Chocolate Cake Indulgence

Say hello to my most recent creation! To celebrate a friend's birthday, I broke out my new Sticky Fingers cookbook and baked a classic chocolate cake. Oh, and it was vegan, which makes me jump for joy on the inside because the taste and texture were spot on. This cake beats any store-bought boxed cake mix, hands down, and was worth every ounce of effort it took to make. **One side note here: I am fully aware that a vegan cake ≠ a healthy cake. If I wanted a healthy cake, I would have made it with beets or something. I just like the fact that making a dessert so utterly delectable doesn't require any animals.

I had a little difficulty with this cake... not because the instructions weren't clear enough, but because I broke one of my own cooking rules: read the entire recipe and cooking instructions beforehand. I am writing this in the hopes that I will actually remember it next time I decide to take on such a large baking endeavor. You see, in order for this cake to work, there is a certain chemical reaction that takes place when the apple cider vinegar is poured into the batter (which contains baking soda), after which, the batter must be promptly poured into the pans and placed in the oven. My cake still turned out light and fluffy, thanks to some quick assistance from my roomie, but I just want to remind everyone to read the instructions before picking up any measuring cups.




My roommates and I decided to celebrate the special birthday occasion with a delicious roasted root vegetable and gnocchi dinner paired with some champagne while watching the Golden Globes. Yes, we are awesome. Tack some chocolate cake on the end and I call it a dang good night.




Ingredients for chocolate cake (makes one 9-inch round two-layer cake):

-1 3/4 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
-3/4 cup cocoa powder
-2 teaspoons baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 1/4 cups water
-1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
-1/2 cup brewed coffee, cooled (tip: Don't waste time brewing a whole pot of coffee. I always have some Starbucks instant-coffee packs on hand for these occasions.)
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, or lightly oil and dust with flour. Then whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk water, oil, coffee, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking until just incorporated. ***Here comes the quick part. Make sure your pans are ready and your oven is preheated. Once that is done, fold the apple cider vinegar into the cake batter. Ideally, you want the batter to look streaky, if you mix it until it is all one color, you have gone too far! Like I mentioned before, this is a chemical reaction, and you would like to keep as many bubbles in the batter as possible. Pour the batter in the cake pans, distributing evenly. Then bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes. Mine only needed 20 minutes. Once they are cooked, pull them out of the oven, set the pans on a wire rack, and let them cool until they are room temperature. I know it's hard, but keep your hands off of them until they are completely cooled. Take this time to make the frosting.

Ingredients for chocolate frosting:
-1 cup plus 2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
-1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
-3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
-3/4 cup cocoa powder
-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-3 to 5 tablespoons soymilk, as needed

Using an electric mixer, combine the shortening and margarine in a large bowl until completely combined. On a low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Once incorporated, add the vanilla, soymilk, and mix on low speed until the liquids are incorporated. Next, scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix on medium-high speed until all the ingredients are combined and the frosting is fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Finally, pop the completely cooled cakes out of the pans. Place about a cup or so of frosting on the top of one cake and spread evenly. Place the second cake on top of the first and frost around the sides and top, completely covering the cakes. Lastly, sprinkle a little decoration on your cake! I used shaved toasted coconut, but you could consider sprinkles, powdered sugar, a few espresso beans-- anything your heart desires.

This cake was every bit as scrumptious and indulgent as it looks. If you make it, I promise you will not be disappointed. Enjoy, my loves. Thanks for reading.  :)