Irina's favourite cake. She baked it for her birthday for the boat she was serving at, during her military service.
Prep 20min. Cook 35 min. Cool 1 h Oven 176 grader
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (kakaopulver)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda (natron)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening (90g, or 120g Mélange uten salt og melk). Shortening = vegetable fat, Crisco is a brand of that.
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups cold water
Grease and lightly flour tow 9x1 1/2-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Set pans aside. I put baking paper at the bottom so it is easy to get out of the pan when done.
Stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat Mélange with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat till well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add dry mixture and water alternately to beaten mixture (start and end with dry mixture), beating on low speed after each addition just till combined.
Pour batter into the prepared pans and bank them so the bubbles get out.
Bake in a 175 degrees oven for 35-40min until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
Cool layer cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks. Frost with desired frosting.
I suggest to wet the cake layers with some syrup so the cake is not so dry. Instead of syrup, you can use fruit juice or warm jam. The warm jam is more runny than when cold, and it will soak the cake in a delicious way. This last technique is the one used for the Sacher torte.