Easy Chocolate Cake

This week, I needed a chocolate cake recipe that could be easily prepared with very little mess.  I found this recipe, and as always made some adjustments.  Although it is not a super rich chocolate cake, it is very moist, and works as a perfect base cake if you have other dessert items to add to it.
Bonus: It's vegan!

One Pan Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 1/2 cup Cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup Canola oil
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cups Water, with 1 Tbsp Instant Coffee or Espresso added
• 1 cup Milk 
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. sift all of the dry ingredients in an ungreased 9" X13" pan
3. add all of the wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, and let cool before serving.

Notes:

• You could use vegetable oil, or even sunflower oil for this cake.  Just make sure it is a neutral tasting oil. 
• If you don't have lemon juice on hand, white vinegar will do the trick for this cake
• In order for this cake to be vegan, just replace the milk with water.  I used milk because i found it gave the cake a slightly richer texture, but it will be just as tasty with only water.

The cake it THAT simple.  The best part is there are no dishes to clean up after making this cake other than measuring cups, baking utensils, and the pan you cooked it in.  I think that this cake is delicious with the addition of:

• Raspberries and vanilla or chocolate ice cream (or both?!)
• Carmel sauce
• Any fruit
• Chocolate buttercream frosting
• Whipped cream

Enjoy!