You need a good chocolate cake recipe....

Here is what the hand written recipe looks like when I pull it from my antiquated recipe box...

The box belonged to my husband's grandmother.  We called her Mor Mor.  She loved me.  I loved her.  She was just what I needed in my life.  She taught me to cook in her antiquated Pyrex....

She taught me how to bake this cake.  It has no eggs , milk or butter.  It is divine.  I promise.

Now I need to tell you something and I do not want you to freak out...especially if you are a baker.  You are going to mix everything in the same bowl...all at once.  Breathe deep.

3 cups of all purpose flour
2 cups of sugar
6 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons of fresh baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of this lovely concoction...

Ground espresso is a baking savior.

Then come the wet ingredients, but I should tell you they are a little different.  They include...

distilled white vinegar.  

Mor Mor said she could find it through the war.  Not eggs or butter, but vinegar.

1/2 cup safflower oil
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of filtered water
2 Tablespoons of distilled white vinegar

Look at the bubble once you add the vinegar....

Now I stir this by hand with a wire whisk...

Why do I do that?  Because Mor Mor did it.  Please feel free to use your stand mixer and beat until the mixture is smooth.

Now onto another confession.  I am baking the cake in this....

It is a 9" x 13" baking pan that I am taking in to work.  I would normally use a pyrex pan, but I also need to take it and leave it. Spray the pan evenly with a non-stick baking spray and then pour the batter evenly into the pan.

Many of you may think this is a baking no-no, but to make up for the lack of heat distribution I do this....

While the oven is preheating to 350 degrees, I add a baking stone to the oven and bake the cake on top of it.  Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Let it cool before you pour over the ganache.

Now onto the ganache....

I am not Ina Garten or Martha Stewart.  I am a full time teacher and have some short cuts.  So to get this ganache, I start by heating 1 cup of half and half in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds.  My microwave is pretty strong.  So make sure your half and half is nice and warm.  Then I pour a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in and begin to whisk.

Once the mixture is smooth and makes ribbons when you lift the whisk, you can pour it over your cooled cake.

Spread the ganache evenly using on off-set spatula.  Then let the ganache set for a few hours before you slice into the cake.

I smell it and I think of her kitchen, her way of teaching, and I think of how I wish she was here.  For now we have cake and that will have to be enough.

I hope you enjoy this cake that we call Pantry Cake or Emergency Chocolate cake!

Post a comment below once you have tried it to tell me how it turned out!

From the teacher, 

Athena