There are a couple reasons I made this cake. First of all, it was my Bill’s birthday this past Friday, the 5th of July. Growing up, Bill used to love Suzy-Q’s, those spongy little Hostess chocolate cakes with the fluffy and creamy white filling. Secondly, using my great-aunt Margery’s Devil’s Food Cake combined with a white frosting a professional baker gave me years ago, the finished cake tastes like a Suzy-Q, except I made it in the form of a layer cake.
Aunt Margery’s cake is the recipe my mom used many times for family birthday celebrations. It can easily be made into a 9-by-13-inch size, two 8-inch round or square cakes, or cupcakes. I have no idea where Aunt Margery got the recipe, but I remember as a child she used to listen to a radio program where she lived in Iowa, and people would call in and give the listeners their favorite recipes. As she listened to the program, Aunt Margery used to jot down the recipes with any scrap of paper she had nearby. I even found some of her recipes scribbled on the inside of her checkbook. This recipe could have been from that radio program, but who knows. Wherever it is from, it’s a keeper.
The cake is best made and frosted the day before. Cover and refrigerate overnight. It not only cuts better, but gives it time to set and become even more moist! It will keep for several days if refrigerated.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, set aside.*
- Sift the dry ingredients together into large bowl of electric mixer.
- Add all remaining ingredients and beat until well blended. Mixture will be on the thin side.
- Pour into prepared pans. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove pans from oven and place on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Turn out of pan and cool completely before frosting.
- Note:* Cake can be made in a 9-by13-inch pan, two 8-inch round or square cake pans, or can be made into cupcakes. Cupcakes will not take as long to bake.
Aunt Margery’s original handwritten recipe that I have had in my recipe box for decades. She rarely wrote out an entire recipe with instructions!
Note on this frosting: It makes a lot, but I am always glad to make a full batch because it freezes well for months. It really does taste like the Suzy-Q filling, and the cake really does too. Happy Birthday, Bill! You are going to be asking for this cake and frosting again.
White Butter Frosting
Part 1: Blend until smooth and fluffy:
1 pound tub solid vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1/2 pound butter
1-1/2 pounds powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Part 2: Mix with a fork:
1/2 pound powdered sugar
4-1/2 teaspoons meringue powder (good to add, but not essential)
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place Part 2 into Part 1. Beat 5 to 10 minutes or until light and fluffy, like whipped cream.
This makes a lot of frosting. Not all will be used for the cake, but the frosting freezes well and will keep for 6 moths or more.
Oh, my! We all love a good chocolate cake so I will have to give your Aunt Margery’s Devil’s Food Cake recipe a try. Do you have a good German Chocolate Cake recipe? I have a super German Chocolate Icing recipe but still looking for a moist German Chocolate Cake recipe. Have you ever tried this cake with German Chocolate icing?
Kim, I have never made Aunt Margery’s cake with a German chocolate icing, but I bet that would be really good! I do have a German Chocolate Cake recipe I’ve made many times, but now I might use this cake instead. I can email you my original recipe if you like.
Obviously, German Chocolate Cake is a favorite at our house so I would love your special German Chocolate Cake recipe. Thank you from all of us!!
Kim, I will email it to you!
why can’t I find Susie Q’s in the store?
I made this cake yesterday and it is outstanding! So moist and the frosting is perfect and yes, it does taste like a Suzy Q! Thank you for sharing and I love the picture of the handwritten recipe!
I’m so glad you liked the cake, Joan! The handwritten recipe is one of my favorite treasures in my recipe box.
I noticed there is no egg in the recipe. Is this correct?
Yes, Erica – no eggs!
Will hostess bring back the original Susie Q snack cakes?
Also would you send me your German Chocolate cake recipe?
Thank you.
Hi Sandy- I have no idea what Hostess will do about the Susie Q cakes. I haven’t seen any in our area for a long time. The German Chocolate Cake recipe I have used for decades was right off the Sweet Chocolate package! However, that was a long time ago and I should look and see if it’s the same one that I used. Next time I need one of those bars I’ll see if it’s the same.
Made this cake for my wife’s 53rd bday. Everyone who ate this cake commented numerous times and then again days later that it was the best cake they’ve ever had. This is the exact cake my wife asked for, she wanted a Suzi Q for her birthday. A side note would be she said it was even better after it was in the refrigerator and was cold.
Philip, I am thrilled your wife loved the cake! Suzi Q’s were such a favorite of my husband’s too. Thank you so much for writing, and a happy birthday to your wife!
Good Day,
I made this recipe today using mini loaf pans so I can make individual cakes. The cake didn’t taste much chocolatey or sweet. I thought is was a little bland. I used Dutch processed cocoa powder and was wondering if that may have been the wrong cocoa powder to use. Let’s see how it tastes tomorrow after it sits overnight.
This is not anything negative about the recipe, just an observation. Since I couldn’t use the batter all in one shot, I noticed that as it sat longer on the counter waiting for me the free up the baking pans, the more the cake domed after baking. I think if I do this again, I will need to get additional baking pans. 😉
However, the white butter frosting was spot on, for me that is a keeper.
Hi Joe- I would definitely agree about not using the Dutch Process Cocoa. I have never tried it in mini loaf pans. It’s a beloved old family recipe. My Great-Aunt always made it in square pans, and our family likes it in a 9-by-13 pan or as the layer cake. I hope you try it and like it with the unsweetened cocoa powder. Thanks for writing!
Thank you for your reply. I will certainly try again changing to regular cocoa powder. With all the great reviews I am sure it is going to be good.
Thank you, Joe!
Well tomorrow is the big day, I teach a baking class at a home-school and the class will be making this recipe, however this time we will use natural cocoa powder. I found that the Dutch processed has the acidity removed and that is not ideal for cakes with leavening agents. So I suspect this is my issue. Thank you. Joe C.
Hi Joe, I hope your students enjoy the cake. Tell them it’s an old family recipe from a beloved great-aunt in Iowa. She would be tickled that it is being taught in a cooking class!
Well I am happy to report a very successful baking experience. Everyone loved the cake and the filling. We made samples and passed them out to as many as we had to the rest of the co-op and they were a big hit. The only change made to the filling was using lard in place of the shortening. It came out so light and fluffy it was a hit too. Our next goal is a yellow vanilla cake version so if you have a recipe for that it would be awesome.
I’m so happy to hear that, Joe! I don’t recall having an exceptional yellow vanilla cake but I will check my files. I have an old library card catalog with every drawer filled with thousands of recipe cards so I’m bound to find something!