Mexican Chocolate Cake for Cinco de Mayo

Why is this cake called a "Mexican" chocolate cake?

Because Mexican chocolate has cinnamon in the recipe. It's absolutely delicious, if you can find it, it comes in little round discs. It can be quite pricey in the gourmet shops, unless you can find it in a good Latino grocery store.

This cake has a nice kick to it, not your typical chocolate cake.
I used ancho chili powder from New Mexico, and it works so well with the chocolate, trust me.

You may think I made a mistake by omitting the eggs, but there are none in the recipe, strangely enough.

This made a rich, moist, complex cake, and we loved it.

You can make a ganache, but I like this with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Mexican Chocolate Cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground Mexican chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat an 8-inch round cake or tart pan with cooking spray.

Combine all the cake ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.

Pour into the pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

I'll be sure to have a margherita tonight to celebrate with my cake!

Disfrutar!