Sourdough chocolate cake

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02
  
       Title: SOURDOUGH CHOCOLATE CAKE
  Categories: Breads, Chocolate, Cakes
       Yield: 12 servings
  
     1/2 c  Sourdough starter
   1 1/2 c  All purpose flour
       2 c  Sugar
     3/4 c  Powdered cocoa (not instant)
       2 ts Baking powder
       2 ts Baking soda
       1 c  Milk
     1/2 c  Vegetable oil
     3/4 c  Cold coffee
       1 ts Vanilla
  
   Few people bake cakes from scratch anymore unless they can produce
   something that's not possible with a mix.  This sourdough chocolate cake
   falls in that category.  It's got a fudge-like quality you can't get any
   way except with sourdough and since it's all mixed in one bowl, it's almost
   as easy as a boxed cake.
   
   Put the starter in a large bowl, cover loosely and allow to stand at room
   temperature until active and bubbling -- at least one hour. Then add the
   rest of the ingredients, in the order given, beating well after each
   addition.  It is not necessary to sift or premix any of the ingredients as
   long as you are careful to get the baking powder and soda evenly mixed.
   
   Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, pour in the batter, which will
   be thin, and bake in a preheated 350ø. oven for about 30 minutes, or until
   the layers test done when poked with a toothpick. The cake will have pulled
   away from the sides of the pan.
   
   Allow to cool about 10 minutes before removing from pans, then finish
   cooling the layers on wire racks.  Do not frost until the cake is
   completely cold.
   
   A mild chocolate butter cream frosting is nice with this cake.
   
   From: Pitzer, Sara _Baking with Sourdough_ Garden Way Publishing, 1980.
   ISBN 0-88266-225-2 ph.
  
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