Wednesday Food Blogging: Deep Chocolate Vegan Cake

"Let them eat cake," she said, "particularly the Deep Chocolate Vegan Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting."

No, "vegan cake" is not an oxymoron. In fact, I don't tell people this is vegan, in case they're put off. Once I do, no one can believe it has zero cholesterol.

Now, I don't claim it's good for you, exactly, but it IS good. Very very good. The rich, dense chocolate cake is covered with peanut butter and chocolate frosting. Like a Reese's cup, with crumbs.

I've seen similar recipes for this in different cookbooks, including several of the Moosewood cookbooks. They all include vinegar as a rising agent, which means the batter isn't so good for licking, but the vinegar taste disappears completely after baking. It was probably invented during the war years, when eggs were in short supply. Or by a hungry baker who had her heart set on cake but hadn't any eggs.

Now the problem is, what to serve with cake? How about tea?

Deep Chocolate Vegan Cake

3 cups unbleached white flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable oil
2 cup chilled brewed coffee or cold water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting (below)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray or vegetable oil and a little flour and cocoa mixed together and sprinkled evenly over pan.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, soda, salt, and sugar. In another bowl, combine the oil, water or coffee, and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well-blended and smooth.

Add the vinegar and stir briefly; the baking soda will begin to react with the vinegar right away, leaving pale swirls in the batter. Without wasting any time, pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes, then frost with Chocolate Peanut Butter frosting.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 tablespoons water (plus a little more if needed)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups confectioner's sugar

In a double boiler or small heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate on medium heat. (You can also melt it in the microwave, if you're careful not to let it burn.) While it melts, beat together the peanut butter, water, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the confectioner's sugar and add the melted chocolate, mixing until blended. Spread the frosting on the cooled cake.

Comments

[Foodie]

Sounds and looks good, KSF.
The coffee is definitely a "secret" ingredient that makes chocolate come through with more vigah. Works in brownies as well.

[Anna]

Hi Kathy,

Thanks for your comments on my vegan chocolate fudge cake. I like the idea of adding coffee instead of water to the mix. This must give a much fuller flavour to the cake. I also LOVE the idea of adding peanut butter to the frosting so that you have a Reese's Cup moment with the icing. YUM.

I think I will try the cake again, following your recipe.

[KathyF]

Hi, Anna...I'm adding you to my blogroll. Your photos are great! Loved the Chelsea Bun photo!

[Gina]

I HATE peanute butter mixed with chocolate. But the cake ... you make me want to cook something!

[eek]

When I was a kid (it's been decades...) and in 4-H one of the advisors would often have the meetings at her house and for the after meeting snack would often serve a cake very much like this one (she didn't frost it though). She called it "Crazy Cake" because of the ingredients and that it was mixed and cooked in the baking pan. It was the perfect cake for the situation -- easy, tasty, and cheap. I got the recipe when I was a teenager and it's still one of my favourite cakes. I'm quite sure no one there ever suspected they were eating vegan cake! :-)