I am not a cake baker, just ask my family. I can make pies and nearly always have them come out perfect, but cakes elude me. However, sometimes cake is the only dessert that will fill the bill. You know, when you have some vanilla ice cream in the freezer calling to you.
I also collect cook books, so when I saw this recipe in the latest edition to my collection I had to try it - not expecting a good result. It turned out fabulous! So, of course, I have to share.
The cook book is "THE ESSENTIAL NEW YORK TIMES COOK BOOK, Classic Recipes for a New Century" by Amanda Hesser. This is a whopper of a cook book, having over 900 pages.
On page 779 is a simple recipe for something called "AMAZON CAKE" (cocoa cake). Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons corn oil
1 cup cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cider vinegar (all I had is white vinegar)
Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)
1. Heat the over to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar and salt.
2. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the oil, water, vanilla and vinegar. Whisk in the dry ingredients, blending until completely lump-free. Pour into the prepared pand and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top springs back when pressed gently.
3. Cool on a rack before removing from the pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar or frost as desired.
I didn't want to heat up my kitchen too much so I baked this in my combination toaster over/bread maker. I set the timer for 30 minutes and waited. It rose beautifully. At the end of 30 minutes I checked it. It wasn't quite ready so I reset for another 2 minutes. When the buzzer went off, the cake was perfect.
As the cake cooled, it deflated a little but it was a gorgeous, single layer cake. I couldn't believe it.
My husband, the dessert expert, said it was "great" (about the best rating he ever gives).
It lasted us 3 days, at which time he exclaimed "It remained moist, but still had a little crunch on the top."
I don't know why it's called Amazon - except it's amazing.
I will bake this cake again.
Perhaps next time I'll cut it in half then frost and stack the halves as layers. The batter might even work as cupcakes!
Good Baking!
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