{recipe} Simple One Bowl Chocolate Cake

Sometimes I want chocolate cake, and I kind of want it now - the craving hit and it makes me cranky because I live in the middle of nowhere so I there is no decent chocolate cake near by, and also if I were to make it, well it would take ages and be a whole process.  So I decided why can't there be a super simple one bowl, extremely chocolaty moist cake - that also takes almost no time to throw together chocolate cake.  I scoured high and low for some ideas and inspirations, and well boom - I was inspired.  Hello, tiny single chocolate cake that only takes a few minutes to add everything together, and a few more minutes to bake.  It is also the perfect size, so nothing goes to waste, and it is gone before it can cause to much damage.  So stop everything at this minute, and go and make this cake - you will thank me later.

SIMPLE ONE BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKE:
* makes 1 square cake (9x9 inch square pan)

6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp raw cane sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yoke
3/4 cup sour cream + 1 1/2 tbsp whole milk to thin it out a little
1/2 cup dutch cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted (I use King Arthur flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder (make sure is it aluminium free)
1/4 tsp baking soda (Bob's Red Mill is my favorite brand)
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

3 oz chocolate chunks, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
sprinkles (I use these dye-free sprinkles, they are my favorite)

* I recommend using organic/grass-fed/high quality ingredients from reputable companies when feasible.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line the bottom of your square cake pan with unbleached wax paper,  grease the wax paper as well as the exposed sides of the cake pan with butter.

In the bowl of a stand-mixer (this is the one I own and love) cream the brown sugar, cane sugar, and butter together until fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, add the egg, egg yoke, and vanilla extract, mix till combined.  Add the sour cream (thinned out with 1 1/2 tbsp of whole milk) and mix to combine once more.  Scrape the sides of the bowl down. It is ok if the batter looks slightly uneven.   Sift the all-purpose flour, dutch cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt over the batter.  Stir on low until combines, and scrape down the bowl one final time.

Scoop the batter into the prepared square cake pan, and smooth over.  Bake the cake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester placed in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the square cake pan for 10-15 minutes, then flip the cake out onto a cooling rack, and let the cake cook completely.

To make the frosting, add the softened butter, sifted powdered sugar, melted chocolate chunks, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and celtic sea salt to the bowl of a stand-mixer.  Beat together until completely smooth.

Scoop the frosting onto the completely cooled chocolate cake, and swirl the frosting around, until desired pattern is reached.   Finish with the dye-free sprinkles.

Store the cake in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.