The Vegan Baker: Chocolate Cake
Home » Blog » Miyuki McGuffie » The Vegan Baker: Chocolate CakeThis week blogger-baker Miyuki McGuffie brings us a recipe for the ubiquitous chocolate cake—made without butter and eggs.
The beloved chocolate cake! If veganism had to showcase its culinary talents with only one dish, this is the one I'd suggest. So simple and popular, it's the perfect food to prove to anyone that you don't need animal products to get a delicious result.
I made this cake right after baking the last post's batch of cookies, and even with chocolate-chip filled bellies, three of us still managed to devour a third of the cake in an afternoon. Soft, moist and delicious, this cake is super-easy to make, with ingredients anyone is likely to already have. It comes omnivore and bake-enthusiast approved.
I used the cake batter to make two small round cakes and one mini loaf. I was intending to make a super-cake with the two round cakes, sandwiching caramel and walnuts in the middle with a ganache over the top, but I burnt the caramel and was too discouraged to give it another go. Instead, I kept the round cakes separate and iced them. I dusted the mini loaf with icing sugar.
Personally, I preferred the dusted loaf. Almost bare, the cake retains its place as the star instead of coming second-place to the icing, something which I feel often happens with cakes. This cake is definitely tasty enough to hold its own.
That's if I had to pick—ideally I'd just eat both! The iced cake is still amazing, just in a more decadent way. The ganache is rich in feel, but isn't too sweet due to the use of dark chocolate chips.Remember that if you're baking this cake in multiple pans you'll need to rotate and keep an eye on them throughout the baking period, depending on how many pans you're using. I've been advised that often a recipe's cooking time is a little longer than necessary and that does seem to be the case with this one. All ovens are slightly different, so this is just something to be aware of.
The cake recipe originally appeared at vegweb.com and the ganache at veganchef.com.
Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
- 3 c flour
- 2 c sugar
- 6 tbsp cocoa
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 c water
- ¾ c vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla essence or extract
Preheat oven to 180C.
Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Make a well and add the wet ingredients.
Mix until an even batter forms without lumps.
Bake for 40 minutes in a greased cake tin.
Let cake rest for 5–10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Chocolate Ganache
- 1/3 c milk alternative (I used soy)
- 2 tbsp margarine
- 1 c dairy-free chocolate chips (bulk-bin chocolate chips at New World and Pak n' Save are vegan, otherwise check the packet—most dark chocolates are okay)
Using the double boiling method (ingredients in a heat-proof bowl, sat inside a pot of boiling water), heat the ‘milk’ and margarine until the margarine is melted.
Add the chocolate chips. Stir continuously until the chips are completely melted and the mixture is very smooth.
Thu October 21, 2010 @ 07:49 AM
