Little Jack’s Corner

Last Friday, March 7, the Ultimate Blog Party (running through this Friday, March 14) started at www.5MinutesforMom.com - and gave hundreds of blogging women all over the world the chance to jump in and cyberparty at their own blog.  The only requirement to put your link up on their website’s Mr. Linky is to have your own starting party post introducing people with your blog.  

(Here is our original party post, if you haven’t visited yet!)

In the true party spirit though, I’ve done a few extra party posts just for fun!  (See here and here).

Today, I’m posting my favorite (and easiest) chocolate cake recipe. :)  I found it at Recipezaar.com and it quickly became a family favorite (and my husband doesn’t normally even like chocolate!).  Being a gestational diabetic, I haven’t made sugar loaded dessert in a few months - but as soon as the baby arrives it’s coming back as a dessert staple!  (View the original recipe here).

If you read my One Pot Complete Chicken Meal post, you’ll know that I am a fan of the pump & dump cooking method.  What is that? you might ask…. That is where something is so easy that only minimum effort is required to cook something delicious - just a few quick dumps of some special ingredients (sometimes you measure, sometimes you don’t).

This recipe is really that simple as well!  It comes out beautifully, with a creamy frosting, yummy moist inner cake, and a rich chocolate pudden sauce at the bottom. I usually put it in a blue willow teacup, top with whipped cream, and serve.

And it’s done all in the crock pot, leaving you time to take care of more important things.

CHOCOLATE CAKE IN A CROCK POT

Ingredients

* Notes:  I use self-rising and it works fine - just omit the baking powder and salt.  Any type of milk will also work, and I typically use (reconstituted) powdered.

1 cup all-purpose flour 
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soymilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups hot water

Directions:

Spray crock pot insert with cooking spray.
Mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in bowl.
Stir in milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
Pour batter into crock pot insert.
Mix brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa in bowl (make sure there are no big lumps). Sprinkle over batter.
Pour hot water over contents of crockpot - DO NOT STIR!
Cook on high for 2 hours or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Remove lid of crock pot and let stand for 30 minutes.
Spoon cake into bowls. Spoon sauce over top.
Great on its own; also yummy with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.