Step 1

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Step 3

Line with parchment rounds or oil one 8 or 9-inch round cake pan or line 12 muffin cups with cupcake papers.

Step 5

Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Sift the dry ingredients (including sugar) together in a bowl.

Step 7

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together liquid ingredients except milk. If making white cake, first whip egg whites or aquafaba sub quickly to fluff, then add other liquids: oil; vinegar and vanilla (plus chocolate syrup, if using).

Step 9

Slowly pour dry mix into the liquids and begin to stir, adding the milk while stirring to keep the flour from flying up and out of the bowl while mixing. Continue to beat at medium speed just until the lumps are gone and the batter is smooth and no longer lumpy.

Step 11

Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Allow to rest in the pan before baking for 10 minutes (not required if pressed for time).

Step 13

Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes for cakes or 20-25 minutes for cupcakes. Test with a toothpick before removing from the oven. When done, the toothpick should come out clean (not wet) or with a few crumbs attached when inserted into the center of the cake.

Step 15

Glass, metal and ceramic pans all alter the bake time, so check for done-ness before removing from the oven. Pressing gently onto the top of the cake, it should feel firm and bounce back.

Step 17

Remove to cool on a wire rack. To remove the cake, gently invert the cake by flipping it upside down onto your hand, removing the pan, then returning the cake to the wire rack or a serving plate.

Step 19

Frost with white or chocolate frosting. (There are plenty more frosting recipes where that came from - just search the "recipes" tab on my site!)