We call this cake Friday Cake* but we don't always make it on a Friday. It's been a favorite for years because the kids can make it in a bowl with a wooden spoon, or even mix it in the pan. It's meant to eat right away, a few days old and it's not as good. It's a dense cake, not light and fluffy, but is perfect for customizing and when you need a simple cake, fast. I think we have made just about every flavor we can think of. We don't always frost it. For a coffee cake, I add chocolate chips and cinnamon and a quick crumb topping. For a chocolate cake version I swap out 1/4 cup of the flour for unsweetened powder. I've added spices and nuts, swirled in jam, added lemon or orange zest—all that.
I printed recipe cards for this years ago that went with mailorder #3 and that's what we still use as the basis for this. I love it that all three girls can make it on their own. It's almost as magical as an easy-bake oven! But much better tasting. And becasue it makes a small 8" x 8" cake, it's easy to let them decide whatever they want to do. Usually there are sprinkles involved. It's small and easy to eat with no big commitment. It's just a Friday Cake.
The cake:
- 1 1/4 cups flour (I swap in up to a 1/2 cup of random whole grain flours)
- 1 cup sugar (we often mix half brown sugar half white)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup butter, melted (or oil)
- Mix it all directly in the greased 8"X 8" pan or in a bowl. It will be dry and sticky. Smooth it as best you can. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes. Check after 25 minutes, you know your oven better than I do.
To finish:
Your favorite glaze, frosting, or dusting of powdered sugar. I like to pour over hot caramel or fudge sauce. Or soft whipped cream on the side. Or bare naked. That's good too.
*I have an old blog post for a Friday cake, and while it is a real winner, it just happened to be made on a Friday, but is not what we mean when we say Friday Cake. I'm laughing that I have two different Friday Cake posts.
