Dairy-free Chocolate 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
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tbsp non-dairy butter alternative
2 tbsp rice or soy milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Note: if you don’t care to make it dairy free, use butter in place of the margarine, and whatever milk you prefer.

bake it!

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In an 8 X 8 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 will look bubbly. Remove from heat and stir for another 5 minutes.

Add vanilla, stir, and immediately pour onto cake. The glaze dries quickly, so spread it immediately.