Vegan Chocolate Cake + Chocolate PB Ganache

If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably noticed that my cravings revolve around anything baked or sweet. It was this way with Ada, too. Oh, who am I kidding? It's this way all the time. I try to keep myself in check and not indulge constantly . . . but when you endure enough Northeast winters (even though this one isn't too bad), you learn to embrace the warmth of your oven on a blustery day.

This cake is light and fluffy. The ganache is nothing short of incredible. I made this recipe following the PPK's Just Chocolate Cake, but with a few modifications. And then I jazzed up the topping because, well, I felt like it.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk) 
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/3 cup olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder 
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Combine your coconut milk and ACV in a small bowl. Let sit for a few minutes.
2. Whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. 
3. Then mix the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract into the coconut milk mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until everything is incorporated. 
4. Grease an 8-inch cake pan and dust the inside with a little flour (to prevent sticking). Then pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes. Check center for done-ness. You may need up to five more minutes for a toothpick inserted in the center to come out clean.
5. Let cake cool for a few minutes in the pan before gently turning out onto a cooling rack. I always run the dull end of a butter knife along the edge of the pan before flipping it over.

While your cake is cooling on a rack, make this ganache!

// You'll put 2/3 cup coconut milk over medium heat on the stovetop and add 1 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips to it (I may have used 1 cup and a few tablespoons because I was using up a bag) and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Whisk until smooth. Then take off the heat and let cool for 5 minutes before adding 1/2 to 3/4 cups peanut butter (depends on the texture you're after -- start with just 1/4 and go from there). 

// Whisk until smooth and cool enough to spread without spilling everywhere. Place your cake on a dinner plate, then pour ganache over cake and immediately move it to the refrigerator to cool and set. Serve after one or two hours of cooling.

Enjoy!

PS: And don't miss the Slow Cooker French Onion Soup recipe. I posted it over the weekend because it's a video (full instructions are also written out).

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Chocolate + Walnut Breakfast Cake

It was Stephen's 30th birthday this weekend.

So, I figured: Why not eat cake for breakfast?

CHOCOLATE WALNUT BREAKFAST CAKE
vegan recipe, refined sugar free

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup raw walnuts, pulsed into flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup 15-minute applesauce

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease the inside of a standard bread pan (I used a glass one) and set aside.
2. Then in a large bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients.
3. Then mix in all the wet ingredients until everything is well moistened.
4. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet and bake for 45-55 minutes. Until center is set and edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
5. Let cool a while before serving with delicious, healthy toppings.

// TO TOP IT OFF

To make an AM-hours frosting, just combine a quarter to third cup of Greek yogurt with about a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter and a dash of vanilla extract. That's all you'll need. Then top off with some fresh fruit!

You'll want cake for breakfast every single day.

(And, yeah. This is from day #3.)


Please tell me you'll try this recipe!

Or perhaps you'd rather try some Tangerine Breakfast Cookies.

Or maybe some of my personal favorite: Chocolate Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies.

(You're welcome.)

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Blueberry Applesauce Cakes

I whipped up these cute little cakes for my mother-in-law over the weekend as a belated birthday treat. I used some homemade + handpicked blueberry applesauce I had frozen and then thawed -- as well as some Greek yogurt and sprouted flour. Cakes aren't my forte in the kitchen, so I'd love to refine my skills with baking them.

In my formative learning-to-cook years, I was vegan. As a result, I rarely (and I mean r.a.r.e.l.y) bake anything using milk or eggs or butter. I've developed some crafty ways to use flax eggs and to thicken almond milk for a "buttermilk" effect, etc., but now that I'm garden variety vegetarian, I see no reason not to bake more classically from time to time. I think I may have baked one other cake using eggs in my entire life, so I thought it'd be worth a try to see how they might add to the fluff + binding equation.

Definitely worked.

BLUEBERRY-APPLESAUCE CAKE
with a beautiful neufchatel cheese frosting

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup blueberry-applesauce*
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sprouted flour
• 1 cup pulsed oats
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

* You can use plain store-bought or homemade applesauce (or cinnamon or strawberry or whatever other kind you have). Alternatively, you may also use pumpkin puree, zucchini puree, or any other puree with a similar consistency to applesauce.


Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease 6 to 8 ramekins (or a mini bundt cake pan or even a 9 x 13 cake pan). Set aside. Depending on what you use to bake the cake, you may have some batter leftover.
2. In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, applesauce, sugar, maple syrup, and olive oil. Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. 
3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, oat flour, and cornmeal. Distribute evenly the baking powder, soda, and salt. Then add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
4. Mix by hand until just combined. Then fill your ramekins about 3/4 full and bake for around 30 minutes. Cake is done when edges brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cool completely before frosting.

// For the frosting + assembly . . .

Combine 8 ounces neufchatel or cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk or almond milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Begin beating on low and work up to high speed, adding powdered sugar to taste + texture preference.

Then -- if using ramekins -- slice the cake into three pieces, frost between layers, and top with something pretty. I'm not sure if this marigold is edible (some are, some aren't), so it's just for looks.

Something's just more special about individual cakes, don't you think? And I'm thinking there will be more cakes to come. I really enjoyed baking this one, especially now that I'm not cooking as much. This week related to the vegetarian freezer month of meals, I'll be sharing some of the recipes as well as thawing and cooking tips!

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Chocolate Loaf

Not much talk of exercise on this blog lately, which is funny because I'm doing all sorts of things with cross-training and strength while getting in a steady 25-30 miles a week. I ran a frigid 10-miler with my friend Ariana on Sunday. Gusts of 30MPH blew against us for probably 3/4 of the way.

I'll have a running post for you tomorrow -- promise.

Today, we'll eat cake.

Technically I'm calling this recipe a chocolate loaf because I baked it in -- you guessed it -- a loaf pan. It's really just a nice, dense chocolate cake that you can slice and top with peanut butter or whatever else you like to spread on sweet breads.

CHOCOLATE LOAF
vegan recipe, don't skip the coconut milk

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup organic sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 6 tablespoons Earth Balance
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan, 9" x 5", with Earth Balance and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients -- flours, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. On the stove, heat a small pot over medium-low heat and melt the Earth Balance and coconut milk together. Let cool until warm, not hot.
4. Pour the wet mixture -- including the vanilla extract -- into the dry and mix until incorporated fully.
5. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean.
6. Let cool a while before removing from loaf pan and placing onto a drying rack.
7. Let cool entirely before slicing. Or not. It will just fall apart more if you don't wait.

I bet Elvis would have enjoyed this "bread" with some honey-glazed bacon on top.

I enjoyed mine straight out of the oven (no, I didn't wait for it to cool -- but do as I say, not as I do!) with peanut butter and sliced banana. I'm going to toast some later and spread some coconut butter on it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Prediction: Incredible.

You can read about why we switched Ada from hemp milk to organic whole milk on Writing Chapter Three. Even if you don't have kids, you might be surprised at the not-so-friendly ingredient that's hiding in your favorite organic products.

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Chocolate Cake. Chocolate Frosting.

I'm switching the order of my posts this week to bring you this beautiful disaster:

I have been dreaming of a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for what seems like weeks now. Cake baking is the sort of thing that takes planning and time, which is probably why I end up mixing together so many cookies instead. (Latest favorites here and here.)

Last night, I had an extra half hour, and I decided to use that that wisely. I mixed the cake batter together while Stephen fed Ada her dinner. I whisked the frosting together during their daddy-daughter play-time. And I let it cool, for like five seconds, and frosted it during her bath.

Now, I'm not a betting man, but I think that's where it all went wrong.


I don't profess to be a master baker of any sort. Cooking + baking are a continual process of learning for me. Having a blog doesn't give me any more skills, credentials, or authority than your garden variety home cook.

Yet -- I get a lot of questions in my inbox starting with "I know this might seem silly/stupid/obvious . . . "

No. I assure you: These questions rarely are any of those things. Keep 'em coming, and I will try my very best to help. Though, after this post, I am sure the flow of emails will slow considerably. You are all now thinking: "She doesn't have the slightest clue what she's doing!"

Sigh. I learned last night when you don't let a cake completely finish baking OR cool properly (uhm, cake baking 101?) AND you make a too-thick frosting by adding a little lot extra powdered sugar, that said cake will fall apart.

When using a knife gets too cumbersome, you'll end up frosting it with your fingers. Taking breaks every now/then to lick off the crumbs. Waves of shame washing over your body. Or is that the sugar rush from the frosting? It will be difficult to distinguish because, after a while, they become one.

The whole thing will become a (delicious) mess.


Truth be told, this is the best cake I've ever eaten. Moist and fluffy, the frosting not too sweet (for my taste). Chocolate upon chocolate. I'd rather wait to share the recipes until the execution can be judged a 10.0. Or perhaps an 8.

Also: Did you know you don't need a light box to take OK-ish photos in complete darkness? 

Just invest in the 3 cheap lamps + daylight bulbs in this post. Set them up in much the same way . . . switch them on . . . and shoot in manual mode. You do lose a bit of control of shadows, the lighting isn't IDEAL, but it works in a pinch.

My settings for these photos were mostly 1/160, f/2.5, ISO250 and I used my very favorite 30mm lens. The 50mm lens would have worked well, too.


SWITCHING GEARS: Later today on Writing Chapter Three, I'll be writing about Ada's first gym daycare experience. Her first daycare experience of any sort, for that matter. As you can see, we had fun working out together.

On a related note . . . and not to sound like a total B . . .

Don't you HATE IT when your treadmill neighbor spies on your workout? I did intervals last night, and the person next to me wouldn't stop gawking and then upping her own pace in response. I wasn't imagining it either. She'd glance over, nudge her MPH up, and eventually bonk/have to walk. Ugh. Then she gave ME a dirty look when I left.

What annoys you most at the gym?

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Lemon Cornmeal Cake + Blueberries

Everything about this recipe isn't classically ME. I don't often bake with fruit. I don't often make desserts without chocolate or peanut butter. I don't often bake gluten-free. I rarely use less than 1/2 cup sugar.

And, yet. . .

I am in love with this cake.

LEMON CORNMEAL CAKE
gluten free + vegan 

What you'll need . . . 

• 1 cup rolled oats, pulsed into flour
• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 2 lemons (1/3 cup)
• Rind of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar***
• 1 tablespoon ground flax meal
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Half cup frozen blueberries

*** I have discovered coconut palm sugar (blonde). It's incredible. No one has paid me -- in sugar or $$$ -- to say so either. I found a package at Wegmans, saw that it's low on the glycemic index and much more nutrient dense than regular sugar, so I gave it a try. 

I've been able to swap with a 1:1 ratio -- so you can use any other sugar you like in this recipe. Brown sugar would work well, too. 


Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. If you have a cast iron pan -- mine is 9 inches diameter -- place it in the oven to heat, too.
2. In a food processor, pulse your oats until they resemble flour. A minute or so. Then briefly pulse in the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients -- minus the blueberries -- and mix until well combined.
4. Stir in the blueberries. Then carefully get the pan out of the oven pour a heavy teaspoon of olive oil in the center and pour in the mixture.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until set in the center. Baking time will depend on if you use cast iron or a regular round 9" baking dish. Just make sure it's set and golden brown.
6. Let cool before slicing into wedges. Enjoy with fruity tea, if you like.

It's a healthy, muffin-y cake with a rather bold lemon flavor, so get ready for it. I like it that way, though. Intense. You can add more sugar, maybe even a 1/4 cup more, if you'd like to cut down on the sourness. The rind, too, can be omitted to tone it down.

We ate this cake for breakfast, snacks, and after dinner. I think it'd be great with frozen raspberries or blackberries, too.

Today on Writing Chapter Three . . .


We changed up the dining living family play room again. And we built our own DIY play Teepee for around $30. Gotta love PVC pipes.

PS: Thanks for your movie suggestions. Tried to go see Les Mis with a couple of my girlfriends . . . and it SOLD OUT with the person before me in line. Then we asked about Silver Linings Playbook. SOLD OUT TOO. Talk about bad luck. We got coffee instead. Maybe next weekend.

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Blueberry Skillet Cake

We have bags upon bags of frozen blueberries leftover from our winter CSA share. It's not that we don't like blueberries. I just tend to bake with chocolate and peanut butter, as you'll see later this week, instead of fruit. This cake is very much like a gigantic blueberry muffin. Perfect for breakfast.

(Or lunch.)
(Or dinner.)
(Or snacks.)

I apologize for the eh-ness of these photos. I'm between photo editing softwares. I'm buying Lightroom soon, though!

BLUEBERRY SKILLET CAKE

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 bananas
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups frozen blueberries
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place your skillet inside to preheat as well.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mash your bananas well, until they are as smooth as possible. Egg-like.
3. Then add the vanilla extract, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Blend until well incorporated.
4. Then add in the almond milk. Again. Stir in until well incorporated.
5. In another bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until everything is moistened.
7. In another bowl, toss the frozen blueberries with the cornstarch. Then fold them into the batter.
8. Pour mixture into preheated skillet. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let cool before slicing.

NOTE: I tossed the blueberries with cornstarch because I read somewhere that it eliminates staining for a cleaner look. I don't know how well it worked, really. So, if you don't care about blue everywhere, you can skip that step.

The banana in the recipe isn't overpowering, which I'm thankful for. But I think it gave it a fantastic, dense texture -- and allowed me to use less oil than I normally would.


And remember in my Postpartum Fitness post how I wrote that I needed a haircut?

DONE.


I took matters into my own hands. I don't think I botched the job either. If you want to see for yourself, check out Writing Chapter Three. I also wrote all about taking care of sick baby Ada. It was quite a week.

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Tuesday

We're having a cranky week over here. But at last! Here is the recipe for Stephen's fabulous birthday cake. It might not look like much. Don't be fooled -- it's a keeper. The cake is dense and moist, decedent but, here's that word again, h.e.a.l.t.h.y . . . and there's no need for frosting. A dusting of confectioners' sugar would be nice. Even naked, though, it's one of the best cakes I've ever made.

Reminiscent of banana bread, but with some extra sweetness for when celebration calls . . .

CHOCOLATE-BANANA BEER CAKE

What you'll need . . .

• 2 large bananas
• 3/4 cup yogurt (or your favorite non-dairy sub)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup nut brown beer (or stout, porter, other dark ale)
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or butter)
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9" x 13" cake pan (I used a glass one).
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the bananas until they are smooth.
3. Whisk in the yogurt.
4. In a medium saucepan, heat the beer over medium-high heat. Add in the vanilla, Earth Balance, cocoa powder, and brown sugar.
5. Add this mixture to the banana-yogurt mixture. Combine until well incorporated.
6. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until there are no clumps.
7. Pour cake batter into your prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.

In other news: That incredible pizza we told you about on Friday? Yeah. The method of baking works well with almost all doughs. We tried it (preheating the oven to 500 degrees F with the pizza stone inside, cranking it to broil at bake-time) with our Pumpkin Pizza Dough. Fantastic.

And if you're catching up on (never home)maker, baby! -- we posted a cute photo series with Ada and her first pair of flats. The new family blog should be live by tomorrow. Can't wait!

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Cornmeal Cake with Chocolate Neufchatel Frosting

I hadn't made a frosted cake in what seems like f.o.r.e.v.e.r. Well, unless you count my love affair with the Richard Simmons'-inspired doughnuts over the holiday season.

(Baked Chocolate Doughnuts, Chocolate Frosted Doughnuts, Chocolatey Peanut Doughnuts)

They were very cake-like. What inspired me to bake a cake this weekend had nothing to do with these sweet treats, however. We just had some Neufchatel cheese my mother-in-law gave us that was nearing its expiration date. And I hate to waste food.

So, I went with it!


CORNMEAL CAKE

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Sugar in the Raw (or regular sugar)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 6 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with parchment (aluminum foil also works in a pinch -- just spritz with a little oil).
2. In a large bowl, whisk/sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the flax meal and hot water. Let sit for five minutes.
4. Add the flax mixture, olive oil, almond milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Mix until well incorporated.
5. Pour into your prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until set in the middle (you can test with a toothpick -- it should come out clean).
6. Let cool completely before frosting.

CHOCOLATE NEUFCHATEL FROSTING

(You may also substitute cream cheese in this recipe -- there is a difference, but in the US, it's slight. You can read more about it on The Kitchn.)

What you'll need . . .

• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance or butter
• 3 ounces neufchatel cheese
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 to 2 (or more) cups confectioners’ sugar

Method . . .

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the Earth Balance/butter with the Neufchatel cheese until smooth.
2. Add the cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla. Then add 1-1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar.
3. Continue adding confectioners' sugar until you reach your desired frosting consistency.
4. Frost your cake and enjoy it while it lasts!

Yeah. Confession time: During the shoot, I sort of ate two pieces (and the other 3/4 of the cake was long gone -- the afternoon after making it).

Then there was one . . .


And then . . .


You all know desserts rarely last in this house. If you browse through our recipes, I'd love you to find one that has lived in the kitchen for longer than two days. On a positive note, I still had half a package of the Neufchatel. Be sure to look for another frosting variation (and cake recipe) later in the week!

If you follow (never home)maker, baby! (or even if you don't, because this is a great way to get caught up), I collected all the posts for the 4th trimester -- that is, those from Ada's birth forward -- in one convenient place. Feel free to browse our weekly updates and other musings.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Applesauce Coffee Cake

I don't drink coffee, but I thoroughly enjoy coffee cakes of all varieties. It had been nearly two years since I made one at home (Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake). So, I happily whipped this one up before work yesterday morning, incorporating a full cup of homemade Ginger Gold Applesauce (from locally grown apples!) I made over the weekend.

Definitely my best breakfast cake yet!

Not too dry or moist. Not too sweet or bland. With a crumbly topping we couldn't resist . . . which is why these photos are all we have left. Well, AND the memory of how great it all tasted.


APPLESAUCE COFFEE CAKE

What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or your favorite substitute -- Greek is all we had on hand)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup applesauce

For the topping . . .

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a square baking dish (9 in. x 9 in.) and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, vegetable oil and applesauce. Then add the mixture to the dry ingredients.
4. Combine with a spatula until everything is wet/together -- but resist over-mixing.
5. Pour mix into your prepared pan.
6. Then combine all the topping ingredients in a small bowl using a fork. Spread mixture over your cake batter.
7. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes -- until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
8. Let cool.

Serve hot, warm, or cold. With or without coffee.


And today on (never home)maker, baby! you can check out my 32 week belly shots (self portraits). Today I'm 33 weeks. 7-ish more to go!

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