, brown sugar and caster sugar.
Sift over flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk together until well combined. Whisk in boiling coffee (or water).
Pour into prepared tin and place in the lower half of the oven. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean (don’t open the oven until at least the 45 minute mark). The top may crack slightly but it will sink back down once the cake cools. Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage
You can keep the cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Substitutions & Tips
Vinegar: the vinegar reacts with the milk to create a homemade buttermilk substitute. You can use any type of vinegar (apple cider, brown, malt etc.) or the same amount of lemon juice. You can also substitute both the milk and vinegar with 1 cup of buttermilk.
Oil: you can use any flavourless cooking oil or vegetable oil. I don’t recommend using strongly flavoured oils like olive oil as these can give the cake an odd flavour.
Caster sugar: you can substitute caster sugar with white sugar. The cake may have a crispier crust if you do.
Will the cake taste like coffee? No. Coffee just emphasises the chocolate flavour. I use 1 tsp of instant coffee and combine it with half a cup of boiling water.
Why did my cake sink in the middle? This means that you have opened the oven door too early. Make sure to wait until at least the 45 minute mark before opening the oven door. Try to avoid moving the cake around too much before it has finished cooking. If worst comes to worst, you can cover any sunken parts with frosting!
