Cake What!?!?

For those of you who know me- my biggest temptation is sweets.  I love chocolate cake, banana bread, cookies, pies, or anything considered a dessert.  Main dishes for me are solely for the purpose of putting nutrients into my body.  I could give up pasta, or chicken nuggets, and most likely even pizza if I knew I could eat my dessert!  I love the texture of a warm cake or bread right out of the oven.  Anything with chocolate and peanut butter gets me excited.  So when I decided to go Vegan for the month, I knew I had to find recipes pronto that could satisfy my sweet tooth.  After a bit of trial and error, here are some desserts that even your meat loving friends will enjoy.


Vegan Chocolate cake (taken from Instructables website)

Cake Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil
1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup almonds, cashews, pecans, or favorite nut

2 Tbsp raw organic cacao nibs

Chocolate Glaze (optional)

1/3 cup sugar
4 tbsp margarine
2 tbsp soy milk
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 8x8 pan.  Add dry cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir.  Add wet ingredients and mix well.  Use spatula to scrape sides of bowl.  Add to baking dish and bake about 25-30 minutes or until knife comes out clean.  Cool on rack.  Once cool you can make chocolate glaze. In a small saucepan add all ingredients except vanilla and bring to boil.  Turn heat down and simmer 2 minutes stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir an additional 5 minutes.  Add vanilla and immediately top cake.  Spread quickly and add sprinkles if you would like.  Enjoy

Cherry Rum cake (Taken from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

Cake Ingredients

2/3 cup dries cherries chopped

2 Tbsp dark rum

3/4 C plus 2 Tbsp almond milk

1 Tsp apple cider vinegar

1/3 C Canola oil

1/2 C raw sugar

1 Tbsp molasses

1 tbsp rum

1 1/4 Tsp vanilla

1 1/4 C flour - I use 3/4 cup whole wheat, 1/2 cup brown rice flour

2 Tbsp cornstarch- I used arrowroot flour

3/4 Tsp baking powder

1/2 Tsp baking soda

1/2 Tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease cake pan or line muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

In small bowl combine dark rum and cherries and set aside at least 30 minutes

In another measuring cup, whisk vinegar and milk to curdle. 

Pour milk mixture into large bowl and add coil, sugar, molasses, rum, and vanilla until blended. 

Sift in flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir until combined.  

Fold in rum soaked cherries with liquid and combine.  Fill cake pan or cupcake lines and bake for 18-20 minutes till done.  

Rum Glaze

1/4 C dark rum

3 Tbsp sugar

1/2 Tsp vanilla

2 Tsp Vegan butter ( I like Earth Balance)

In small saucepan, bring rum and sugar to boil.  BE CAREFUL! Rum can catch on fire so watch pan.  Simmer over medium heat dissolving sugar.  Reduce heat and cook 1-2 more minutes until resembles light colored syrup.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter.  Allow to cool and pour over cake!