In Mexico, you will find the mixture of chocolate and cinnamon very popular in desserts. In Mexico you will find chocolate cinnamon ice cream, cakes, pies, you name it. Cinnamon has the added benefit of helping to control blood sugar from the high and lows and less fat storage. Here is a homemade cake recipe that requires no bowl and no beaters, so the cleanup is super easy. It contains no eggs or dairy; therefore, this is a great recipe for people with dairy or egg allergies. Does this sound wacky? That’s because it really is. This recipe can be traced back to the 1930s. It was invented by some smart cook during the great depression as a moist cake, which uses the most basic of ingredients. This recipe was also popular when many ingredients were scarce and rationed. It defies traditional food science cake-making principles, yet it delivers wonderful results, with minimal fuss or ingredients. Through the decades it has been called Wacky Cake. This cake became popular again in the 1970s and today it is again making its resurgence in trendy blogs. The one cup of water can be substituted with one cup of coffee or one-half cup coffee plus one-half cup water. This cake is not at its best when warm, but once cooled, it has been a family favorite for many generations. Top with a chocolate or vanilla icing and a sprinkling of cinnamon is a nice finishing touch. The real beauty of this cake is in its pure simplicity and old-fashioned taste. The texture is slightly spongy, moist and hearty. For additional chocolate flavour, you can stir in 3/4 of a cup of chocolate chips. For a gluten-free wacky cake, use one and a half cups of gluten-free pancake mix for the flour. I like using the gluten-free pancake mix, because all the different flours are premixed in the right proportions, so it saves lots of time. For a vanilla wacky cake omit the cocoa powder and cinnamon and double up on the vanilla.
Mexican Wacky Cake
1 1/2 cup unbleached flour (or all purpose)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda cinnamon and salt in the bottom of an 8 x 8 “baking pan. Smooth out the dry ingredients and make three depression wells in the dry ingredients. Put the oil in one well, the vanilla in one well and the vinegar in the last well. Pour the water over the entire pan and then mix well until smooth. Bake on the middle rack of your oven for approximately 25 -30 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.