Absurdly Easy Chocolate Cake

[Michael]

Absurdly Easy Chocolate Cake by Boutell.Com
Category: Desserts - Cakes

This recipe is suitable for a: vegetarian/vegan diet.


Ingredients:
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3 cups flour (680 grams)
2 cups sugar (450 grams)
6 tablespoons cocoa (100 grams)
2 teaspoons baking soda (10 cc's = 10 ml)
1 teaspoon salt (5 cc's = 5 ml)
3/4 cup vegetable oil (200 cc's)
2 tablespoon vinegar (30 cc's)
2 teaspoon vanilla (10 cc's)
2 cup cold water (480 cc's)


Instructions:
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Mix the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients. Stir until smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes two layers of a two-layer 9-inch or 8-inch round cake, or one small sheet cake. When cool, frost it.


Additional comments:
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Copyright 2000 by M. L. Grant.



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[tkrk]

I liked this cake, but I added two more teaspoons onf cocoa.I used PETA's wicked vegan fudge recipe as icing, I thought it was reaaly good.

[natalieG]

what does the vingar do in this recipe? what whould happen if i lefted it out??

[tkrk]

I wondered that also, however I still use it. I don't know wthat the vinegar's function is in this cake, but this cake has been the most moist cahe I have ever made. The reason why I use more cocoa than the recipe calls for is because I was still able to smell the vinegar and that concerned me, and because I am a choc-o-holic! LOL Seriously though, I tasted no vinegar flavor.

[DannyKass]

Nonono.

Must.resist.urge.to.bake.cake.or.will.be.sick.

[colorful]

This is the chocolate cake recipe my parents used when we were in Africa - but we called it "Wacky Cake". I love that it's naturally vegan with no need for egg replacer or anything like that. In Africa, we used it because we could only drive 4 hours to the next town to shop for things like eggs and milk once a month, so generally we didn't have them. :D

I love how moist this cake is, and stays even days later. :lick:

[Blue Plastic Straw]

The vinegar in this recipe is absolutely essential and cannot be left out. It reacts with the baking soda to provide leavening for the cake. You will be able to smell the vinegar when you mix up the batter but the cake won't taste like it after it's done.

colorful: My family also called this Wacky Cake. My mom used to make it and pack it in our lunches when I was a kid.

[Rie]

Anyone know if this would work as cupcakes?

[IamJen]

Yep...we used basically this same recipe at work to make cupcakes with the kiddos. :lick:

Mmmmm, chocolate. :)

[missleigh]

I tried this recipe as cupcakes this morning, and it worked fine. It would have worked better had I not overcooked them, though. :-/ If you do cupcakes, keep your eye on them after about 20 minutes.

[Rie]

Cool, thanks guys! I wonder if anyone's ever used whole wheat pastry flour?

[missleigh]

Cool, thanks guys! I wonder if anyone's ever used whole wheat pastry flour?

For mine, I used half whole wheat pastry flour, and half all purpose. I usually do that for all my baking :)

[Rie]

For mine, I used half whole wheat pastry flour, and half all purpose. I usually do that for all my baking :)

Awesome! Thanks! :hungry:

[JanAndOmar]

Hey this cake sounds great. Any good recipes for icing? Thanks :)

[colorful]

Hey this cake sounds great. Any good recipes for icing? Thanks :)

I've found it's so moist it doesn't need icing. A light sprinkling of powdered sugar on top looks pretty. :D

[Hummusisyummus]

Hey, I actually have all the ingredients for this. How very... interesting. :lick:

[Satyagraha]

Yea I made this cake about a week ago :) easy to get ingredients, very tasty cake, but it didn't seem to cook evenly, I guess if I cook it for longer at a lower heat that would fix it?

Great cake, easy to make, and very yum.

[inkwenkwezi]

has anyone made this with non-wheat flour? i was thinking maybe chickpea or sorghum.

[Josef]

Satyagraha- I just finished baking one last night and I found the inside a little uncooked as well. I should have taken the advice from the previous posters, as it's wise to add much more chocolate. Without a doubt, some of my animals enjoyed it :)

[AngelOfDance]

I made it and it turned out perfect several times. I did find that it had to be cooked a little longer than it says... poke it with a toothpick before you take it out of the oven... like muffins. if the toothpick somes out with batter still on it, then it needs to bake some more. if it's dry, your cake is done!

[Josef]

I tried it again this morning and it was a success! Very moist and delicious!

I added about 10 tablespoons of cocoa (it mentions 6, which certainly doesn't reach 100 grams) and substituted Splenda instead of sugar. I'm wondering though, how much calories a decent slice can have. I'll just do a general search for cakes online and get a rough estimate.

Kind regards,
Josef

[shagginabit]

I made this today. It was excellent!! Since I only wanted a small cake, I cut the recipe in half. Frosted it a chocolate homemade frosting. It was one of the best cakes ever!

[Cinnamon toast]

I know it as Wacky cake too. The recipe I have is a little more complicated, where you have to put the vinegar, baking soda and oil into wells in the dry ingredients and pour water over the whole thing. Glad to know you don't really need to fuss with that.

It is one of those recipes you will almost always have the ingredients for and it is quick and easy for drop-in company. It is also great still warm out of the oven topped with soy/dairy icecream.

[Josef]

Mine were shaped like brownies. I cut them into triangles and placed one peanut on top of each to make them look a little more sophisticated to the drop-in guests that Cinnamon toast mentioned about :)

I was thinking of adding bananas and a little bit of coconut to the recipe(chocolate banana coconut cake), but I'm confident it will create chaos. I've just started baking cakes now, so I'm eager to try simple and new things.

Kind regards,
Josef

[Josef]

I keep receiving compliments after compliments about this cake. Thanks a lot!

Kind regards,
Josef