Wacky Chocolate Mother's Day Cake

Print Friendly and PDF
 
Wacky Chocolate Mother's Day Cake

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
--------------------
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon white vinegar (You could use 2 teaspoons cider vinegar in a pinch)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup warm water

For the frosting:
1 stick butter unsalted or salted, melted and cooled alittle
2/3 cup cocoa powder, I like Hershey's if you have it.
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
lots of sprinkles for decorating, optional
Alternative toppings:
a dusting of confectioners' sugar
regular or coocnut whipped cream

Make the cake:
        Place the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray.
        Using a large strainer, sift all of the dry ingredients into the pan--- the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and espresso.
        Make 3 depressions in dry ingredients – one large and two small ones. Pour the oil in the large one, and the vinegar and vanilla into each of the small ones. Pour the warm water all over the pan. Using a fork, mix well until smooth. Make sure to get into the sides and corners.
        Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool. Top with confectioners' sugar, whipped cream or frosting, and cover in sprinkles! When you're ready to serve, using a flat butter knife or offset spatula, go all the way around the edges to loosen the sides first before cutting into slices.

Make the frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a handmixer, add all of the ingredients. Be careful to start the mixer at a very low speed at first, and then turn up the speed to medium and beat until smooth and creamy.

Makes 9 servings.      YUM!

LESSONS Learned:
1. Although the kids will have more fun mixing the ingredients in the pan, you can also mix them in a bowl first.
2. If you don't have an extra set of hands to hold the strainer up, you can strain some of the flour into the pan, and then rest it on top of that and then continue measuring and sifting the dry ingredients.
3. To thoroughly mix the batter in the pan, make sure to really get into the corners and sides of the pan.
4. Use a flat knife to go all around the edges of the cake to loosen it before serving. The first piece is always the hardest to get out of the pan, and may not come out perfectly, but if you use a spatula or cake server and loosen the bottom all the rest will.
5. This recipe can easily be doubled, make in a 9" x 13" pan. Or you can make cupcakes instead, just bake them for about 20-25 minutes.
6. If you want to keep the recipe all vegan... sprinkle with powdered sugar, or top with vegan whipped cream made out of canned coconut milk, or Rediwhip makes a coconut and almond milk version now.