Kevin, this is a really old and interesting chocolate cake recipe that me, my mom and my brother all make. It's very economical and easy and it's from the depression. It sounds wierd, but trust me, it's excellent!
AUNTIE OLIVE'S CHOCOLATE CAKE
A Depression Era Recipe

3 C. White Flour
2 C. Sugar
2/3 C. Cocoa Powder
½ Tea. Salt
1 Tea. Baking Soda

2/3 C. Vegetable Oil (Canola)
2 Tea. White Vinegar
2 Tea. Vanilla
2 C. Warm Water

Preheat oven to 325.
Sift together the dry ingredients. The more you sift, the fluffier the cake.
One sifting makes a nicely dense cake.
Make 3 wells in the flour mixture.
Pour the oil into one, the vinegar into another and vanilla into the third.
Pour the warm water over the top.
Mix the batter. DO NOT OVERMIX! Overmixing will create air bubbles.
Bake in an ungreased pan as follows;
9" X 13" sheetcake pan - 30 minutes
2, 9" diameter layer cake pans - 40 minutes.
2 cupcake pans - 20 - 30 minutes.
6 cupcakes in a toaster oven - 15 minutes.


FILLING For Cupcakes
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. confectioners' sugar
1 c. Marshmallow Fluff (about 1/2 of a 7 1/2-oz. jar)
1 tsp. vanilla

Place 1 T. batter into cupcake paper, then add 1 T. filling. Fill with remaining batter 3/4 full. Bake.