the tolerant vegan

Some of my fellow NYC neighbors count down the minutes until they can clock out of work and hit the town.

I count down the minutes until I can get home, put on sweatpants and tune into whatever game(s) happen to be waiting for me that particular evening. What with college basketball in full swing and the crazy busy hockey season, I rarely have a night that’s game-free. It’s awesome.

Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to be blessed with a sports-watching trifecta. One game on the computer, one on TV and one recording on the dvr.

College Basketball + Hockey + Hockey = Dessert Emergency

We needed a dessert with an intensity that matched our triple game day. Enter a chocolate skillet cake topped with warm fudge sauce, dark chocolate coconut ice cream and, for the grand finale, peanut butter caramel sauce.

It’s a dessert of champions!

Gooey Chocolate Skillet Cake
Recipe adapted from Willow Bird Baking
Serves 4-6
Printable recipe

Cake Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsweetened or vanilla soy milk
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup refined sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup vegan butter substitute
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup vanilla coconut milk yogurt (or vanilla soy yogurt)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegan butter substitute
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons vanilla or unsweetened soy milk
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional Toppings:

• Peanut Caramel Sauce recipe from Healthy. Happy. Life.
• Dark chocolate or any flavor ice cream

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl or cup, stir together the soy milk and vinegar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sugar and salt.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, bring the vegan butter, vegetable oil, cocoa powder and water to a boil.

Remove from the heat immediately and stir in the dry ingredients.

Stir in yogurt and vanilla.

Stir in the milk + vinegar combo.

Bake the cake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed with only a few crumbs.

Make the frosting by placing the vegan butter, cocoa and soy milk in a small sauce pan.

Bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring constantly.

Remove the sauce pan from the heat and stir in the pecans, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. You want the frosting to be thick, but if it seems too thick to spread just add more milk until it smooths out.

Spread the warm frosting over top of the cake.

If you want to go all out, scoop out a portion of the middle of the cake and fill with ice cream. If you are using Kathy’s amazing peanut caramel sauce, go ahead and pour it all over the cake.

I used crunchy peanut butter in mine.

I swirled mine into the frosting after I drizzled it on top of the cake. It just seemed like the logical thing to do.