Progressive Dinner: One-Bowl Chocolate Cake

The dessert for our CatholicMom.com Progressive Dinner: Carolyn Astfalk's One-Bowl Chocolate Cake.

I spent a lot of time this summer baking desserts and goodies that are mentioned in my novel Stay With Me, which releases tomorrow. (The main character, Rebecca, has a bit of a baking habit.) After four separate blog posts filled with recipes, I discovered on a final read-through of the manuscript last month that I’d inadvertently missed one recipe – a decadent chocolate cake Rebecca bakes to share with her boyfriend Chris.

That chocolate cake makes for a delicious end to any meal or as the perfect homemade birthday cake for the chocolate lover in your life.

This one-bowl cake is simple to prepare and turns out moist and delicious! I’ve made bigger and fancier chocolate cakes, but this one may well be my favorite.

I found the recipe at allrecipes.com, posted by shirleyo.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

2 cups white sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch-process because that’s what I had on hand.)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-in. round pans.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes until cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

I top the cake with Easy Chocolate Buttercream from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion, but you can use whatever type of frosting you enjoy.

Copyright 2015 Carolyn Astfalk.
Photos copyright 2015 Carolyn Astfalk. All rights reserved.