In a city dominated by cupcakes topped with two inches of frosting so sweet I need to down 20 oz of water afterward , my favorite dessert continues to be Mollie Katzen’s Made-in-the-Pan Chocolate Cake. Moist and dark, this aromatic cake provides a chocolate treat without being overly sweet or high in calories. That it also happens to be vegan makes it worthy of a gold star in my kitchen. A bonus for most college students: Katzen’s chocolaty treat has you combine all ingredients in one 8-inch-square pan. No pile of dirty dishes! While I have moved on to cook from Mollie Katzen’s adult cookbooks whose pages do not remind me to ask an adult to preheat the oven, this cake from her children’s cookbook “Honest Pretzels” will always be my favorite.
Mollie Katzen’s Made-In-The-Pan Chocolate Cake
Yield: One 8-inch square cake, about 8 or 9 servings
Preheat oven to 325°F.
1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup water
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cider vinegar or white vinegar
1. Put flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and baking soda into a pan and mix.
2. Add water, oil, vanilla extract and vinegar.
3. Stir slowly with a fork in small circles to blend until smooth.
4. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula, and spread it evenly.
5. Clean the edges, then bake for 30 minutes.
6. Cool before cutting into squares. This tastes good (and looks pretty) with some powdered sugar dusted on top.
