Let Them Eat Cake!

I have not had much success with plant based desserts.  I think there are several reasons for this.  One is that I don't make a lot of desserts, because then I will eat them.  However, I would like to have a few tried and true dessert recipes for when we have people over for a meal. 

I think another reason is because I am very picky about desserts.  If I am going to have the calories and eat substances that are maybe not the best for my health, they need to be truly delicious, because I consider that an occasional treat.  I have tried a few plant based desserts which just weren't very good at all.  I felt like a piece of fruit would have tasted better than the dessert recipe.

Well, I found a great recipe for chocolate cake.  It is actually a recipe I used many years ago when it was just my husband and myself in the home.  This makes an 8" x 8" cake, much better for a two person household. 

WACKY CAKE

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar
4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil, (or can substitute half of this with applesauce)
1 cup water

Grease and flour an 8” x 8” baking pan.

Mix flour, sugar, and cocoa in a medium bowl.  Make three depressions in the dry ingredients.  Pour vanilla into one depression, vinegar in another, and oil in the third one.  Pour water over all and stir well.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.   Place cake on cooling rack and cool completely.  Cover with frosting.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

 4 Tbsp. vegan “butter”, room temperature

7 Tbsp. baking cocoa
2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, (use only 2 Tbsp. of the almond milk at first) and blend together with a mixer.  Add more almond milk as needed until it is of desired consistency. 

This frosting recipe probably makes more than is needed on this small cake, but I like a lot of frosting on my cakes.  If I am going to have a treat, I want it to be really good!

Husband's note: Amen