Wacky Cake

YUM, the new go-to birthday cake in our house:

I've used this recipe since college.  In college I would sprinkle chocolate chips over the warm cake and spread them when they melted or just let them melt enough to stick to the top of the cake.  For birthday cakes, I frost with old fashioned chocolate frosting.

WACKY CAKE

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into an 8x8 inch ungreased cake pan. Make three wells. Pour oil into one, vinegar into one, and vanilla into one. Pour water over it all, and stir it well with fork.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes (until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean). Frost with old fashioned chocolate frosting OR sprinkle chocolate chips over the warm cake.

This cake is moist and delicious.  No one will EVER guess it's safe for egg and milk allergies!  

OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Ingredients

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter, sift together dry ingredients.  Alternately mix in part of the dry ingredients, the milk, and the vanilla.

I don't even like frosting generally, I usually eat the cake and leave the frosting, but I LOVE this frosting (it tastes like a slightly softer, even more delicious version of the chocolate frosting at Buttercup Bakery).  It's amazing!  Seriously, tonight I may or may not have licked the beater and spatula and eaten some with a spoon...