This is a cake with basic ingredients that anyone can throw together at the last minute. The bonus is that in addition to the few number of ingredients, it's very fast and easy to make.
Today, K and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary (or birthday, as I like to call them) one day early. We were discussing what to have for dinner - one of my favorite conversation topics - and getting excited about all the possibilities when, at the end of the discussion, I blurted out, "And chocolate cake for dessert!" His eyes gleamed and he exclaimed, "Hell yeah!" This was all well and good until I remembered that I'd decided that I wasn't going to leave the apartment for the rest of the day. Hmm. Problem. What if I didn't have all the necessary ingredients?
I pored through my cookbooks and did some research online. I'm not a pro baker, but I figured I could gather the basics of a cake, and whip something together. It didn't have to be a show stopper, just a good, basic, yummy cake. Essentially, a lazy cake, or as I've named it, a Rainy Day Birthday Cake. (Yes, it was raining outside.) I had to forgo the chocolate since I didn't have any on hand, but that's okay. K loved it. I did, too. Happy birthday, honey.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons of real butter, softened
1/3 cup of white granulated sugar
1/3 cup of packed, dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of whole milk
Directions
1. Turn oven on to 300 degrees.
2. Whip the butter until smooth and creamy. (Mind you, I am stubborn and still do all my mixing, whipping, creaming, etc. manually, but you are welcome to embrace technology and use an electric mixer. You're also supposed to leave the butter out and let it get to room temperature, but I'm an impatient, last-minute cook. I microwave the butter for 30 seconds to get the right consistency. You want to be able to press your finger into the butter and be able to make a small indent. You do NOT want liquid butter. That will totally change the consistency of your cake.)
3. Add the sugar to the butter and whip until it's light. Once the mixture is light, beat in the egg, and then the vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture bit by bit, alternating with the milk. Keep stirring until the batter is smooth.
5. Pour the cake batter into a 9" round metal pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. When you stick a fork in it, a couple crumbs should hold onto the fork. If the fork is totally clean, the cake may be overdone and dry.
Today, K and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary (or birthday, as I like to call them) one day early. We were discussing what to have for dinner - one of my favorite conversation topics - and getting excited about all the possibilities when, at the end of the discussion, I blurted out, "And chocolate cake for dessert!" His eyes gleamed and he exclaimed, "Hell yeah!" This was all well and good until I remembered that I'd decided that I wasn't going to leave the apartment for the rest of the day. Hmm. Problem. What if I didn't have all the necessary ingredients?
I pored through my cookbooks and did some research online. I'm not a pro baker, but I figured I could gather the basics of a cake, and whip something together. It didn't have to be a show stopper, just a good, basic, yummy cake. Essentially, a lazy cake, or as I've named it, a Rainy Day Birthday Cake. (Yes, it was raining outside.) I had to forgo the chocolate since I didn't have any on hand, but that's okay. K loved it. I did, too. Happy birthday, honey.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons of real butter, softened
1/3 cup of white granulated sugar
1/3 cup of packed, dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of whole milk
Directions
1. Turn oven on to 300 degrees.
2. Whip the butter until smooth and creamy. (Mind you, I am stubborn and still do all my mixing, whipping, creaming, etc. manually, but you are welcome to embrace technology and use an electric mixer. You're also supposed to leave the butter out and let it get to room temperature, but I'm an impatient, last-minute cook. I microwave the butter for 30 seconds to get the right consistency. You want to be able to press your finger into the butter and be able to make a small indent. You do NOT want liquid butter. That will totally change the consistency of your cake.)
3. Add the sugar to the butter and whip until it's light. Once the mixture is light, beat in the egg, and then the vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture bit by bit, alternating with the milk. Keep stirring until the batter is smooth.
5. Pour the cake batter into a 9" round metal pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. When you stick a fork in it, a couple crumbs should hold onto the fork. If the fork is totally clean, the cake may be overdone and dry.
{ baked to a golden brown perfection :) }
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