Chocolate Happiness

When I was growing up my parents had this old cookbook in the house.  It wasn't a cookbook in the sense of Joy of Cooking, but more like a magazine.  It was called The Chuck Wagon Cookbook.  It was an 8.5 x 11 size, with thick glossy, dark pictures of cowboys cooking over campfires along side their wagons.  It had the best chili recipe, ever, in it.

Actual photo from the book I found on-line.

Aside from the chili it had recipes for various other yummies, include this one called Stir Crazy Cake.  This cake is the first thing I ever cooked on my own, and one I still get a craving for from time to time.

This recipe is ridiculously easy, doesn't require a lot of bowls, and greasing, frosting, and so on.  In fact it only requires a handful of ingredients, all of which are pantry staples and requires no eggs or butter.  Everything is mixed in the pan you bake it in.

In an 13 x 9 inch METAL baking pan combine the dry goods:
2-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
0.5 tsp salt

Stir and make three wells and add one each of the following to each well
1 tbs vanilla
2 tbs vinegar
2/3 cup oil

(This is the neat part if your making it with your kids, watching the chemical reaction of the baking soda and vinegar.)

Pour 2 cups cold water (or cold coffee - surprisingly I have never done it this way) over the top and combine.  But don't over mix.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.  (This makes the yummiest crust, so don't skip this step.)

Bake in a 350F (preheated) oven for 35 to 40 minutes.

Yum, yum and oh yeah.... yum!!!  You know you want to go run and try this NOW.  Like right, right now.