Incredibly easy, fast and versatile

 

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups flour 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • ¼ cup cocoa pwd 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar ½ teaspoon vanilla

 

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into bowl with fork.
  3. Stir in water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla completely.
  4. Pour into ungreased square pan – 8 x 8 inches.
  5. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
  6. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. (Cake can be mixed in pan too.)
  7. Double for 9 x 13 pan.
  8. Great plain, better with whipped cream or ice cream.
  9. Best if eaten fresh.

 

Variations:

Apple Sauce Cake: Omit cocoa and vanilla. Stir 1 ½ teaspoons all-spice (or a combo of cinnamon and ginger and cloves) into flour. Reduce water to ½ cup and stir in ½ cup applesauce.

Chocolate Chunk or Chip Cake: Omit cocoa and vanilla. Stir 1/3 cup chopped nuts into flour mixture. Sprinkle 1/3 cup mini chocolate pieces over batter in pan.

Double Chocolate Cake: Sprinkle ½ cup chocolate chips or broken pieces of chocolate over batter in pan.

Oatmeal Molasses Cake: Omit cocoa and vanilla. Stir ¾ cup dry oatmeal and 1 teaspoon allspice (or a combo of cinnamon and ginger and cloves) into flour mixture. Stir in 2 Tablespoons molasses into water. (add raisins and or nuts if desired or available)

Brown Sugar Cake: Omit cocoa and vanilla. Stir 1/3 cup chopped nuts into flour mixture.

Pumpkin Cake: Omit cocoa and vanilla. Stir 1 teaspoon allspice into flour mixture. Reduce water to ½ cup and stir in ½ cooked pumpkin or orange squash.

Chocolate Mint Cake: Stir in ½ teaspoon peppermint extract into the water.

 

©2015 Thrive.