I have found it! I kid you not. And not only does it require no food processor, no mixer, and no mixing bowl, it is also vegan. Pick yourself off the floor and keep on reading!

I have made this recipe twice in less than a week, and served it at Crafts and Crumbs to one vegan and the rest carnivores. Amidst plates of crumbs, I was not the only one to say “this is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.” I adapted it slightly from my vegetarian cookbook’s recipe for Wacky Cake, the name referring to the fact that you stir all the ingredients in the baking dish you are using. (You can use a mixer if you want). Their recipe uses milk and butter, which I have changed to soy milk and margarine, but there are no eggs in either! (Of course, you can use milk and butter if you have no vegan restrictions!) I have decorated mine with Halloween sprinkles, courtesy of Target, but this was purely for photographing purposes (and they may not be vegan!) Here goes:

Cake Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar

Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp margarine
2 tbsp soy milk
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In an 8X8 square pan/dish, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt with a fork, making sure it is really blended together. Add the water, vanilla, oil, and vinegar, and again, mix together so that it’s really blended together. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides if necessary.

Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Cool on a rack completely (2 hours).

For the glaze, in a small saucepan, bring sugar, margarine, milk, and cocoa to a boil. Stir frequently; then reduce heat to a simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. It’ll look gloppy, but it’s just the bubbles! Remove from heat and stir for another 5 minutes.

Add vanilla, stir, and immediately pour onto cake. Glaze dries really quickly, so spread it immediately and add any sprinkles now. You’re supposed to let this cool for an 1 hour, but I couldn’t wait!

This is one of those desserts that actually tastes better and more moist the following day.