Quick & Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake: Wacky Cake

This is positively THE BEST never fail chocolate cake recipe, ever! It's easy, delicious, and versatile, too. I use this Wacky Cake recipe to make beautiful layer birthday cakes, dozens of cupcakes for school bake sales and parties, gourmet chocolate muffins, and pans of snack cake for after-school and after-work treats for my family.

It's the only recipe I've found that requires NO EGGS, so it's perfect for people with egg allergies. Everything you need to make a quick and delicious chocolate cake can be found right in your cupboard. Best of all, you can give your family and friends a slice of homemade "scratch cake" goodness in no more time than it takes to prepare a pre-packaged cake mix.

Wacky Cake remains moist and delicious 4-5 days, if kept covered, but chances are it won't last that long around your family. My family loves it still warm from the oven with whipped cream or cool whip topping. Frosting is optional. It's wonderful just as a finger food.

What you'll need:

• 2 Mixing bowls - 1 small, 1 medium
• Electric mixer or whisk
• cake pan (rounds, oblong, square) greased & dusted with flour
• 3 C. all-purpose flour
• 2 C. granulated sugar
• 2 Tsp. baking soda
• 2 Tsp. vinegar
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 1/3 C. light vegetable oil
• 2 C. cold water
• 6 Tbsp. cocoa
• 2 Tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 Tsp. ground cloves (optional)

Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease & flour your baking pan. This recipe fills two 9" layer cake pans or one 9x13" oblong pan, or approximate 2 dozen cupcakes. Cut recipe in half to make fill an 8-9" square pan for snack cake.

Step 2:
Sift dry ingredients into a deep mixing bowl (flour, sugar, soda, salt, cocoa & cloves). Mix with a fork or wire whisk.

Step 3:
In a separate small bowl combine liquid ingredients (vinegar, oil, cold water, & vanilla).

Step 4:
Slowly blend the liquid into the dry ingredients using a hand mixer or wire whisk. When well blended, beat vigorously for 2 minutes with your whisk or with portable mixer on medium speed.

Step 5:
Pour the cake batter into your greased/floured baking pan or fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Give each pan a sharp rap on the counter to eliminate any large air bubbles. Place pan on a center rack in your preheated 350 degree oven.

Step 6:
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger in the center.

Step 7:
Cool the cake on a wire rack. This cake is great served warm with whipped cream or cool whip. Frost when completely cool.

Additional Hints & Tips:

• Try adding ground cloves to enhance the chocolate flavor.
• Add 1/2 package of chocolate chips to the cake batter for a great snack cake or chocolate cupcakes/muffins similar to the ones you buy at Costco.
• To frost or not to frost? This cake is wonderful either way. My family likes the Pillsbury whipped chocolate fudge frosting. Try this cake with German chocolate, vanilla, or lemon frosting, too, for something a little different. Or, try serving Wacky cake warm from the oven, topped with Cool Whip or ice cream.
• It's the combination of baking soda and vinegar that makes this cake rise. Add a pinch more soda for a lighter cake.
• This cake should be very, very moist. If it seems a bit dry, shorten your baking time.