An Easy, No Chocolate, No Butter Chocolate Cake!

This is one of the simplest cakes I have made, ever. One morning my children wanted to bake a cake as a present for Grandma, and it had to be chocolate – I was able to make this on the spot with them as I had all the ingredients in the cupboard, thanks to the use of cocoa and oil rather than chocolate and butter. It has an extraordinary fudge-like texture the next day so is a good one to make in advance too. Yum! Thanks Jo!

"A very easy chocolate cake mixed up with cocoa, oil, and other ingredients" – Jo Choii.

Pictured: A slice of the Easy No Butter No Chocolate, Chocolate Cake!

1 ¾ cups plain flour
2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Grease and flour either a 13x9x2-inch baking pan or two greased and floured 9-inch layer cake pans or three greased and floured 8-inch layer cake pans.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Remove mixer; stir in boiling water by hand.

Pour the thin batter into into the chosen tin(s). The mixture will be very runny which is normal - make sure you do not use a spring form tin or the batter will spill out.

Bake at for about 40 minutes for a 10 inch cake tin. It can take up to an hour or more as well – you will need to check with a cake tester, insert a skewer into the center of the cake, as soon as it comes out clean remove the cake straight away.

Cool for 10 minutes in pan on rack, then remove from pan and cool completely before icing – see below.

Cream Icing for Cake
1/3 cup butter, softened
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pound (3 1/2 cups) sifted confectioners/icing sugar- must remove lumps
3 to 4 tbsp milk

Cream butter, salt, and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.
Add sugar gradually, beating after each addition.
 Add 3 tablespoons milk, beating until smooth.
Beat in more milk until desired spreading consistency is reached.