Guest Bloggers: Heidi and Maude’s Crazy Cake

Ta da! It’s hard to beat the look of pride on Maude’s face as she presents the fab birthday cake she and her Mum whipped up for her dad’s birthday. Maude is one of Esme’s besties and her little brother Ford is about the same age as Esme’s little bro Julian. One of the many reasons why it’s easy for our families to hang out together is that we have a pretty similar approach to parenting, which is to say all over important issues like nutrition, manners, sharing and once in awhile letting it all hang out. In this case, with a big fat chocolate cake for a birthday treat. So, I pass it over to Heidi.

A Crazy Cake for Andrew’s Birthday

This is the cake my mom made for me every birthday (it was her grandmother’s recipe). She would wrap quarters in wax paper and hide them in the batter. Given the ingredients it is pretty amazing how yummy it is. If you want to be really virtuous you could use whole wheat flour – it gives it a nutty flavour – and of course swap white for brown sugar. I have a recipe for chocolate icing, but have to admit to buying betty crocker today – I got lazy at the 11th hour. While the cake was in the oven, Maude and I decorated the table for Andrew. It was a spectacular event. Maude was very proud.

Crazy Cake

1 1/2 cups of sifted flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Bake in a greased 9x9x2 pan

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl.

Make three grooves into the dry mixture.

Into one, pour oil, into the next the vinegar and the last the vanilla, then pour cup of cold water over it all. Beat with a spoon.

Pour into greased 9 x 9 x 2 baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour