12

Mar

Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake

It was one of those days yesterday.

I felt sick, icky, lethargic, and literally couldn’t get out of bed until 1:30. The time change did not help. And this almost never happens.

By 5 or so, I finally felt a little better. By 7, I wanted to bake something comforting. But we were lacking, in no particular order:
eggs
butter
milk.

The trifecta ingredients to make anything baked and comforting were missing from our fridge. No problem, let’s go vegan! Joy the Baker’s simple chocolate cake is wonderful, and I spiced it up just a little, for fun. I hope you devour this cake as we are currently doing. MMM.

Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
Slightly adapted from Joy 

This cake is made for people who don’t have the time or energy to run to the store for ingredients. It is simple, chocolaty and delicious…enough that my husband didn’t even know it was vegan! And he didn’t care because it is that good.

Makes 1 9-inch bundt cake or 18 cupcakes or 12 cupcakes + 1 mini cake (in a bread pan)–>I did this one
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash cinnamon
1 cup warm coffee
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (or add 1/4 cup add’l oil)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
small handful of chocolate chips (optional)

Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9-inch bundt pan with vegetable shortening and dust with cocoa powder.  Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together coffee, oil, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips and cocoa nibs, if using.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  The batter will be relatively thick.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (For cupcakes, bake 18 minutes)
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
Cake will last, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to 3 days. 

Vegan chocolate banana cakelet (shorter cake)

**If you’re feeling crazy, like I was, chop up a banana and throw it into the batter. Maybe 2 bananas, I don’t know.
 

Vegan chocolate cupcakes

Happy eating!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL 2 Comments

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20

Jan

Bananaberry Breadlet

The other day, I was in the mood for banana bread, but wanted it without the heaviness of a loaf and the convenience that I could grab and go in the mornings (because taking the time to stop and cut a slice of bread takes way too long, ha). Presenting…

The BREADLET:

A glorious warm bit of bread baked into handheld on-the-go size.

Bananaberry Breadlet
Perfect for on-the-go, this warm, gooey snack is half the size of a regular muffin and is dense as it is derived from a bread recipe.
makes 23 (not 24) breadlets


dry ingredients (in one bowl, combine:)
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
wet ingredients (in a second bowl, combine:)
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 TB melted butter/margarine
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup blackberries, sliced in half (1/2 cup or so)

step one:
preheat oven to 350. spray or line 23 muffin tins.

the batter

combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir. then combine wet ingredients in a large bowl and stir. 


step two: 
pour dry ingredients into the large bowl, and stir all together. using a tablespoon (the kind you eat with), scoop out 2 spoonfuls for each cup, so the muffin cups are 1/2 full of batter.


step three:
bake breadlets for 10 minutes, making sure they are slightly firm (not jiggly) but not overly brown. cool on rack. eat.

**since there is a bunch of banana and blackberry happiness in them, i would stick them in the fridge for storage. i put them in sandwich bags or to-go containers to grab in a hurry. enjoy!

look at that gooey, banana-y goodness

So there you have it, the breadlet. I’m finding it’s a nice treat before/after a workout, too.

Happy eating!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL

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01

Nov

Pumpkin Banana Oats

pumpkin banana oats

Pumpkins mean one thing…Fall.

When I think of Fall, also comes thoughts of…
leaves in brilliant hues
crisp, cool breezes
oranges, reds, browns dressing porches and people
a need for comfort, for warmth
a desire for spices and a hot cup of tea
pies, pickled pieces, pot stews
and, of course…
pumpkins.

I’ve now reached the double digits of loaves of pumpkin bread baked in our kitchen this month. (Don’t worry about my cholesterol levels–all but 1 was given away.)

Daydreams of ideas and visions in cookbooks bring new pumpkin recipes to my growing obsession love for the pumpkin taste. I’ve been using canned pumpkin 1)because I don’t have the energy to scoop out fresh pumpkin and 2)because it’s actually pretty great for you, healthwise.

Hope this gives you more ways to reach 300% of your vitamin C daily needs and 50% of your soluble fiber needs, as well as a ton of potassium, all in one warm bowl.

Pumpkin Banana Oats
easily doubled, tripled, prepared on stove or in a slow cooker, or a zapper if you have class in 20 min.

1/2 cup oats
1 cup water 
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (unsweetened)
1 medium banana, sliced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of pumpkin pie spice (or nutmeg/allspice/cinnamon)
Dash of ginger (optional)
2 t. brown sugar (optional)

 Quick version:
Heat/cook oats and water until oats are 75% cooked. Add in remaining ingredients and stir. Heat until banana is softened and oatmeal is completely cooked. Savor the flavors.

Happy eating! Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL

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