valentines chocolate cake

I'm not the sort of person who takes shortcuts in the kitchen. If I have to melt chocolate, I find it easier to use a double boiler instead of the microwave. If I want chocolate cake I don't buy a box of Dunan Hines. I'm not stating this as a point of personal pride, but rather out of necessity because if a recipe is too easy I inevitably screw it up. Every batch of Rice Krispie Squares I've made has been a disaster, but I don't bat an eyelash at tackling divinity. I guess I need a little challenge in my life to get things right. Or maybe I just love the process of creating delicious food and need to be engaged in order to be successful. Whatever the reason, it's getting a little more difficult to take on time-consuming challenges in the kitchen between motherhood and my 9-5 job. 

But I may have discovered the happy medium in this Busy Day Chocolate Cake that falls just short of boxed cake and icing. I was picking through Mad Hungry on the weekend and became intrigued by a chocolate cake recipe that didn't require eggs or butter. Not only that - it is mixed in the very pan it bakes! No clean-up dance!! In a matter of minutes I got to work on making my Valentines chocolate cake.

Now for the frosting. On the theme of quick and easy I chose to make 7 Minute Frosting from Everyday Food March 2005. This frosting is a meringue style frosting that whips over a double boiler till it quadruples in volume. Seven minutes only indicates the amount of time you whip this frosting on the double boiler - then another 3 after that. And, in my case, another 7 minutes cleaning frosting splatters off the backsplash & counter from the hand mixer. This frosting is exactly what I like, light and guilt-free. 

As for the cake, it's quite good for something so simple and old-fashioned. It tastes like a traditional chocolate cake similar to a boxed kind with a spongy texture and mellow chocolate flavour. It certainly isn't as delicious as the two chocolate cakes from Everyday Food or The Cake Bible, but for a one pan wonder with pantry staples, this works just fine!

note: OK, the whole cake is eaten and I immediately want to make another... yeah, it's good!