Quick Chocolate Cake

Andrew is gone a lot.

He has one of those cool jobs that whisks him around the country at an obscenely rapid pace for free. 19 cities in three months at last count. We parted ways at the airport last weekend in San Diego. I went home. He went to Vegas. That’s just how his job rolls. He came home Friday, though, and what a better way to say, “Welcome home from work travel, recycled airplane air, and all the crappy restaurant eating that goes with!” than with a chocolate cake?

Am I sweet or what?

I made it the night before because that’s when I had the time, and it sounded way more fun than going over long-term liabilities. This was my first attempt at cake from scratch I’m pretty sure, but it won’t be my last. It. Was. Phenomenal. This coming from the girl who generally isn’t all that into chocolate. It’s moist, spongy, and has a really mellow chocolate flavor. The best part? It was super quick to make and actually is relatively healthy by chocolate cake standards. I made it in an 8×8 glass pan, and if you cut it into 9 squares, it’s only 130ish calories a piece. FOR CAKE! No joke!

Granted I didn’t frost it, but it really doesn’t need it, especially if you wait a day to eat it. The top layer gets really dense and chewy, almost like a fudge on top.

Plus, Andrew loved it. Mission accomplished.

Adapted from The Pastry Affair – Serves 9 [or in our case two, and it’s already almost gone]

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 cup water

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Grease a 8×8 pan [or 9 inch cake pan]
• In the pan [or in a separate bowl] whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Make three depressions in the flour mixture and put the vinegar into one depression, the vanilla extract in another, and the applesauce in the last.
• Pour the water over the top.
• Mix the batter together until smooth.
• Taste it. It’s so, so good.
• If you used a separate bowl, now pour into your pan.
• Bake 35-40 minutes [30-35 for metal] until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool cake completely before eating. Refrain. You must!