Best Ever Chocolate Vegan Cake

Last weekend was all about baking. I made 2 Chocolate Cake Loaves, 40 Peanut Butter Molasses Cookies, 10 Light Brioche Buns and 1 Banana-Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. I feel tired just wring this… Chocolate cakes and most of the cookies were for a charity bake sale.

I volunteer with the Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue organization. It’s a wonderful group of people who are dedicated to rescuing cats from the streets, caring for them, providing loving foster homes and ultimately finding forever homes for the animals. This cause is very close to my heart as I have two rescued cats in my household.

Last weekend FOCR had a big adoption event where lots of cats were brought into a local Pet Valu store to bring awareness about this organization and raise a little bit of money through the bake sale. One of the directors emailed me after the bake sale and asked for the recipe for the chocolate cake that I brought. So, I figured that it’s time to post it here.

I discovered this cake exactly a year ago and since then I made it more than a dozen times. I have experimented with the recipe by adding bananas, peanut butter and even gingerbread spices during the holidays. My latest variation included Prunes, but the original recipe is a classic. Every time I want to make another cake, I keep thinking why would I add two sticks of butter, four eggs and a cup of sour cream when I can have the same intensely chocolatey taste, same softness and same moist interior in a cake with half the fat? I made this recipe as a humble loaf, as a single layer cake and once I baked it as a beautiful multi layer cake for a fancy dinner dessert.

Best Ever Chocolate Vegan Cake

adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cakes

For the cake
Warm water – 1 cup
Unsweetened cocoa powder – 1/2 cup
Flour – 1 1/2 cup
Sugar – 1 cup
Baking soda – 3/4 teaspoon
Salt – 1/4 teaspoon
Canola oil – scant 1/2 cup
Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
White Vinegar – 2 teaspoons

For the glaze
Chocolate chips, semi-sweet – 60 g
Icing sugar – 1/2 cup
Water – 2 tablespoons
Orange oil – 1/4 teaspoon

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Butter and flour baking pan * See note on the pan size.
• In a small bowl whisk water and cocoa powder until smooth.
• In a separate large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Mix.
• Add oil, cocoa mixture and vanilla and whisk until flour disappears.
• Add vinegar and mix until smooth.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. **
• Take the cake out and let cool in pan for about 20 minutes before removing it from pan.
• Meanwhile make the glaze, in a small bowl melt chocolate chips either in microwave or over a water bath.
• In a separate bowl mix icing sugar and water until smooth.
• Add melted chocolate to icing sugar mixture and mix well.
• Add orange oil and mix until combined.
• Pour the glaze over the cake and let stand for a few minutes until it the glaze thickens before serving.

Comments
* This recipe works well for standard 10×5 loaf pan, it also works for 11×5 loaf pan, 8×8 square pan and 8″ round pan.
** Original recipe calls for 30-35 min baking time. I don’t think I’ve ever made it in less than 40 minutes. Time will also depend on a pan, for example 9×5 loaf pan will make the cake taller, so baking time is longer, closer to 50 minutes.