fromscratch: let them eat cake!

especially if its rich dark chocolate and vegan!

chocolate cake from the joy of vegan baking with an impromptu chocolate glaze i concocted on top.

chocolate glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
2 T. cocoa powder
2-3 T. vanilla almond milk

pour all ingredients into a mixing bowl, and whisk together until smooth.

the verdict?

what you wanna know...

the recipe?

the recipe was a slam dunk! the ingredients were all items that should be in your pantry and cupboards...you don't even need egg replacer. i wanted to really test the recipe, so i doubled the recipe to make it fit in a bundt pan. i figured that this was the ultimate test, and if it could pass the bundt pan test, it would surely work for cupcakes and/or a layer cake. the recipe was very easy, as much as i wanted to, i didn't even need to turn on my kitchen aid to mix it...i did it all in one bowl and a large pirex mixing cup (for the wet ingredients). it baked pretty dead on as for as time goes...and rose perfectly. also, i can see this recipe being easy to make your own...you can add chocolate chips, nuts change the extract to mint, almond or maybe even raspberry and i would imagine it would taste just as well.

taste?

"sinfully good" is what e said, and the little lady of the house came upstairs to let me know that it was really good. considering this doesn't have "frosting" and that the glaze soaked into the cake and formed a somewhat thin "glaze" and she (the frosting fiend) ate it all...that's saying a lot. this cake could be easily dusted with powdered sugar, glazed like i did, frosted for a special treat...or even left just plain. it is good enough to stand alone.

texture?

perfect crumb! this is a very dense moist cake...i would even venture to say it sorta reminds me of pound cake...yet it isn't very heavy. the texture is very good...i think most people would beg to argue with you about it being vegan. i would have to admit...i wouldn't eat it at a vegan restaurant...cause i would swear it wasn't vegan. that's honest.

smell?

come on now...it taste amazing, looks amazing...of course it smells amazing too!

will i make it again?

more so, how often will i make this again is a better question. i am praying that the little lady wants it for her birthday...so i don't have to think of some lame excuse to make it for myself...again...next week. if she doesn't, never fear...my birthday is in exactly 30 days!...not to mention v-day, and my anniversary on super tues. so yes, i will be making this again and again and again...as layer cakes, cupcakes...you name it.

here is some more food porn....

mmmm....

not that great of a picture...but i'm sure your still salivating...right?

in its birthday suit...just to show you how perfectly this cake baked up...no frosting to hide under here!

my secret weapon...in chocolate baked goods...

i just discovered this at super target (yes an actual super target store) and let me tell you i can't wait to go and buy like five more cans! this stuff is amazingly good. although i will say there is a downside...not as much antioxidants...since it is a blend of dutch processed and natural chocolate...natural has more...dutch processed has a little less...so since its a blend...its a little shy of antioxidants...but nevertheless still good...and sorta good for you!

okay...adjust your taste buds...this is not just about chocolate...i have blueberry goodness too!

blueberry cake (coffee cake)

from the same cookbook.

let me start this off by saying...i had a very off day/morning when baking this. i added the ingredients in the wrong order, i forgot to oil my pan, and i mixed the crumb with softened butter. i never make these kinds of mistakes, ever.

with all of those mistakes...the cake still came out "sinfully good" as e put it. i really don't think i can do a good review...since i did mess it up..but i will try..

the recipe?

i would say that it is a fairly good recipe, not as good as my favorite coffee cake recipe which i will share soon, but very similar and good. in fact, i should compare the too. the mixing process is a little different than what i'm used to...which is why i goofed it...but nothing hard or difficult. the ingredients were all standard pantry items...except for the egg replacer (if you don't have two boxes in your house like me). i can't really do it much justice here since i goofed it.

taste?

taste was good...even though i goofed it...it still tasted good. my boy, ate every last crumb, blueberries and all, and i had to give him a second piece. the girl...ate around the blueberries...she's the picky, i don't like what it looks like eater around here. the crumb was very tasty..although it was not enough for me. i/we love crumb around here...so that would have to get doubled. the cake...again good flavor, but not enough cake for me. i did bake it in a spring form pan...one of the many suggested ways to bake it, i thought that was a novel idea...and think i will start baking my coffee cakes in the spring form pan for now on...the blueberries were just sooo good, and tasted and contrasted nicely with the cake and crumb.

texture?

here is where i can't do you any justice. i mixed it wrong...and in baking (an exact science) you gotta have your ducks in order if you want great texture. i will have to bake it again to see if my goof changed the texture. the texture wasn't bad...just wasn't as good as my favorite recipe. again with the crumb...i don't know if my butter was too soft (which i suspect) but the crumb melted down into more of a crunchy layer...it was really good...but again not as good as my favorite recipe...so i don't know if that was my fault or what.

smell?

as with all baked goods...it smells good!

will i bake it again?

yup, as hard as it will be to not just go on to my favorite recipe...i will give this another try. all and all it tasted really good...i just would like more cake and more crumb...so that could just be a matter of changing my pan...either way it is a good recipe even if you jack it up.

so there! there you have it...cake and more cake!

i love to bake...and this book has got me on another baking roll...i will be making more...much much more soon.

on another savory note..

i am craving some black eyed peas...like it is nobody's business. so i think i am going to attempt to concoct a savory, vegan, southern black eyed peas recipe. i don't know how to imitate pork with wheat meat and the likes...but hey i'm sure i can figure something tasty out. i do have digesting issues...so i will be testing out some help-you-digest-beans ideas for anyone else out there in my shoes.

hope you have a peaceful hump day...and bake something!

paz,
ki

ps. can i just put this out there? i need a nice cake stand *clears throat* um...e...i'm talking to you..being that my birthday, our anniversary, and valentine's day is in the same month...next month at that...do you think you can make something lovely happen?