Pan Cake. Not Pancake.

Ever heard of one-bowl chocolate cake? Of course you have. It's a simple recipe that can be mixed up in one bowl. But have you ever heard of a one-pan cake? Me neither! This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour and all the ingredients are mixed right into the very pan you bake it in. It sounded too good to be true so I tried it out, and it worked!

I took step by step photos of this one so you could see just how simple it really is. You mix it, bake it and serve it from straight from the same pan. Since it doesn't call for greasing the pan, you need to serve it from the pan, but if you want, you can mix it up in a bowl, then pour it into a greased pan for a nicer presentation. The hard working people at KAF made two cakes to show the difference, check it out here. This cake is great though because there aren't many dishes to clean up, nor do you need a bowl to make it.

Not only is this recipe unique and different, but it's vegan too. According to KAF, it's cholesterol free and if you use canola oil, then it's relatively low in saturated fat as well. It's tasty too and stays moist for days. I served this with Mexican style cinnamon chocolate ice cream, (which my momma loved and ate 3 bowls of in one night!) and some fudgy chocolate sauce from The Perfect Scoop. Simple and delicious and lusciously chocolatey!

Cake-Pan Cake from KAF

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• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup cold water, coffee, or milk

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

1. Measure all the dry ingredients into an 8" or 9" round or square cake pan. (If you use an 8-inch pan, make sure it's at least 2 inches deep, otherwise use a 9-inch pan.)

2. Blend the ingredients together thoroughly with a fork or whisk and scoop out three holes, or indentations.

3. Pour the vanilla into the first hole, the vinegar into the second, and the vegetable oil into the third.

4. Take the cup of cold liquid (water, coffee, milk, etc.) and pour it directly over everything in the pan. Note: If you've used espresso powder, adding coffee will make this a mocha cake.

5. Stir all the ingredients together with your fork or spatula until they are well blended.

6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Serve right from the pan; warm from the oven.

Yield: 8-12 servings.

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream adapted from Perfect Scoop

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• 2 cups heavy cream
• 6 Tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons Brandy

Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, then whisk until it is completely melted. Stir in the milk, vanilla, salt cinnamon, and Brandy. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend for 30 seconds, until very smooth.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Makes 1 quart.

NOTE: Ice cream is very rich and thick. You can opt to use half-n-half in place of the cream or add more milk for an icier texture.

Chocolate Sauce from Perfect Scoop

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• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 Tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges.

Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for 1 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator before using.

Use as a topping or swirl into any flavor ice cream.

Makes 1 cup.

Store for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.