Monday, March 12, 2012

Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake



It was one of those days yesterday.

I felt sick, icky, lethargic, and literally couldn't get out of bed until 1:30. The time change did not help. And this almost never happens.


By 5 or so, I finally felt a little better. By 7, I wanted to bake something comforting. But we were lacking, in no particular order:
eggs
butter
milk.

The trifecta ingredients to make anything baked and comforting were missing from our fridge. No problem, let's go vegan! Joy the Baker's simple chocolate cake is wonderful, and I spiced it up just a little, for fun. I hope you devour this cake as we are currently doing. MMM.



Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
Slightly adapted from Joy 

This cake is made for people who don't have the time or energy to run to the store for ingredients. It is simple, chocolaty and delicious...enough that my husband didn't even know it was vegan! And he didn't care because it is that good.

Makes 1 9-inch bundt cake or 18 cupcakes or 12 cupcakes + 1 mini cake (in a bread pan)-->I did this one
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash cinnamon
1 cup warm coffee
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (or add 1/4 cup add'l oil)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
small handful of chocolate chips (optional)

Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9-inch bundt pan with vegetable shortening and dust with cocoa powder.  Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together coffee, oil, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips and cocoa nibs, if using.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  The batter will be relatively thick.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (For cupcakes, bake 18 minutes)
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
Cake will last, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to 3 days. 
Vegan chocolate banana cakelet (shorter cake)

**If you're feeling crazy, like I was, chop up a banana and throw it into the batter. Maybe 2 bananas, I don't know.
 
Vegan chocolate cupcakes


Happy eating!
Laurel

2 comments:

  1. Laurel you are amazing - wish you lived next door :)

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    Replies
    1. Oo, now that would be so fun!! I'd have so much to learn from you. And I'd probably work out a lot more, too. :)

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