Quick Chocolate Fix Cake

Every so often, a craving for something chocolate sets in when there is simply no chocolate in the house. Usually, it will go away given a bit of time (immediately going to bed helps to beat the craving, but it's hard to sleep comfortably more than twenty hours at a stretch).

To satisfy the craving, I sometimes throw together this cake. Cake is not my favorite sweet, so I can control my eating, but the chocolate hits the spot. My "dual manual" dishwasher appreciates that it's mixed in the baking pan, as well.

Quick Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350.

In an ungreased 8 x 8" pan, mix until well blended the following:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Make three depressions in the flour mixture. Pour more or less evenly into the depressions the following:
1/3 cup salad oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour one cup cold water over all.

Using a slotted spatula or a small spoon, mix ingredients thoroughly to form a batter.

Bake at 350 about 35 minutes - until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.

Most of the time, all of these ingredients on hand (nevermind telling me I could just make the cocoa for the chocolate fix - I rarely have milk in the house).

After putting it together tonight I'm pretty much out of white vinegar - it needs to get on the grocery list. Somehow I think making the cake with the rice, wine or balsamic vinegar that are on hand would not be the same.