Just Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cake. Sometimes that’s all you need - a nice slab of it, nothing fancy, no fruit or mint nor hint of citrus. They say that chocolate mimics the euphoria of being in love, but how do they know that love isn’t mimicking chocolate? It could choose a worse role model.
This is my basic chocolate cake recipe, the same as the chocolate cupcakes in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. It’s rich and tender and just exactly what I want when biting into a piece of cake, moistness and melt in your mouth crumbs. I top it with an extra fudgy chocolate ganache that gets it delectible gloopiness from a couple tablespoons maple syrup. In this photo, I’ve doubled the recipe to make a two layer cake and added a little bit of a creamy cocoa buttercream that I’ve been working on. Another benefit to this recipe is that the cake doesn’t dome too much so it’s perfect for layer cakes.
Chocolate Cake
Makes one 8 inch circle cake
1 cup almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular (or a mix of both)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla and almond extract and mix well.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).
Lightly grease an 8 inch springform pan. Pour in the batter and bake for 32 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted through the center comes out clean.
Gooey Ganache
2/3 cup almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
In a small saucepan bring the milk to a boil then lower heat to a simmer. Add the chocoate chips and maple syrup and mix with a fork. Turn heat off and mix until thoroughly melted. Let cool for about 15 minutes before using.
To assemble:
Just pour the ganache over the cooled cake and kind of tilt the cake at all angles to get the ganache to drip down the sides. Refrigerate to cool and set the ganache.
August 28th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Fork my diet, I need this chocolate cake!
August 28th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Oh my gosh…that is some great cake porn…
August 28th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Hand over the creamy cocoa buttercream recipe goshdarnit! Or should I look elsewhere for it? Or maybe it’s top secret…
August 28th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I love that you guys are doing the blog again.. any plans for more shows?
August 28th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
I got the most hideous craving for chocolate cake last week. Clearly, this is a sign.
August 28th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Yummmmmm.
August 28th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
god yes.
August 28th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Gosh am I craving cake like crazy right now
August 28th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
I just made this yesterday for my daughter’s first birthday! Crazy! I topped it with your vanilla buttercream tinted pink. It’s my standby cake and cupcake recipe. I think I’ll go have another piece right now!
August 29th, 2008 at 1:10 am
NOM!
August 29th, 2008 at 4:19 am
It’s true! I rediscovered chocolate-chocolate just the other day. Very nice!
August 29th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Lovely!
August 29th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Why the fork didn’t I check the blog yesterday when I actually made chocolate cake?! The one I made came out fine, but this one looks amazing.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I want a piece right now!!
August 29th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
How did you know I was looking for (or rather, THINKING about looking for) a recipe for cake with Ganache?? This will be perfect as I already have all of the ingredients. Except… well, I don’t have a pan to put them in. Once I get that, I’ll be good to go!
August 29th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
fuuuuuuuck that looks good.
August 29th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Well, I now know what I’m doing with the almond milk I purchased—-and, this looks amazing.
August 30th, 2008 at 2:43 am
Cakey. Porney. Goodness.
I really like it with the cocoa buttercream that you are “working on”
In the meantine, until you perfect it. I want to try it with VCTOtW ‘Peanut Buttercream’ or maybe the ‘Not-Too-Sweet Raspberry Mouse’ variation between the layers.
August 30th, 2008 at 9:15 am
I think I’m in love. That ganache looks AMAZING!!! Can you say sex in my mouth?!?!??!
August 31st, 2008 at 8:51 am
This is my kind of dessert. Chocolate cake, chocolate icing, the end.
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:40 am
I like your cake.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:55 am
I made this yesterday as a single round with the chocolate icing. The cake recipe is so very simple and it’s also so very delicious! And just as you said, the cake didn’t dome up in the middle, which is a great, and I’ve got this page bookmarked as I’m planning on making it again as a layer cake for my husband’s birthday. Thanks for sharing your recipe, Isa.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:21 am
Hey - I ate that cake. Man it was good.
September 7th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
“hey say that chocolate mimics the euphoria of being in love, but how do they know that love isn’t mimicking chocolate?”
this is a great wisdom
September 9th, 2008 at 10:04 am
i tried this recipe over the weekend and it was delish. i poured the cake batter into little rabbit shaped tins and had bunny cakes.
September 15th, 2008 at 3:06 am
Thank you for saving me from egg-slavery. I made giant, GIANT cupcakes this evening, and I am so very, very happy. This is the second-to-last frontier of veganism for me, so I’m almost there.
September 20th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
What can I substitute the maple syrup with in the icing? I am sure to make this one soon - am also soon going to blog that soup that was just yummy:)