Mix-In-The-Pan Chocolate Cake

My little neighbour Y loves chocolate cake. He's a four year old chocoholic in the making. Whenever I'm visiting his house he always asks for it even though he knows there isn't any around. He sits patiently at the kitchen table with such a hopeful look that I always want to make one magically appear just to make him happy and smile. This morning I made him his very own chocolate cake complete with sprinkles. I also told him that he didn't have to share it with anyone but his mom vetoed this idea - I'm apparently supposed to encourage sharing.

Needless to say, he was very happy with his cake and succeeded in eating the top half with the icing. He made my day when he looked at me across the table and said, "This cake is very good."

If you want to make someone smile, make this cake. It is super easy and can be mixed in one bowl. It is dark, moist and chocolaty. The recipe is from The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham. If you don't have time to make icing use Nutella. I iced this cake with it and I think it was more popular than the cake itself. Great in a pinch.

Mix-in-the-Pan Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.
Combine the flour, baking soda, sugar, cocoa and salt in a bowl.
Make 3 holes and pour vinegar into one, the vanilla into another and the oil in the remaining one. Pour water over all. Using a fork, stir mixture well. The batter will almost be smooth - a few small lumps are okay, and will disappear in baking.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a rack. Cool completely before icing or dusting with icing sugar.

*I used an 8-inch round pan.