Treats & Trinkets: Busy-Day S'mores Cake #SundaySupper

I don't know about you guys, but my life's been super busy right now. The job's been running me ragged: I'm training yet another temp, and last week we had about 60 drug reps in for training. I don't know how drug reps are in the real world, but in training classes, they're worse than teenagers. But not just any teenagers, the really obnoxious teenagers who think they're the shiz and can do no wrong. Absolutely no consideration for anyone beyond themselves, obsessed with their own appearance, and don't get me started on the sheer amount of cologne they bathe in each morning.

Then I have all the prep for NYCC coming up. That's been a lot of fun, but it's still taking up a lot of my time. Oh, and it's October, so that means it's time for my annual "I don't have a plot" freak out. *spastic flailing* Right on schedule.

And now I'm coming up on car troubles, so suffice it to say, cooking or baking anything too involved hasn't been too high on my to-do list.

Thankfully, this week's #SundaySupper theme of One-Pot Meals, hosted by Amy of kimchi MOM, has got my back. I think we can all agree that the absolute worst part of cooking is the cleaning, so the fewer dishes I have to wash means much less stress for me. And I could use less stress at the moment. *more spastic flailing*

My friend actually pointed me in the direction of this cake from Lucinda Scala Quinn, saying that it was her favorite chocolate cake recipe, and didn't even require a mixing bowl. Everything is whisked together in the pan you bake it in.

My only conundrum then was how to frost it. I could use my very favorite chocolate frosting recipe (which, fittingly, is Hershey's One Bowl Buttercream), but that would involve using a separate bowl and an electric mixer. I thought about maybe melting chocolate chips on top before taking it out of the oven. That's when I thought of using marshmallows. Nice, toasty marshmallows on top, all melty and gooey, who needs frosting?

Adding a couple crushed graham crackers (and some chocolate chips, because more chocolate is never wrong) makes a very simple, very easy, and very delicious s'mores cake.

The cake really is the star, though. It's so easy to make, and uses such basic ingredients, but you get this moist, tender, flavorful chocolate cake that tastes like you slaved over it all day. Then the graham crackers and toasted marshmallows on top give it a nice added texture and layer of flavor that complements the cake well.

This is some seriously good cake, people. And at only 10 minutes of hands on work, there's no excuse not to make it. Plus, if you sub in some vegetarian marshmallows, the cake is vegan. No eggs or dairy to be found.

Seriously, make this cake.

Busy-Day S'mores Cake
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
1½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 heaping tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. fine ground sea salt
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup cold water
8-12 graham crackers, roughly crushed
Approx. ½ cup mini marshmallows
Approx. ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch square pan with non stick foil or parchment paper. Sift the dry ingredients together directly into the pan. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Whisk together until well combined.

Bake for 35 minutes. Sprinkle the top with graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate chips if using. Bake for another 5 minutes, until the marshmallows start to turn golden brown. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Note: The cake is easier to cut after it's completely cooled, or even chilled. However, the cake is gooey, messy deliciousness while still a bit warm. Your choice.

Recipe adapted from MarthaStewart.com