Cockeyed cake with sour-cream frosting

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

1½ cups flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch-process)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons cooking oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup cold water

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

× teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup sour cream (approximately)

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square pan. (If you want to be fancy and unmold the cake, line the pan with foil and grease the foil.)

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar and salt into the pan. Make three dents in this dry mixture and pour the oil into one, the vinegar into the second and the vanilla in the third. Pour the cold water over it all. Mix with a spoon, making sure to get into the corners, until it's nearly smooth and you can't see the flour. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan (or, with the aid of the foil, remove from the pan to a wire rack while still warm). Frost or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

For the frosting: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and vanilla. Whisk in sour cream, a tablespoonful at a time, until it is spreadable.

Adapted from the I Hate to Cook Book by Peg Bracken

Nutrition facts per serving: 354 calories, 10 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 63 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 344 mg sodium, 2 g fiber