chocolate cake

No, that’s not chocolate cake. That’s Harrison. Harrison likes dairy products. Butter. Sour cream. Ice cream. He loves them all and he misses licking my butter-covered fingertips after an afternoon of baking. And me? well, I like dairy too, but only for the taste. Lucky for me, finding vegan treats to bake that taste just as delicious as dairy-filled desserts has been easy peasy. I give you…chocolate cake with melty frosting!

Too bad they don’t make scratch-n-sniff screens.

Chocolate Cake

recipe adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups vegan refined sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Chocolate Melty Frosting

recipe adapted from the Post Punk Kitchen

• 1/2 cup earth balance, room temperature
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3 cups vegan powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup vanilla soymilk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Make this cake:

Preheat your oven to 350 degreees. Lightly oil and flour two 9 x 9 baking pans.

While you’re getting everything else ready, go ahead and brew a cup of coffee

If you’re like me, you’ll want to brew three cups: one for the cake and two for yourself.

Throw the flour and refined sugar in a bowl.  

Add in the cocoa…

and the salt

Salt shaker birdie loves to bake

My helper’s tail…

Add the baking soda and whisk until the dry ingredients are well blended.

In a separate bowl, combine the vegetable oil, distilled white vinegar, water, warm coffee and vanilla.

Add the wet to the dry and stir stir stir.

Pour into two 9 x 9 inch cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes.

If you want to eat the cake warm, make the frosting when you have about 5 minutes of baking time left.

It’s so easy, just place all frosting ingredients into one bowl and mix on low-medium speed for 1 minute (or until fully blended)

For a warm, gooey cake, slather the frosting on while the cake is still warm and go to town.

Better have some napkins handy.

Do you have those chocolate chips sitting around? Good. Throw them on top and let them melt into the frosting.

Or not.

Either way, it’s awesome.

Harrison approves (of the smell, that is. I didn’t let him eat chocolate)

You know what else is awesome? Plopping a scoop or two (or three, who’s judging?) of vanilla soy ice cream on top. What, you thought I was going to make my own vegan ice cream, too? Please. I’ve got 30 Rock waiting for me on the DVR.

Tagged as: chocolate cake baking vegan