Sometimes, when you make a cake, even if it’s a very simple cake, life’s circumstances make it a very difficult task.

Yesterday, with my hair in a ponytail and my sweatpants covered in chili that Ada decided looked better on my lap, I threw sugar and flour and cocoa into a baking dish with the hopes that I could enjoy a warm chocolatey treat with a cup of tea at naptime (which, on this day, could not come soon enough).

I convinced Ada she could best help by rearranging the Tupperware cupboard.  This works nearly every time.

This is a recipe from the book that I’m giving away for my one month blogiversary contest, called “Musicians, Memories and Morsels” – full of recipes and stories from East Coast musicians.  It’s one contributed by Melanie Doane which was a favourite of hers growing up.  For those of you who haven’t entered the contest yet:  just recommend my blog to a friend.  When they “follow” it (by clicking “follow” when they visit), you will be entered into a draw to win the cookbook.  The draw is on February 15th.  (um, by the way, most of you who’ve recommended the blog to someone – they haven’t “followed” yet…don’t forget that detail!).

On with the cake:

Here’s what you need:

For the cake –

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup all purpose white flour

2 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. oil

For the pudding-y part –

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

Here’s what you do:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Mix all the cake ingredients together and place in a greased 8 x 8 dish.

Now combine the brown sugar and cocoa and sprinkle over the cake mixture.

Pour two cups of water over top of the whole thing and bake for 40 minutes.

This cake is really easy to make.  Especially if your kid doesn’t get bored of the Tupperware in the ten minutes it takes to throw the ingredients together.  It’s spongy, rich with chocolate flavour, and surprises with a creamy pudding-like consistency at the bottom.  This would be really good served warm with ice cream.

Or, inhaled between sips of tea during what turned out to be a twenty minute nap.  I am just so, so thankful those twenty minutes involved chocolate.

Recipe adapted from Musicians, Memories and Morsels:  An East Coast Story Cook Book.