‘Crazy’ Chocolate Cake

This was the very first cake I made on my own when I was a kid. Since then I’ve baked a lot of chocolate cakes – most of them fancier and more complicated (especially after watching an episode of Bake Off ). They haven’t really been better, and they’ve definitely not been easier.

I’ve seen it by various other names, we always called it “crazy”. The only change I made from the original recipe I used as a child is that I use coconut oil in place of vegetable oil, and I cut the amount of soda since I now live at high altitude.

The icing recipe is the same one my grandmother used. It’s very much like old fashioned fudge (back before marshmallow fudge took over). I cook it a little longer than I used to, again, because of the altitude. My mother used to beat it over a pan of ice water to thicken it to frosting consistency, but I pour it on warm, so that some of the icing will soak into the cake before it cools. 

Blend dry ingredients in a 9×9 inch square baking pan. Make a well in the center and add the remaining ingredients. Blend with a fork.