Chocolate

Erin's Vegan Joy Cake

by:
April 24, 2016
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 9...or fewer, depending on how hungry you are!
Author Notes

I remember the day my daughter came home from Kindergarten and announced she had made a friend on the bus. Erin lived five houses down from us, lacked annoying older brothers, and had the menagerie my daughter coveted. They've shared broken hearts, travel adventures, craft projects, food preferences, and now the college experience.

Erin, a tiny bit of a girl who never seemed to eat anything, became a vegan about 5 years ago. To celebrate Spring break--and the fact that she was actually sitting at our table eating!!--I baked this cake. The recipe was inspired by an old classic, "Crazy Cake", now updated with the flavors of our favorite candy bar.

Erin gladly took the leftovers home. And in the biggest compliment of all, my carnivorous son requested that I bake it again. —Windischgirl

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Cake batter
  • 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup almond meal
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda--press out any lumps!
  • Pinch salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup neutral vegetable oil
  • 1 cup strong coffee, cooled (almond or refrigerated coconut milk can be substituted)
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • Topping
  • 1/2 cup vegan or kosher semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/3 cup shredded coconut
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9x9 inch pan with coconut oil or margarine and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside. Have the topping ingredients measured out and ready to go.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, almond meal, flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt to combine.
  3. In a separate bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk together the oil, coffee, vinegar, and extracts until well blended. Working quickly, pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and whisk together until moistened, but don't overmix. A few lumps are fine.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, scraping out the bowl, and spread it evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the topping ingredients evenly over the surface of the cake.
  5. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes, or until it is set and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cake and serve it directly from the pan. Best eaten the day it's made.
Tags:

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Popular on Food52

0 Reviews