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.

Nada Moo's Gotta Do Chocolate

I have told this story a thousand times, but it is the purest truth. My mom always made or bought me a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate ice cream on my birthdays. Occasionally, I got to choose chocolate chip or chocolate swirl ice cream to cut down on the overload. Thus, I never had the full courage to disclose to her that I didn't like chocolate ice cream.
Yet Nada Moo has definitely changed my mind.

Nada Moo has been a favorite ice cream brand for a while now. Their mint chocolate chip is pure heaven. I found Gotta Do Chocolate pint at the neighborhood grocery store (which is slowly churning out vegan products). At $7.59, it would be a rare treat, considering that at Whole Foods Market the ice creams are frequently on sale for $4.99. Still, Nada Moo is a great company, being one of several ice cream manufacturers on the Food Empowerment Project list.

From the first incredible bite, Gotta Do Chocolate embodies wonderful bliss. The delivery of sweetened chocolate and coconut cohesively mixed together creates tantalizing moments on the tongue. Nothing at all like the bland chocolate ice creams of past birthdays and other random special occasions. Maybe it is the organic cocoa or maybe it is the coconut milk base-- either way this perfectly nuanced chocolate ice cream brings pleasant thoughts wrapped in newfound happiness.

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.....

Grenada Chocolate Festival's Fifth Annual Chocolate Extravaganza

Last Saturday bliss.

On Saturday afternoon through the early night, near Grand Anse Beach, Camerhogne Park was popping.
The DJ was playing great tunes like Sia's reggae influenced "Cheap Thrills" and Black Panther soundtrack gem Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar's "Pray For Me” blaring loud and free. Colorful cacao pods on giant leaves were settled on cut grasses forming a tempting path to festivities. The smell of chocolate perfumed the subtle breezy air with its sweet, decadent scent no manufacturer could authentically match. Adults and children alike were entertained by the various delights each tent offered under the pleasant trees shading us all from the mild warmth of sun and its radiant light. 

While the royal wedding happened somewhere in Europe, a mom/photographer was sporting a beautiful headwrap and a Coming to America t-shirt featuring Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy, right) and Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley, left).

I relished the euphoric spirit in great abundance.
I spoke with other artists like the poet Word, who later performed her chocolate poem onstage. I cracked open cacao shells, poured fine cacao particles into the red handled grinder (similar to the one at House of Chocolate), and ground them into chocolate paste. I then scraped it onto hands and balled it continuously, forming a rounded shape like the ones used for tea. At last, I sampled pure chocolate, raw and unadulterated bitterness, grainy and perfect straight from the tree.

Hands that rolled actual cacao.

Between events, the gorgeous hostess donned chocolate fabric stage in a splendid necklace made out of cacao beans that enhanced the bright red of her chic knee length dress and nude heel sandals.

I was fortunate to meet Aaron Sylvester. He inherited a cacao farm from his grandparents and uses the land to create a new line of chocolate bars in Crochu. The vegan chocolate, which is 80% dark chocolate sweetened with cane sugar, is created in St. Mark's, a town in Victoria, Grenada that has the highest mountain and waterfall on the island. Sylvester believes that the Dark Chocolate will bring business to the region.

The cacao pod makes cacao nibs, cocoa, and dried cocoa beans.

Cocoa tea has become a new favorite.

At Dodgy Dock's tent, they served one vegan dish-- a hearty, delicious three bean chocolate chili with crispy tortilla chips on the side. Before granting me my plate, the server had said, "you're going to love this." And he was right.

Cacao pod and cacao bean decor. 

Artist Stacey Byer had a great activity-- acrylic painting on smooth, stone rocks. She had hand drawn a cacao pod with black marker. Content children and adults created masterpieces together.

Also in the kids activity tent, attendees were welcome to roll cacao grounds.

And work on a joint mural with cacao pods opened and closed.

Ta da! The completed mural. The original artist's work is lighter versus the group effort's intensive contrast.

There was the chocolate photo booth inviting guests to pose with a pal. One couldn't take a picture alone in the chocolate photo booth. However, as seen in the first picture of this post, a Grenada Chocolate Festival team member teamed up with me. I will be grateful for that.

One of the prizes up for chocolate auction-- a chocolate spa package (choosing three of several seductive body treats) at Blue River Spa sounded like a merry dream-- a chocolate facial, a chocolate body wrap, a mocha body scrub, a cocoa bath soak, a chocolate pedicure, a chocolate manicure for one person in one day. I will live vicariously through the winner of this exceptional luxury.

The fashion show was incredible! I wished to have the names of designers and models of this great showing of local talent, but alas have no details. Regardless, it was a brilliant success that showcased an homage to the endless branches of Diaspora narrative.
It started off with the Princess Collection-- cool blues and eloquent patterns (which has complimentary orange in this African paisley rendering) in a collection that weaves a beautiful tale about a woman's distinctive prowess in the fashion arena.

This is the sleek, sophisticated designer of the Princess Collection. Isn't she just a vision?

A stunning design was this showstopping elegant gown and crown made of dried cocoa leaves.

The entire cocoa leaf collection with designer.

This designer (second center in a gorgeous two fabric patterned dress and winning smile) was inspired by Grenada's nutmeg, featured on their state flag. This stunning collection stylizes the weight of symmetric lines and amping up beige with bold red and graphic black.

Inspired by a romantic fairy tale, this designer (on the far left with funky red hair. polka dot blue dress, and black ankle booties) her collection is heroic and dynamic with elements of Orientalism, power, and may I say Amazonian like Wonder Woman? I appreciated the dresses for women of all shapes and sizes.

With the image that inspired it all, I hope to return again next year and experience the whole breadth of this festival. I had such an amazing, informative, intriguing, insatiably gratifying time, learning and exploring the creative sides of cacao/chocolate. It goes beyond my own perception, my own thoughts prior to the long, anticipated journey. I have enjoyed meeting so many people influenced by chocolate. I have been taught its impact on their lives on other levels. There are countless narratives eager to be told. One must come to their spaces and listen as a person of understanding and not a foreigner desiring to take without gifting something in return. 

House Of Chocolate: An All-In-One History Museum, Cafe, & Boutique

Just beside the Grenada History Museum, House of Chocolate Grenada  offers an even sweeter history lesson.

It was a fascinating touch of blissful wonder strolling through the bumbling doors of House of Chocolate-- a mini-museum space exploring history of chocolate in the heart of the Caribbean country. In addition to an informative layout on chocolate history, House of Chocolate features an indie spirited store housing chocolates, chocolate inspired books, clothing, purses/wallets, jewelry, spices, and more among a small café and homey gathering space. An on site chocolatier preps all of the yummy chocolate confections and delights. Although most desserts and drinks are nonvegan, there are exceptional treats for us including unique truffles and a sensational mug of hot cocoa tea-- a premiere specialty.

Viewers are instructed to enter and make a left towards the museum side, learning first about cacao and its three main varieties: Criollo, Forastero,and Trinitario. Criollo (means "native" in Spanish), originated in Mexico and primarily cultivated in Central America, has notes of caramel, nuts, vanilla, and tobacco, is the rarest and most expensive cocoa, and accounts for 5% of the cocoa beans grown in the world. Forastero (means "foreigner" in Spanish), originated in the Amazon and primarily cultivated in West Africa, Ivory Coast, and Ghana, has a classic mild chocolate flavor, is the most commonly grown cocoa bean, and is a fast growing, high yielding tree, very resistant to disease unlike Criollo. Trinitario is a natural hybrid of Criollo and Forastero-- results of an accidental cross-fertilization that transpired in Trinidad around 1730. It is primarily cultivated in Grenada, Venezuela, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Papua New Guinea, and other Latin and Caribbean countries. It has a high bean flavor, fragile tree, and produces a rich cocoa grade flavor.

What is cacao? Quite frankly, the heart of all chocolate dreams and desires.

The museum then centers on local history. Some of it isn't pretty.

A waxing poetic story that glaringly sugarcoats cacao bean slavery and excess colonialism complete with lithography illustrations.

Archive photo of cacao farmers.

Cacao beans were formerly used as wealth and status. In this historic pricing chart, cacao beans could get someone animals like rabbits and turtles (insert sobs), clothes, jewelry, and slaves (crying).

Old fashioned devices of the cocoa tea.

Visitors can peel cacao shells and grind them into paste.

Keep calm & eat Grenada Chocolate. Okay.

Chocolate scented candles galore.

From Curious George to chocolate recipes and chocolate history, there is a sweet topic for all ages to browse through in the small book collection. 

The top shelf chocolate books.

I ordered the cocoa tea, a huge treat for the locals. It is made with a cocoa ball (cacao nibs rolled up with spices and bayleaf) melting into hot water and served with organic sugar.

The hot beverage is a fine line between tea and hot chocolate, rich and delightful, sophisticated and refined.

On my birthday, almost seven years ago, the world's largest chocolate bar was made in Alfreton, Derbyshire, UK!

The only vegan treats were a top of row of truffles excluding peanut butter and salted vanilla-- strawberry, passion fruit, ginger, and guava were dairy free.

Also featured in the gift shop/boutique, expect Grenada's top chocolate companies-- Grenada Chocolate Company, Crayfish Bay, and Jouvey Chocolate.

In addition to chocolate bars, cocoa powders, cacao nibs, cocoa tea balls, and cocoa butter are some specialty treats on sale.

I tried enticing free samples of ginger, nutmeg, nibs, salted pieces-- all amazing tidbits of pure dark chocolate sweetened with sugar and spice. It was hard to pick a favorite.

I hold a cacao pod with great joy having earlier suckled a taste of an opened plant. Slick and slimy seeds are covered in white flesh. You suck off the flesh, which tastes sweet and fruity like the juice of bananas. 

Gorgeous artisan truffles in Strawberry and Passion fruit.

I came back two days later, on my last day, for another helping of cocoa tea.

Making forth a home on a comforting bench with a cacao pod pillow.

A 2lb chocolate bar would have been nice to take home-- except it was extremely hot in Grenada, too hot to lug around a bar that would melt in rapid seconds. Still, what a beautiful sight!

Well deserved trip advisor Certificate of Excellence honor for House of Grenada, an exceptional, creative environment with warm, welcoming atmosphere featuring courteous staff, delicious island made chocolate, and plentiful good reading. I hope to return again someday.