I welcome you back with depression chocolate cake!
Not "depression" because I'm sad about the gnocchi post (I am) but because this recipe comes from depression era America, where eggs, butter and milk were a rarity for many. For now, or for your friends, you can call it damn good chocolate cake. No one will know it's vegan and no one will have a clue how simple it was to make or that you didn't make a mess of the kitchen creating this moist masterpiece.
Even during the depression no one wanted to live without chocolate cake. How could you live a life without chocolate cake? You don't. You replace all those things with what will result in a cake just as rich and moist as if there were butter laden.
Confession time: I don't really like chocolate.
That's kind of an understatement. I hate chocolate. I don't even like the smell of it. No, I'm not allergic. I've always considered my hatred for chocolate a gift rather than a curse, as I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. It is most frustrating because chocolate is so pervasive.
Seriously. Try being a kid who hates chocolate on Halloween?? Easter?? Ugh. What a struggle, I was always trying to trade my chocolates with my siblings and brothers and still ending up with a quarter of the goodies they had. Note to readers: please buy non-chocolate candies for the chocolate haters of the world!! I pay-it-forward by purchasing only chocolate free candies for Halloween.
All of that said... I do like chocolate cake. Some kinds of chocolate cake, anyway.
I first started using this recipe a few years ago, vegan boyfriend had a birthday and found this after some digging. A few parties and many happy chocolate lovers later the recipe has stuck around and I've made this eggless cake whenever I'm short on eggs or having company and it never fails to impress, especially when I use the word "vegan" to explain it.
Best part about this cake is that you don't actually have to dirty a bowl other than the baking dish to make this. Honestly. Truly. Just one baking dish and you will have a delicious chocolate cake. I'll have you know this cake is sometimes referred to as "Crazy Cake",,, probably because it's crazy that one pan and no butter, egg or milk can result in something this wonderful.
I usually go the extra mile and make a vegan frosting for this, but this time I used a standard cream cheese frosting for the top and filling and then drizzled it with some warm dulce de leche brought back from Peru by a friend!
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 vegetable oil
1 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and 9in round pan. Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt in the pan. Mix oil, vanilla and vinegar into flour, incorporating water slowly until smooth consistency is reached - some lumps are ok. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a fork removes cleanly. Let cool completely before icing.
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