The trouble with labor-saving devices is that often they create labor. Take, for example, my electric stand mixer.
My mother used to have one called the Mixmaster. It sat on the crowded countertop in our kitchen and was rarely used unless my grandmother wanted to whip up one of her sponges.
It took up so much space. My own very heavy mixer sits in a cabinet with pull out shelves. I had those installed to make it easier to lift out the mixer but it is so unwieldy that pulling it out is like wrestling with an elephant. So it was with joy that I found this recipe for the most delicious chocolate cake, made with three pieces of equipment – two mixing bowls and a whisk. And of course a baking container. I use a springform pan sitting on a cookie sheet to catch spills. My go-to cake pan is usually the springform. It prevents bits of cake from refusing to come out of the pan and makes a pretty presentation.
I’m making this cake for my birthday this week. Credit for the recipe goes to Helen Goh – and Yotam Ottolenghi for his adaptation, which appeared in The
