Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Dark Chocolate Cake Mix

I ran across this recipe while looking through my ba-zillions of recipes that I have printed off of the Internet... yes, it's an addiction of mine, to browse recipes and print them off and put them away for later use. Half of the time I forget what's there. So I needed a chocolate cake recipe since I had promised a good friend I would make her daughter a cake....1 layer white and 1 layer chocolate. I sometimes use cake mixes and sometimes I make them from scratch, and since I only had a German chocolate cake mix, I wasn't sure if it would be good with raspberry filling, so that is when I began my hunt for a good chocolate cake recipe. This is from Top Secret recipes... I joined that site and get a free recipe every week, and I had gotten this recipe way back when... I tweaked it slightly, and my goodness it was just like using a cake mix only without all of the added ingredients that you can't pronounce!! At least the batter tasted good when I licked the bowl! And it baked wonderfully too! So here it is....now to try the white cake mix that I found too! (but that will come later) Enjoy!

Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Dark Chocolate Cake Mix
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa (I used a mix of Hershey's cocoa powder and a dutch dark chocolate cocoa powder)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
4 Tablespoons shortening ( I used regular Crisco)

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add shortening, and cut in with a pastry blender (or you could use your mixer) until the shortening is well incorporated with the dry ingredients and no large chunks of shortening are left.  This is your cake mix. At this point you could keep sealed in a plastic container or Zip-loc bag until ready to make your cake. It will last in your pantry for several months.
When you are ready to make your cake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides and bottom of your pans, either two 8-inch or 9 inch pans, or a 13x9 inch pan. Lightly flour after greasing (or I use Wilton's cake release that comes in a squirt bottle, and found by the other Wilton cake supplies in Walmart or specialty stores) I squirt some in the pans and brush around until it's completely coated.

Pour your cake mix into the bowl of an electric mixer,
Then add:
1-1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Mix on low for about 30 seconds or until the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the sides of the bowl down, and then increase speed of your mixer to medium, and continue to beat for 2 minutes.
Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake, and when lightly touched the cake will spring back.
A 13x9 inch cake pan may take 5 to 10 minutes longer. Cupcakes bake about 15 to 18 minutes.
Let cake cool, then frost as desired!!
Isn't this an awesome recipe?? This is how my cake turned out...