Sometimes, you've just got to have a slice of moist, chocolate cake, you know? Yes, even those of us who aren't normally chocolate lovers are known to have a portion with that cup of hot coffee or maybe a glass of cold milk.
The great thing about this cake recipe is that your six-year-old could mix it up all by himself, while you lie back on the couch for a few minutes, reading your favorite book (certainly, there wouldn't be laundry for you to be folding, floors for you to be mopping, or bathrooms for you to be cleaning). Your boy could literally dump all the ingredients into an un-greased cake pan and stir them all around. When it's ready for the oven, he'll probably need your help, and you'll probably have quite a flour/baking cocoa/sugar mess around your kitchen to clean up, but you probably won't mind, since he made the cake himself.
Besides, in about 45 minutes, heaven will be waiting for you both.
And, just a little confession, here - I don't usually frost this cake! Shocking, I know, but this cake is so moist all by itself, that it can really stand alone. But, if you must (and if you'll be sharing it with guests and you don't want them to know think that you're completely off your rocker), Grandma's Chocolate Butter-cream Frosting is the way to go, so creamy and easy - your six-year-old could probably make that, too, if he knew how to run the mixer.
Hmm, maybe you should teach him how...
Chocolate Wacky Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup oil (I use canola)
2 cups cold water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
If your six-year-old is out catching bugs and climbing trees and can't be bothered with mixing up this cake, here's a way to mix it up that you might prefer:
In the bowl of a kitchen stand mixer, sift together the dry ingredients. With mixer set at low speed, fitted with the flat paddle attachment, add in the wet ingredients. Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula, then turn mixer to medium speed and mix for 30 -60 seconds. Pour batter into an un-greased 9"x13" cake pan (or, if you're feeling the need to be fancy and want to turn the cake out onto a platter or cake plate, line the bottom of two 8" round cake pans with parchment paper circles before pouring in the cake batter).
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Set cakes, in their pans, to cool completely on a wire rack. To remove cakes from the round pans, run a thin knife along the edge of the pan, and placing your hand over the cake, flip the pan over and turn the cake out onto your hand. Peel off the parchment paper and center the cake onto a cake plate.
If you must frost, now's the time to frost. (But, remember, you really don't have to!)
Grandma's Chocolate Butter-cream Frosting
6 Tablespoons of butter, softened
Baking cocoa: 1/3 cup for light flavor
1/2 cup for medium
3/4 cup for dark
2 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter. Add cocoa and sugar alternately with milk. With a hand mixer, beat to spreading consistency. Blend in vanilla.
Makes 2 cups of frosting.
