You can whip up this cake in no time. It freezes well too. To fancy up the cake, frost it cake or dust it with powdered sugar. Add some berries and call it a day.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1stick4 oz unsalted butter, or ½ cup neutral oil
¾cup2.5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ¾cups8.75 oz all-purpose flour, gluten-free flour blend (such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1), or 1 ¾ cups (8.25 oz) pastry flour
1cup7 oz sugar
1teaspoonbaking soda
Brimming ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Optional add-ins: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,⅓ cup chopped crystallized ginger, or ½ cup chocolate chips
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350F. Oil an 8 or 9-inch, high-sided round cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Flour the pan, tap out the excess flour.
If using butter, melt it in a small pan and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a bowl, sift together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the add-ins, if any. Make a well in the center.
Add the buttermilk (or buttermilk and egg), melted butter, and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients to moisten all dry ingredients well.
Pour into the prepared cake pan, spreading the thick batter out to the edge. Bang the pan on your counter to even things out.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (the 8-inch pan will take close the maximum time), until the cake has risen, feels dry to the touch, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 to 20 minutes before unmolding onto a plate. Cool completely before cutting and serving.
Notes
See the main post if you need ingredient substitution tips.