So, today is National Chocolate Cake Day. Which I didn’t actually have on my calendar (thank you for the news, Facebook). But I will celebrate the day, because chocolate cake.
THIS is the chocolate cake recipe you need today. Easy: Stir it up in a single bowl, bake, slice, eat. Done.
This is an old favorite recipe from The Clara Project, so I’m sharing again in honor of the day.
old-fashioned one-bowl chocolate cake recipe
(makes one 8-inch square cake, about 9 servings)
1/2 cup very hot, very strong coffee (or 1/2 cup boiling water mixed with 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sifted flour (sift first, then measure)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg, lightly beaten
Powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking pan with cooking spray, then lay in a piece of parchment paper (two edges should overhang). Spray the parchment, then flour the pan, tapping out the excess.
Place the unsweetened chocolate in a large mixing bowl and pour the hot coffee over it; stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. In a sifter or sieve, place the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda; sift the dry ingredients into the bowl with the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Cut the shortening into chunks and add to the bowl; stir to combine. Add the buttermilk and egg; stir gently until the mixture is smooth.
Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake for 35–45 minutes (a glass or ceramic baking pan will take more time than a metal one), until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove pan to a cooling rack and let cool. Invert cake onto a cutting board, invert again onto a serving plate, and dust with powdered sugar.
