Simplest, Easiest Chocolate Cake

 

If you do a reasonable amount of cooking or baking, it’s almost guaranteed that you will have the ingredients to make this ridiculously satisfying cake on hand at any given time. The needed equipment is even basic, with a cake pan being the most exotic requirement. It’s also super quick to make with nothing difficult to do. It even has a fun little trick to it.

This recipe is an adaptation of a “6-minute” chocolate cake in Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts. While the way I do it here, does take a bit longer than six minutes, I think it’s the fastest cake I’ve even made. This can totally be your well-kept secret, though, because the cake is fluffy and chocolaty and really much greater than the sum of its parts. Even if you consider effort one of the parts.

I added a layer of rich but equally simple peanut butter frosting to the top of this one-layer cake, which makes it just a tad more celebratory. You could use your favorite chocolate cake topping such as whipped cream, a classic buttery white frosting, cream cheese frosting, or ganache. It is pretty terrific with nothing on it at all, though, or just a dusting of powdered sugar for a finishing touch.

Without the frosting, this is a vegan cake. Instead of the richness of butter or egg yolks, it just gets some oil and a deep dark flavor from a cup of coffee. Instead of volume from egg whites, the batter gets a quick poof from a couple tablespoons of vinegar reacting to baking soda. It’s kind of neat to watch, actually, so if you’re a science-y type like me, it makes for kind of a grand finale. (That’s the fun little trick I mentioned above!)

 

Anyway, this cake is way more deeply, darkly, satisfyingly delicious than it has any right to be. It’s a great recipe to have in your back pocket, and can make you a last-minute dessert hero. Or you can just make it weekly to have on hand. Either way, it will be worth keeping these basic ingredients around (including the frosting ingredients or not) and a few minutes free. It's quick. It's easy. It's good.

Easy Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine salt

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup canola or other neutral-tasting oil

1 cup cold coffee

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

For the frosting

½ cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare a 9-inch cake pan by greasing it or spraying it with cooking spray, and dusting with flour. Cut a parchment circle to fit the bottom of the pan and place it in the pan. Spray or grease the parchment. Set the pan aside.

2. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Whisk together to combine well.

3. In another medium-size bowl, or a large measuring cup, mix together the oil, coffee, and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

4. Pour in the vinegar and stir very quickly just until the vinegar is evenly distributed.

5. Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread out to make even if needed. Bake at 375 F for 25-30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack about 10 minutes. Carefully turn the cake out of the pan, remove the parchment circle, and cool completely on the wire rack.

7. To make the frosting, combine the peanut butter and butter in a medium-size bowl. Beat together with a hand-held mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

8. Carefully transfer the cake to a serving plate. Spread the frosting just on the top of the cooled cake.

Makes about 8 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting, Chocolate Cake with Porter and Ganache Topping, Flourless Bittersweet Chocolate Torte, Mulled Wine Chocolate Cake

One year ago: Savory Parmesan Zucchini Bread

Recipe Revisit: Zucchini Quick Bread

I make so much of this stuff every summer. More than anyone but me really cares to deal with. That means I access this recipe from way back in The Archives quite a bit. And one day, I actually read my written instructions, and realized that I never really do things that way anymore. I mean, who has time to pull out the stand mixer and clean it later when the summer squash is piling up like, well, summer squash.

Anyway, I have adjusted the procedure for my go-to basic zucchini quick bread batter to reflect the way I really do things today: sift or whisk together the dry ingredients, beat the wet ingredients and sugar together, making sure the eggs get smooth and a little fluffy-thick, combine the mixtures while avoiding overmixing, and folding in shredded zucchini and, optionally, nuts. The batter makes two 8-inch loaves, but it also makes about 2 dozen muffins, and I’ve added muffin baking instructions. They take less time to bake and less time to cool, so provide something closer to instant gratification.

 

This basic recipe is great as it is, but it’s also a jumping off point for fun variations, and I do that often. I like the whole grain addition of a bit of whole wheat pastry flour, but you could use just all-purpose, or try another whole grain flour. You can put in some cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a particularly decadent version. You can stir in berries or add a streusel topping. In addition to cinnamon you can add more warm spices like cloves, nutmeg or cardamom, or use a spice mixture such as apple pie spice, Pumpkin Pie Spice, or even Chinese five spice powder. Or you can leave them all out in favor of citrus zest. 

Even some of the basic batter ingredients can be varied. The buttermilk can be replaced with yogurt, kefir, or a mixture of yogurt and milk. The neutral oil can become a flavorful oil, like almond or hazelnut, or melted butter. Take things to a new level by browning the butter, maybe.

Most recently, I baked half of the batter into a loaf and the other half became muffins. You could even make a 13 x 9-inch coffee cake. (Bake for 50-55 minutes.) There are just so many choices! Which is great, because with all the zucchini that are coming in, I need all the creative options I can get.

Zucchini Quick Bread

This basic recipe is widely variable. See the text above for some notes on variations.

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or additional all-purpose)

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3 eggs

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup canola or other neutral-tasting oil

2/3 cup buttermilk

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare 2 8-inch loaf pans by spraying well with cooking spray or greasing with butter. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together with a whisk to combine. Set aside.

3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the eggs and sugar. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and pale in color. Wisk in the oil and buttermilk.

4. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Stir together until most of the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the zucchini. Stir in the pecans or walnuts if using.

5. Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs and no wet batter.

6. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely on the wire rack.

To make muffins: grease or spray the cups of muffin pans. You will need 20-24 total muffin cups. Portion the batter into the prepared pans and bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to cool.

Makes 2 8-inch loaves of bread or about 24 muffins.

You can also make 1 loaf of bread and about 12 muffins with the recipe.

 

Other recipes like this one: Zucchini Berry Muffins with Streusel Topping, Blueberry Lemon Zucchini Bread, Zucchini Multigrain Coffee Cake, Chocolate Zucchini Quick Bread, Chocolate Zucchini Coffee Cake with Chocolate Crumb Topping

One year ago: Fruit Crisp on Demand

Creamy Sauteed Corn

This side dish is simple, quick, endlessly variable, and I want to eat it all the time. A few times each summer, when I have lots of fresh corn on the cob, I cut some off and toss it in a pan with some other flavorful ingredients. Making it buttery and creamy is optional, but terrifically delicious.

Mostly, I use what I have on hand, but I do really like this sort of Southwestern version with peppers, onions, and cilantro. Diced tomatoes would also be good stirred in at the end, as would avocado sprinkled on top. I always debate whether I should add cumin, ground coriander seed, or chili powder. They would certainly be good additions, but I kept things summery and fresh in this version.

There are other flavor profiles that would work with the corn, too. I’m thinking caramelized onions, shiitake mushrooms, lots of fresh herbs. I love the richness of cream or half and half here, but you could lighten things up and leave it out. You could also make this vegan by cooking with your favorite oil instead of butter and either substituting the cream with coconut milk or omitting it entirely.

Think of this as a basic recipe that you can make your own. This way with corn is so versatile, you can make it any time with what you have on hand. You could even turn it into a main dish by adding some black or pinto beans. And if you don’t mind me sharing a secret, I’ll tell you that it’s mighty fine when made with ordinary supermarket frozen corn in the middle of winter, too. If I’m smart enough to cut and freeze some of my golden summer bounty now, I really can eat this all the time.

Creamy Sauteed Corn

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons minced red onion

¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper

½ teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt, divided

2 cups corn kernels (cut from about 4 fresh corn cobs)

1 medium clove garlic, minced

½ small fresh chile pepper, minced (or to taste)

¼ cup heavy cream or half and half

1 medium scallion, finely chopped

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

1. Melt the butter in a medium-size or large skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion, red bell pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook 3-5 minute, or until the peppers and onions are softened and the onion is translucent.

2. Add the corn and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently until the corn is lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chile.

3. Stir in the cream. Bring to a simmer and decrease the heat to low. Continue to cook until the cream has reduced to a thick coating on the vegetables.

4. Stir in the scallion and cilantro. Continue cooking just until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings, especially salt, as desired.

Makes 2 large or 4 small side dish servings.

Another recipe like this one: Scalloped Corn with Sour Cream and Chile

One year ago: Zucchini Berry Muffins with Streusel Topping