Easiest Chocolate Cake

By Sarah Magid

This is the easiest chocolate cake in the world — perhaps in the universe! You don't even need eggs, butter, or milk, and you probably have all the ingredients on hand. I use this recipe when I'm in a time crunch, because nothing needs to be creamed, beaten, or whipped; you literally just stir things together. It tastes like the best dark chocolate sponge cake you have ever eaten.

You really can please all kinds of people with this one. It happens to be vegan, since there are no dairy products in it. That sounds scary to some people, so don't tell them until after they've eaten about three slices! 

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups organic all-purpose flour
2 cups organic cane sugar
1 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
2/3 cup organic canola oil
2 teaspoons organic white vinegar
2 cups cold water

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, or place liners in 2 muffin pans for 24 cupcakes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the vanilla extract, oil, vinegar, and cold water.

Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix. The mixture will be quite wet, but this is okay.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. For cupcakes, the baking time is 24 to 26 minutes.

Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool.

Reprinted with permission from Organic and Chic by Sarah Magid, (C) 2009 William Morrow.