📖 Instructions

1. Prep Your Dutch Oven: Lightly grease your dutch oven with butter or cooking spray. You can also line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal. This is important, trust me!
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make sure there aren't any lumps!
3. Add Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. The buttermilk is the key to that moist, tender crumb. Don't skip it!
4. Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix – a few lumps are okay. Overmixing can lead to a tough cake, and nobody wants that!
5. Add Boiling Water: Slowly pour in the boiling water and stir until the batter is smooth and thin. Don’t worry; the batter will be thin – that’s how it's supposed to be!
6. Pour Into Dutch Oven: Pour the batter into your prepared Dutch oven, and spread evenly.
7. Cook on Low: Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and cook on low for 2-3 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cooking times can vary, so keep an eye on it after 2 hours.
8. Check for Doneness: After 2 hours, check the cake for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, it's ready. If not, continue cooking for another 30 minutes, and then check again.
9. Cool Slightly: Once done, remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let the cake cool in the pot for about 15-20 minutes. This helps it set up a bit before you slice it.
10. Serve and Enjoy: Slice and serve the cake warm. It's delicious on its own, but even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar. One of my personal favorites is to pair it with a rich chocolate ganache!