Super Simple Cocoa Cake Recipe

I don’t watch a lot of TV. It becomes impossible to actually follow a story line when you have a toddler repeatedly asking to watch Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, but my BFF is the culinary producer for a new cooking show Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn so I make an effort to catch her program when I can. 


Luckily, I happened to turn it on one afternoon just as she was getting to the dessert segment which she called Busy-Day Chocolate Cake. Quick as a flash, I peeled back a banana and held it out for the little one. That should at least get me through the ingredients, I thought. 


The cake turned out to be just what I had been looking for, unbelievably easy—you don’t even use a mixing bowl, everything gets mixed in the baking pan! And, most importantly, dairy-free. 


For The Professor’s birthday I topped the cake with a Vegan Chocolate Frosting that I love from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. But I made the cake again topped simply with a dusting of powdered sugar, and I almost liked that better, it seemed less of an indulgence and more of a snakie cake, simple and sweet. 

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Super Simple Cocoa Cake Recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Adapted from Lucinda Scala Quinn

To give it more of a Mexican feel, add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, use a mixture of coffee and water instead of all water, and the zest of 1 orange.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 cup cold water (or 1/2 cup brewed coffee + 1/2 cup water)

Instructions

Heat The Oven: Heat the oven to 350°F.

Mix The Dry Ingredients: In an 8-inch square baking pan, whisk together all-purpose flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and coarse salt.

Add the Wet Ingredients: Make a well in center of flour mixture and add vegetable oil, pure vanilla extract, white vinegar, and cold water (or coffee and water, if using). Whisk until well combined.

Bake The Cake: Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 282Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 291mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 3g

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