30 Minute Chocolate Cake

This afternoon I whipped up a small batch of cake and was enjoying it within thirty minutes. I think this is the quickest chocolate cake recipe ever, although having a helper might have helped speed things up a little. Nevertheless, this cake recipe is very fast. It's great for when you need to whip up a cake on very short notice, get the sudden craving for cake, or just want a quick and easy recipe. Typically cakes are not eaten warm, but this cake is delicious straight from the oven. It can also be dressed up any way you want. We added chocolate chips to the batter, but you could also add chopped nuts, coconut, chopped fruit, or even mashed banana. We also served our cake with warm caramel sauce, but again, you could serve it with hot fudge sauce, chocolate sauce, ice cream, whipped cream, cherry sauce, glaze, or icing. You could also use cherries, toasted nuts, chocolate pieces, or sprinkles as garnishes. The possibilities are endless, and all of them work whether you serve the cake warm or cold. If you want something really quick, just sprinkle the top of the cake with some chocolate chips before baking, and when the cake comes out of the oven, spread the chocolate chips in an even layer with a knife for an instant icing.

Chocolate Snack Cake
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease a 9x9 inch pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the first five ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 14 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

Notes: I used chocolate milk in the cake, which seemed to work really well. I also added 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter. I used an 8x8 inch square pan instead of a 9x9 inch, which made the cake higher, but increased the baking time by about 4 minutes or so. The cake actually cuts quite neatly, even when piping hot. The recipes comes from Company's Coming "Sweet Cravings".

Paré, Jean. "Chocolate Snack Cake." Recipe. Sweet Cravings, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 2002. 22.