I used a recipe from the Joy of Cooking called Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake, but I've also seen it on the internet in many places and variations.
Oven preheated to 375 degrees. Square 8" pan greased and ready to go.
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Mix together in a bowl. Add to the dry these mixed wet ingredients:
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for ten minutes, then removed from the pan to cool on a rack.
This cake gets that reddish tinge from the cocoa powder, where red velvet cake possibly originated from. The baking soda and the vinegar react to form this great squishy cake. You need the vinegar to activate the baking soda. You won't taste it!