Busy Day Chocolate Cake

My Busy Day Chocolate Cake was inspired by my mother-in-law’s chocolate cake recipe that uses hot water.  I used to think tasty chocolate cakes were too labor-intensive to make from scratch. (Not sure why I thought that for so long, but I’m glad to have learned that the opposite is true!)

This recipe has the added benefit of a few healthier substitutions.  Instead of using all-purpose flour and refined white sugar, I use whole wheat pastry flour and sucanat natural sweetener.  The pastry flour provides a better texture for cake than just plain whole wheat flour (which tends to be really dense on its own).  The texture and taste remain wonderfully perfect!

I found the whole wheat pastry flour at Whole Foods Market, but you can probably find it elsewhere too.

I used a small amount of powdered sugar and a doily to make the design above.

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5 from 1 vote

Busy Day Chocolate Cake

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 slices

Author Bonnie Hershey

Ingredients

• 1 Cup whole wheat pastry flour plus extra for pan
• 1 Cup sucanat sweetener (or light brown sugar)
• 1/4 C plus 2 TBL high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 Cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 egg
• 1/2 Cup milk
• 1/2 Cup boiling water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour 8" round cake pan. Set aside.
• Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
• Add milk, egg, and butter to dry ingredients. Stir just until combined.
• Add boiling water last and mix in slowly.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Notes

Use powdered sugar or fresh cut strawberries to decorate and complement the delicate flavor of this cake!