Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

Despite the no-travel advisory, the hubby decided to make the 45-mile trek to work on the icy, snowy roads. To reward his bravado (stupidity?) – and to thank him for snowblowing the driveway and scooping the deck and shoveling a path for the puppies in the backyard, all while it was 8 degrees below zero with a -31 wind chill – I decided to bake him a cake in my nice warm kitchen. Yes, we both pull our fair share around here.

I’m not really a cake person, because I’m not really a frosting person. Which is why I love snack cake, sometimes called picnic cake. I’m assuming it got its various names because it’s typically moist enough that it doesn’t require frosting. So you can just pick it up and carry it around while you eat, and you can pack it fairly easily. Just guesses, mind you.

I got this recipe from a Taste of Home magazine years ago, and it's easy and fast and yummy. I should really bake it for the hubby more often. Plus, it makes an 8x8 pan, which we can easily devour before the cake goes stale. (Clarification: We devour the cake, not the pan.)

This would be a great recipe for the kiddies to assist with; they could help toss in the flour and sprinkle the cake with chocolate chips before it goes in the oven. That’s my favorite part. I excel at chocolate chip sprinkling.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
Serves 9

2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate
1¼ c. flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 egg
1 c. sugar
¾ c. cold water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 c. (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350, and grease an 8x8 pan (or spray it with cooking spray).

2. Melt chocolate in microwave and let cool 7-10 minutes.

3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

4. In a mixing bowl, beat egg and sugar. Beat in water and oil. Stir in melted chocolate and flour mixture. Mix until well blended.

5. Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Is this picture blurry, or are my eyes? I can’t tell. I’ve been awake too long. I think it might be the picture. Or maybe my eyes.

6. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool before serving.

And serve with cold milk. This is non-negotiable.