Name: Easiest Chocolate Birthday Cake
Yield: Makes one 9" cake
Ingredients: ¾ cup vegetable oil, plus more for pan; 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour; 1¼ cups granulated sugar; 1¾ tsp. baking powder; ¼ tsp. baking soda; 1½ tsp. kosher salt, divided; ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 2 large eggs; 1 cup milk; 1¾ tsp. vanilla extract, divided; 4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate bars (do not exceed 64% cacao); ½ cup heavy cream; 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature; ¼ cup powdered sugar

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Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones

Pure homemade birthday love. If you've got a bowl, a cheap hand mixer, and a couple of measuring cups, you can make this rich, chocolatey birthday cake. Pre-mix batches of the dry ingredients and store them in airtight containers for up to three months so that you’re ready to celebrate at a moment's notice with your own DIY cake mix.

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