Chocolate "Crazy" Cake

This recipe is for a dark chocolate from-scratch cake that goes together FAST and is the best cake we've ever made. We use it for everything from birthdays to weddings to sending a friend some cheer in the mail. Borrowed with my own variations, from the Doubleday Cookbook

NO SUBSTITUTIONS!! This cake will age incredibly well, even becoming moister as it ages, but only if you use REAL butter! (This also works on box cakes!) you can make "sour" milk by putting a tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice in a cup of milk for a few minutes. Or use up old milk that has turned (the cake doesn't care).

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare one 9x13 or 2, 8" or 9" round or square pans by greasing and flouring the bottom or line bottom with greased wax paper (crumbs will stick to the paper)!

Put the ingredients in the bowl in the order listed, without mixing until as directed. Then beat only 2 minutes.

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup sour milk or buttermilk

3/4 C unsifted cocoa

1 cup butter, partially melted

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups + 2 Tablespoons unbleached flour
(or 3 cups cake flour)

Mix until *just* blended, batter will be very thick! Then while mixing slowly, add

1 cup hot coffee
(If you don't like coffee, don't let this make you nervous. I LOATHE coffee, but you will never taste it in the finished cake. It does NOT taste like Mocha.)

Blend for 2 minutes, pour into pans, bake 30 minutes or until cakes shrink slightly from sides of pan and test done with a skewer stuck in the middle (crumbs ok, batter = not done). Cool 15 minutes in pans, turn out and frost as desired