Allergy Free Chocolate Cake

I love cake.....like really love it. Anthony Bordain often speaks of his 'death row' meal, the meal you would request right before you get fried, and I think chocolate cake with whipped cream and strawberries would be just that. In my house we grew up eating (and still eat every birthday) Chuckie's Chocolate Cake. My aunt first introduced my mom to this cake, and it has made many appearances ever since. I'm sure every family has a version of this cake, often called depression cake or whacky cake. It's very simple to make, as it contains ingredients that you have kicking around in your pantry. It also doesn't contain any perishable ingredients like butter, milk or eggs, so it's economical as well! Since it doesn't contain milk or butter, it's deliciously dairy free!

This cake is very dense (it's wonderful in character pans) and chocolatey and takes no time to make. I have made this as cupcakes and even quadrupled the recipe to make a giant cake. It's very adaptable. I have made this recipe with spelt flour as well as a gluten free flour mixture and they both tasted just like the regular version. It's so easy to make, that you can even mix it right in the pan you are going to bake it in!

I can no longer have whipped cream, which makes me very sad. Whipped cream and strawberries with cake is the best thing ever. Recently I found a great substitute for whipped cream. Nutriwhip is a product that can be whipped just like whipped cream, and it tastes pretty much like whipped cream. I used to use Cool-Whip, but then I found out that there was casein in it. I like Nutriwhip because you can whip the amount you need and put the rest in the fridge.

The combination of cake, Nutriwhip and fresh local strawberries is the ultimate dessert for me. Once strawberries came into season, I needed my fix!

Chuckie's Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 c flour

1 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

6 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon white vinegar

In an 8 inch square pan stir dry ingredients. Make a well. Add wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.