ONE - BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKE

What a fun Valentine's Day I am going to have! My day is starting off with a fun morning playing with my local grandchildren Madison (Maddy) and Tyler. 

The last two years I had fun being creative for my grandchildren for Valentine's Day...LAST YEAR "Some Valentine Fun" and YEAR BEFORE LAST "A Hug from Grandmother". This year I had so much going on that I just got cards for all of them and added some money for each. 

When my son sent me a text inviting me to come up this morning, I decided to something special for them. I had this recipe for a one-bowl chocolate cake that I found Wednesday and thought about making it in a heart shaped pan. The only problem was I don't have a heart shaped pan. Have seen plenty at estate sales, but never bought one. I know how to take a square pan and a round pan and make a heart shaped cake, but that takes more batter than this recipe makes. I would have to mix up two of them and I didn't want to do that.

So last night I made the cake in one 9 - inch round cake pan as directed in the recipe last night. This morning I used my metal heart cookie cutter and cut some chocolate Valentine hearts out to take to them. My husband and I will enjoy the scraps. I think they will like them. They always love and are very appreciative for whatever I bring them to eat. I will try to add a picture of them later this afternoon.

ONE - BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKE

3/4      cup + 2 tablespoons whole - wheat pastry flour
1/2       cup granulated sugar
1/3       cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1           teaspoon baking powder
1           teaspoon baking soda
1/4       teaspoon salt
1/2       cup nonfat buttermilk
1/2       cup packed light brown sugar
1           large egg, slightly beaten
2          tablespoons canola oil
1           teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2       cup hot strong black coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 - inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of wax paper.

TIP! Place the cake pan right side up on a piece of wax paper and run around the bottom edge with a pen several times to make sure you have completely marked the bottom.

Cut on the mark with a pair of scissors and check to see if it fits in the bottom of the pan.

Then spray the bottom with cooking spray and replace wax paper on the bottom.

Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Add the buttermilk, brown sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla.

Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add hot coffee 

and beat to blend. (The batter will be quite thin.)

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (A few crumbs is okay.)

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Remove from the pan, 

and peel off the wax paper. (I had to run a knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen cake.) 

and let the cake cool completely.

Dust the top with powered sugar before slicing.

To make the hearts, I used my metal heart cookie cutter and just "cut" out as many as I could (6). The 5th one I cut didn't want to release easily from the cutter so I lifted it out. Because the cake is so moist, some stayed on the platter. So I ran my long spatula under the rest to lift them out. 

I will go on and take them the extra two....

because this is what my husband and I can enjoy.

Now if I could only see my CO grandchildren today, my day would be complete as we are having dinner with close friends this evening.

I hope your day is everything you wished for. Happy Valentine's Day, 2015.