Oh Chocolatey-est of the Chocolatey

Oh, I was craving chocolate cake this past weekend, especially after the KILLER hangover I had on Friday (don't mix your booze, kids).

This craving gave me the excuse to try out a recipe I've been dying to have go at for ages, adapted from Regan Daley's book, In the Sweet Kitchen. This recipe just happens to be for the richest, most moist, and most massive chocolate cake I've eaten in ages, and the optional chocolate butter icing only enhances its chocolate qualities. However, if you do choose to go icing-free, then guess what! It's completely vegan-friendly!! Isn't that nice?!

All prepared and cooked in this pan. Hooray for less washing up!

All-in-the-Pan Chewy Chocolate Cake

3 cups/12 oz/375 g flour

2 cups/14 oz/400 g sugar

1/2 cup/3 1/2 oz/100 g unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup/6 fl oz/180 ml vegetable oil

2 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

FOR THE ICING (It's dayum good but–I will say– if you're more a fan of the sponge, you can do without this)

1/2 cup/4 oz/125 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

4 cups/28 oz/800 g confectioners sugar

4-6 tbsp milk

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC/Gas mark 4. Sift the flour into a large, ungreased baking pan.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt with either a whisk or a fork. Add this mixture to the flour in the pan and whisk again to blend the ingredients.

3. With the back of a teaspoon, make three wells in the mix– one large, one medium-sized, and one small. In the large well add the vegetable oil, in the medium the vinegar, and in the small the vanilla. Then, pour the water over the whole thing. Stir the mixture with a fork until well-blended. Be sure to reach into the corners to catch any dry ingredients. Mix it just until most of the lumps have gone and the mixture is even throughout the pan (no overly thick or think batter anywhere).

4. Place in the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top is slightly springy when touched with your finger. Allow to cool completely before icing.

5. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 2 cups of the confectioners sugar until the butter is evenly distributed. Stir in 2 tbsp of milk, and then sift the cocoa powder over the mix and cream to blend. Add the vanilla and the rest of the sugar. Mix well. Add as much of the remaining milk as required to make a thick butter icing.