Double Chocolate Snack Cake

This double chocolate snack cake is an egg-free, butter-free wonder that mixes up in one bowl and bakes in a simple 8-inch square pan. The “double” comes from cocoa powder in the batter plus a layer of semi-sweet chocolate chips scattered on top that sink slightly as they melt, creating pockets of gooey chocolate throughout.

The vinegar and baking soda reaction provides all the rise this cake needs. No eggs, no creaming butter. Just stir the wet into the dry, beat until smooth, and pour. That simplicity is the whole point.

Brown sugar gives this a deeper, more molasses-rich flavor than white sugar would. Combined with cocoa powder and vanilla, it bakes into a dense, fudgy square that lands somewhere between a brownie and a cake.

Pro Tips

• Don’t skip the vinegar. It reacts with the baking soda to create lift, and you won’t taste it in the finished cake.
• Check with a toothpick at 35 minutes. Overbaking turns fudgy into dry.
• Let the cake cool in the pan before cutting for cleaner squares.

Variations

• Chocolate Banana version: Replace half the water with mashed ripe banana for a moister, denser cake with fruity sweetness.
• Stir in a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch.
• Dust with powdered sugar or spread with chocolate frosting for a more dressed-up finish.