Chocolate Pound Cake With Icing and Almonds

A moist, chocolaty goodness cake.

I made my first chocolate pound cake weeks ago. Unfortunately, the ingredients weren't cohesive-- meaning every other bite contained a fleck of flour or so. That's an absolute nightmare for a baker. Thankfully, last night's effort came out perfect. I used Alison's Poundcake With Almond Icing recipe as a basis for my version, melting in pieces of Theo Chocolate's Baking Bar into the vegan butter and sugar. The is an exceptional chocolate flavored treat, a must have for chocolate lovers. I might have another slice with Nada Moo's Gotta Do Chocolate as a nod to my mom.

Chocolate Pound Cake With Icing and Almonds Ingredients and Preparation

1/2 cup vegan butter (used Miyoko's Kitchen)
1 cup cane sugar
4-5 squares Theo Chocolate Baking Bar
2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoon cocoa powder
3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon soy milk (or any other dairy free alternative)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup slivered almonds
pinch of cocoa

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix soy milk and lemon juice together. Set aside and allow to curdle.
In a double boiler, melt butter. Add in sugar and chocolate, stirring until evenly blended.
Sift flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt.
Blend chocolate butter mixture with dry ingredients. Add the milk. Stir well, but do not over mix.
Pour into a parchment paper inserted baking pan.
After 40 minutes, remove cake out of the oven and place a tented foil over the top, careful not to touch the cake. Bake for another 20 minutes.
Let cake cool for a bit. Whip powdered sugar, soy milk, and vanilla. Pour over the cake and top with slivered almonds and extra cocoa.

Before the baking.

Plated and iced.

The first slice was divine.

Decadent Chocolate Birthday Cake

Chocolate fantasies come true with this exceptional cake. 

On Sunday, a few minor things went wrong. Firstly, I was originally making a round cake, but the spring form pan wasn't secured and a bit of batter leaked on the counter (thankfully, most of the batter was saved). The pumpkin frosting, however, turned to a cottage cheese consistency and couldn't be rescued.
As I prepared Nora's recipe for the best vegan chocolate cake, mild skepticism rose a bit at such a watery batter-- a first for me. She had put a warning disclaimer in her post. Plus, the in-use oven was set at 270 degrees stood in the way of making a successful dessert.
The cake is rich and moist, perfect for chocolate fanatics. One bite transformed a bad day to heavenly delight.

Decadent Chocolate Birthday Cake Ingredients and Preparation

1 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
2/3 cup pumpkin puree (or unsweetened applesauce)
1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup chocolate (used Chauo Chocolatier Sea Salt Bar)
1/4 cup coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine almond milk and vinegar together. Set aside.
Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
Mix in almond milk, vinegar, coconut oil, and pumpkin puree. Add boiling water.
Pour batter into greased baking pan.
Bake for 23-25 minutes. Let cool.
Whisk together chocolate and coconut oil.
Assemble the cake, pouring some icing on the first, putting the second layer on top, and pouring the remaining icing. Chill covered in the refrigerator.

Scenes of a chocolate affair. Is there no greater indulgent love?

The best treat is one topped with Reddi Whip Almond Whipped Cream and Chauo Chocolatier messages.

After the first taste.....

Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 26: West African Lime Cake

West African Lime Cake concludes a month of Veganizing Recipes from Africa. I loved that a majority of these finds were already vegan. 

It has been a splendid Vegan Mofo. Thank you everyone for visiting, leaving comments, and trying out shared recipes. I truly appreciate the time spent learning about Africa regions and diverse cuisines and bringing that to AfroVeganChick. Whether recipes succeeded triumphantly or failed profusely, I had wonderful, long moments spent in the kitchen, experimenting and growing as a vegan cook enthusiast.  This is certainly not the end to integrating ancestral food into my contemporary lifestyle.
A huge thank you to the Vegan Mofo team for the avid social media support including this shout out to the "Fish" Balls (thank you, Rosie!). You gals and guys rock!
Since my birthday is next Sunday, a light early celebratory dessert was in order. In West Africa, lime cake is the rage next to sweet fried puff puffs and mandazi. I made a veganized version that is coarse and grainy, less airier than a standard American cake. Similar to cornbread texture, this lime cake will please anyone who has a modest sweet tooth.

West African Lime Cake Ingredients and Preparation

1 1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup coconut or olive oil
2 flax eggs (2 tablespoon flaxmeal with 4 tablespoon water)
juice and zest of one lime
2/3 cup dairy free milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift flour, sugar, and baking powder.
Mix in oil, flax egg, lime zest and juice, and dairy free milk.

All mixed together. Pour into a greased baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. 

Cooled lime cake topped with Reddi Whip Almond Whipped Cream and lime slices. 

Perfect end to an amazing Vegan Mofo 2018. 

Vegan Apple Chocolate Cake

Make tea parties more delightful with Apple Chocolate Cake.

So Mother's Day was yesterday. Last week, I made this beautiful little cake that my mom would probably love (well, if there had been a lemon version). Still, she loves chocolate.
This special, very creative Apple Chocolate Cake by Adrianna's Living Healthy With Chocolate Blog combines the love of sweet, divine chocolate bliss and scrumptious apples together as a cake. Although her recipe has eggs, the white vinegar substitute plays well in my remixed veganized version, bringing forth a modest sized dessert that would entice any guest for a generous helping.

Organic Lady Alice Apples for cake.

Moist, spiced cake packed with chocolaty goodness and apple bites and a rich, decadent frosting that is finger licking delicious.


Chocolate Apple Cake Ingredients and Preparation

3 cup flour
1/2 cup cacao or cocoa powder
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 cup apples, chopped

Topping

1/2 chocolate chips (used Pascha's 100% Unsweetened Cacao Chips)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

apples slices for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cake pan (8" or 9") with coconut oil along the sides and parchment paper on the bottom.

Sift flour, cacao, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda together.
Combine coconut oil, vanilla, and almond milk.
Blend wet with dry ingredients. Add white vinegar.

Stir apples last. 

Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
Bake for 20-30 minutes.

To make topping: combine cacao (or chocolate) chips, brown sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla together in a steel bowl over boiling hot water.

Once cake is ready and cooled, spread with chocolate icing over top. Add apple slices and layer with remaining icing.

Sample a slice.

Yum!

Flourless Chocolate Coconut Cake

Imagine a bad day. A terrible day. The most vicious.
First of all, personally speaking, I rarely have smooth time of the month orbits. Some vegan women do. They have discussed that their cramps go away among other painful side effects of these three to seven day body things, even going as far as saying that they no longer have them or what else comes with Mother Nature's arrival. Again, that is not me. I suffer. Not every month, however.
Last month, I hadn't had one. Yesterday it came on top of the horrific bad day of snow fall and bus cancellations and likely no refunds for the planned journey to Baltimore for Njideka Akunyili Crosby's solo show at the Baltimore Museum of Art (which closes this coming Sunday) and lunch at the pristine black owned vegan restaurant Land of the Kush.
I was miserable and teary eyed and in emotional, mental, and physical anguish throughout, angered and disillusioned, having waken up at 6AM, made it to the bus station, and being told that no buses were going out. It sucked.
Chocolate saved the sadness. I found a recipe for chocolate cake on Eggless Cooking and altered it a bit. I didn't take pictures of the batter of beets and chickpeas. The pretty pink had an effect on me, this lively pink like that of some color on an oil paint palette, seemed to uplift my dwindled spirits.


Flourless Chocolate Coconut Cake Ingredients and Preparation

1 cup beets
2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup baking cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chocolate chips

In a medium saucepan cook beets and chickpeas together for 5-7 minutes.
Drain a little bit of the water and blend the beets, chickpeas, and coconut oil inside food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and coconut flakes.
Combine wet and dry ingredients.
Add vanilla and chocolate chips.
Pour batter into desired pan. (I used a 10 inch foil pan from the dollar store)
Bake for 40-50 minutes.

It won't rise much and it's pretty dense and moist. More like a fudgy brownie than a cake.

Topped with So Delicious Coco Whip on a colorful flower plate.

Chocolate cake heaven.

Snow may be the foe of the day, but chocolate almost saved me.

Vegan Lemon Poundcake

Moist lemon poundcake will please the masses.

Wow! I come back and AfroVeganChick has surpassed the 100,000 views mark. Thank you all very much for continuing to visit and read recipes and adventures. It's been such a blessing to share vegan treasures invented and found on the world wide vegan web. I also send tremendous gratitude to product companies such as Daiya, So Delicious, Beyond Meat, etc. for linking people here. Just wonderful that you all still stop by.
Today is May 24th, Mom's birthday. As you know or if you can recall, Mom loves lemon. She has a special penchant for the zesty yellow sour fruit. With summer on the way, I thought it nice to have a lovely blast from the past-- lemon poundcake! Nancy's Organic Plain Yogurt gives this glorious cake moisture when combined with coconut oil and almond milk. I love Volcano's Lemon Burst Lemon Extract. Next to water, lemon juice, citric acid, and lemon oil are its primary ingredients. So you can imagine pure lemon flavor and not much else. Like lemonade meets plain poundcake. That's why I kept vanilla off the list.
I spoke with Mom briefly this afternoon. She said that this was good. Very good.
My suggestion is to make poundcake. This recipe is for two loaves. One for yourself and the other is for someone you love.

Vegan Lemon Poundcake Ingredients and Preparation

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup cane sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup almond milk
6 oz. Nancy's Plain Soy Yogurt
1/3 cup Volcano Not From Concentrate Lemon Juice
zest from two lemons
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoon lemon juice
zest from one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two baking loaf pans-- I used foil ones for a quick, easy cleanup.
Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together.
In a medium bowl whisk coconut oil, almond milk, soy yogurt, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Combine wet and dry well.
Add apple cider vinegar.
Pour into two prepared baking loaf pans.
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

First a modest brushing of lemon extract and extra lemon zest to give an enticing glazed finish. Refrigerate for an hour or two. Slice and serve cold.

Light, airy cake with just the right amount of lemon flavor.

Perfect with fresh organic strawberries and two scoops of So Delicious Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Ice Cream. Holiday weekend calls for it! :)

Vegan Chocolate Chai Cake

It's not even my birthday! Chocolate cake with Banana Chai Tea Ice Cream!

Dessert time has never been better.
I used to go to a coffeehouse that had this amazing Chocolate Chai Milkshake. Just big gigantic scoops of vanilla ice cream with chai concentrate and chocolate syrup topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. Talk about a huge calorie and fat machine, especially seeing as it came in only one size for $5! Wow!
I recreated that addictive flavor in a delicate, delicious, cruelty free cake format.
With signature basic chocolate cake amped with one of my favorite beverages- Bolthouse Farms Vanilla Chai Tea, it appears to be a match as wonderful as chocolate and peanut butter bliss. Warm, fragrant, moist, and inviting to both awakened nostrils and mouth watered tongue, this is the kind of cake chocoholics like me could indulge in over and over again ( you know like one small slice a day) sans the monstrous affects that Chocolate Chai Shake surely cost.
However, I only feel that familiar guilt if eating cake with ice cream... ahem.

Vegan Chocolate Chai Cake Ingredients and Preparation

2 1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup coconut oil (or applesauce)
1 1/2- 2 cup Bolthouse Farms Vanilla Chai Tea
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare cake pan.
Sift dry ingredients together.
Add vanilla, coconut oil, and vanilla chai tea.
Stir in the apple cider vinegar.

Extra cinnamon never hurt. Pour into pan & bake for 25-30 minutes.

Let cool.

Light, fluffy, sweet, & spicy- perfect than the average chocolate cake!

Especially paired with a lovely complementing ice cream!

Vegan Ultimate Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is best served with dairy free milk of course!

One of these days I will venture out and get the required ground flax seed (which isn't that expensive) or the Ener G Egg Replacer, but for now sticking to can do no wrong apple cider vinegar, applesauce, or bananas as substitute for shell cracking.
Originally, I did set out to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies, but they failed and not wanting to throw away a big bowl of batter, I scooped the rest into a cake pan and voila! cookie cake happened.
It is the most delicious, yummy, sensational accident ever of cookies meeting cake for a romantic date! With an irresistibly terrific combination- warm chocolate chips, oats, crunchy walnuts, and coconut with a kick of spicy cinnamon, how can it go wrong?
Well, if one slice can calm cravings and almond milk is always on hand, there is no problem....

Vegan Ultimate Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Ingredients and Preparation

2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup almond milk
1 cup Enjoy Life Foods mini chocolate chips (or any other dairy free variety)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
1 1/2 table apple cider vinegar
pinch of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8 or 9 inch cake pan with oil.
In a large bowl, sift flour, oats, salt, and baking soda.
Add brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, and almond milk.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Prepare crushed walnuts if larger. I grounded mine with a pestle and mortar.

Add walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar.

Press into pan and bake for 25- 30 minutes. Let cool before transferring onto plate. 

Yes! Plated almost successfully.

Helping myself to one slice. Just one.

One lovely slice.

Just amazing...

But sure would have been great with almond milk. Blah! Why am I always running out of things?

Vegan Coconut Glazed Lemon Cake

A slice of this light glazed lemon cake is purely euphoria.

Spring just around the corner and days are growing longer. These sweet occasions call for deliciously light satisfaction. That is where lemon cake comes in and steals the show with remarkable citrus flare.
There's nothing like a large pitcher of lemonade to beat the heat, but what do they say about a wonderful piece of homemade lemon cake? Or rather a "buttery," rich, vegan slice of lemon cake? 
Perfect as a cake or baked in miniature bread pans, folks will flock like bees to honey if they saw this gracing picnic tables. Sweet simple coconut milk glaze drips seductively over moist cake all sassy and divine. It's hard to eat just as imagination runs wild with lemonade filled summers.
This yummy Lemon Cake is inspired by The Savvy Vegetarian's decadently inspiring website!

Vegan Lemon Cake Ingredients and Preparation

1 1/2 almond milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup sugar
3 cup flour (white is recommended, but used whole wheat)
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon lemon extract
zest from one lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan.
Mix almond milk and lemon juice. Set aside to curdle.
Combine the remaining dry counterparts together.
Add dry to the wet and stir evenly.
Pour into the cake ban and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Coconut Lemon Glaze Ingredients and Preparation

1 cup lite coconut milk
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Whip up the all the ingredients and drizzle over cooled cake. 
Serve.

Slice a lemon or pour toasted shredded unsweetened coconut atop for a nice garnish.

Eat as directed.

Vegan Chocolate Cake With Cashew Coconut Cream Frosting

A deliciously moist chocolate cake covered in cashew coconut cream frosting both enhanced by the tart flavor strawberry butter provides.

I had heard of strawberry butter for quite a while.
In whispered vegan circles, primarily starting from an animal rights activist friend residing in California, she spoke of this fancy brunch that featured chef geniuses whipping a concoction made from strawberries, a rich sweet butter that made Belgian waffles so tasty that she barely touched the maple syrup. 
So conducting research, dismayed to find that strawberries alone cannot make a butter without help (jam, marmalade or preserves for the straight strawberry), the next best thing seemed to blend the fruit with oil- I used melted coconut, but added no sugar for cake was on the agenda!
Now this recipe is just an updated version of my traditional, flat chocolate cake.
The addition of strawberry butter gave an appetizing moist richness and addictive sweetness that made it impossible to stop at one slice (when it comes to chocolate willpower is just not reliable) and with the thick cashew coconut cream frosting also containing the butter the relationship ended well on the taste buds.
This is also my first cashew cream! Yay! Finally made some and looking forward to creating other yummy sauces/frostings/icings/everything with the versatile cashew.
That can be checked off my Vegan Try It List!

Vegan Chocolate Cake Ingredients

1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup strawberry butter*
1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients.
Combine wet separately.
Stir wet and dry together.
Place batter into a greased/floured 8" or 9" round cake pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Vegan Strawberry Butter

2 1/2 cups strawberries
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
(blended together)

Cashew Cream Frosting Ingredients

2 cups cashews, (soaked in 2 1/2 cups water for an hour & drained)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup strawberry butter
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Blend ingredients into blender, pureeing and whipping until satisfactory creaminess.

Once cake is cooled, spread and layer frosting, being careful not to lick the spoon or eat the cake. :D
Sprinkle extra shredded coconut, cinnamon, & cocoa powder if desired.

Frosting just oozes right off the thin chocolate cake.

Ready for a little decadence?

Cake must always be enjoyed with a beverage, right? Had a mug of green tea at ready!