Mama-made-easy Crazy cake

I found "The Everything Book" at our local library when I was a babysitting teenager. I loved the book so much and never forgot it, always wishing I had my own copy. So with some money I was given for the girls (and yes that was an ok way to spend the gift money, if you have clicked on the link, its a book full of things to do with kids) I bought a used copy from Amazon (since it's out of print) and this is a little recipe from the book. It is perfect for those days when I know The Man has worked extra hard and I want to have a little something special for his dinner, just so he knows how much he's appreciated. I've made it several times in the last few months. And a couple of those times I even whipped it up while breast feeding one of the girls. There are a couple of things to love about this cake.

• No preservatives or ingredients who's names you can't pronounce like a box mix might have
• EASY clean up
• Your kids can help...would be a great way to start teaching them to bake
• You probably already have all the ingredients
• Uses no egg or milk for those with food allergies, which also makes it less expensive
• VERY yummy

The recipe doubles well for a larger crowd, in a 13x9 pan. You want to make sure you don't over bake it though. Every oven is different so keep an eye on it. You'll know it's done when you touch the top with your finger and and firm. You know you've timed it right if its still a little fudgy on the bottom.

Directly into an 8-inch square cake pan measure and stir together
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons of cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Then measure the following ingredients directly into the pan:
1 teaspoon of vanilla
6 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup of cold water
Make sure you stir it well and catch the corners of the pan so you don't leave any dry powder there. You'll know it's well mixed when all the batter is the same consistency. When that's done tap the pan on the bottom and sides a few times to let some of the air bubbles come up and wipe down the sides so it looks pretty and clean after it's baked.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 mins

As good as this cake is, it's REALLY over the top with this Browned Butter frosting. Sounds a little odd I know, but that just makes it better to serve company, since they probably have never had it before. It tastes almost like the toffee in a Heath Bar. These portions are just barely enough to coat the 8 inch square cake, so if you like it thick, increase the quantity. If you make it a couple of times you'll be able to tell the proportions without even measuring, just by how it looks and feels.

Browned Butter Frosting
3 Tablespoons of butter
1 1/2 Cups of confectioners sugar
1 to 2 table spoons of milk, half and half, or evaporated milk
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat until it foams, bubbles and turns golden brown (if you do it too long and it gets little brown flecks, don't worry it will still taste good). Cool to room temperature. Combine butter sugar and vanilla. Beat to blend. Add 1 tablespoon of milk and beat till smooth. Add more milk a little at a time until the consistency is spreadable.
Enjoy!c