Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 1 cup castor sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt (try this amount, can go to 1/2)

• 1 cup water

• 1/3 cup oil (grapeseed works well)

• 1 tablespoon nice, mild tasting vinegar

• 1 tablespoon vanila

• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. Mix or sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Measure in the wet ingredients, and stir with a fork until no lumps remain.

3. Pour into an 8" x 8" cake tin. No need to grease.

4. Bake for 35 minutes or until tests done.

This is usually served from the cake tin cut in squares. If you want to take it out of the cake tin, you'll have to grease and flour as it is a moist cake and wants to stick.

For the chocolate version, the original recipe also called for 1/2 cup of baking cocoa powder (Mary used 1 cup and added a bit more moisture). It can even be mixed up and baked all in the same cake tin.

Serves: one 8" x 8" cake

(from Mary Brewer, April 2006)