One Pan Wackie Cake
OMGosh - where has this recipe been all my life?? Apparently this recipe, the world’s easiest and most versatile, has been well loved by many families, commonly called ‘wackie cake’. Well, I don’t know If I’d call it wackie but only requiring a backing pan, spoon and some pretty common ingredients, this recipe whips up in no time.
And for the added brilliant kicker, it’s so easy to switch up the flavours. For instance, the recipe I’m providing is for a basic chocolate cake. However, in the photos of this one I made most recently, I swapped out some of the water for crushed pineapple, which I happened to have on hand and wanted to use up. Oooh, imagine the possibilities, red velvet cake (less cocoa powder and some red food colouring), drops of a favorite liquor or flavouring, different chocolate (white, rich dark, milk), stud the batter with nuts, seeds or dried fruits. The only limit with this recipe is imagination :).
And one more bonus, this recipe is also Vegan :)!
One Pan Wackie Cake
Special Note: I used a silicone bake pan but I regular non-stick pan also works just as well. And if you want to make a layer cake, simply double the recipe :).
Ingredients:
1 1/4c all-purpose flour
1c granulated sugar
1/3c unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4tsp baking soda
1/2tsp kosher salt (a little less if using table salt)
1/3c canola oil (bland flavoured oil)
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp apple cider or white vinegar
1c water
2tbsp semisweet or vegan chips (optional)
Icing sugar for dusting on top (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in an 8” x 8” square metal, silicone or glass baking dish. Whisk together until uniform in colour. Use your fingers to break apart any lumps.
In a measuring cup add water (substituted crushed pineapple I had on hand for some of the water in the photos above), oil, vanilla extract and vinegar. Stir slowly with a fork or a whisk in small circles to blend. Mash, scrape and stir with a fork or spoon until the mixture becomes a smooth and uniform batter.
Scrape the sides of the baking dish with a rubber spatula and spread the batter in an even layer. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if using.
Carefully transfer the dish to the oven and bake until a bamboo tester (I use bamboo skewers, longer than a toothpick and easily reuseable) inserted in the center comes out clean, 28 - 33 minutes. (The skewer should come out looking like it has chocolate crumbs, and not chocolate frosting, clinging to it :))
Remove from the oven, let cool, then dust with icing sugar if you’re feeling fancy…and it’s yummy.
Note: This recipe is easily freezable. Once fully cooled, I cut the cake into desired sizes, wrapped each in saran wrap and then placed in the freezer. They do not require a lot of time to thaw before enjoying.
