Happy Birthday (Cake)!

I love baking. It stresses me out, but I love it. It is a little bit like magic when you see what you can create out of mixing different things together.

Husband and I

As much as I like baking, I have also never been against going to a bakery and buying a cake for a birthday party. I don’t understand those people that say you need a homemade cake for your birthday. Honestly, some people just suck at baking and I don’t want their homemade cake. Yeah, I said it.

This year I decided to be adventurous and make a cake for husband’s birthday. We didn’t have a big party or anything but I thought it would be fun to do the whole homemade thing. Plus, I am selfish and wanted to eat the cake too. Don’t judge me… I am chubby for a reason.

Enter vegan god Isa Chandra Moskowitz and her Post Punk Kitchen. I have been sitting on her chocolate cake (and vegan butter cream frosting) for months now and was jazzed that I finally had the opportunity to try it.

I must say this was a really easy cake to make. It did not take long and was DELICIOUS. Although, I have a confession…

My name is Chubby Vegan and I can’t frost a cake.

I just suck at it. I don’t know why really. Its part me being impatient, its part me not having the best tools, it’s part me being clumsy. So pardon the picture of the final product and just enjoy it for what it is. I never said I was a professional cake decorator.

So (let them) eat (vegan) cake!

Recipe and pictures, after the jump!

Just Chocolate Cake

Source: Post Punk Kitchen

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 soymilk 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.

Vegan Butter Cream Frosting

Source: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

Pulled from Culinate.com; although I did just buy the book

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine, (Earth Balance)

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, (sifted)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer

INSTRUCTIONS

Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.

Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.

Chubby Vegan Notes

*I did not use a spring form pan, although I imagine that would help when moving cakes to frost them.

* I made the cake recipe twice for a layer cake…

*I used almond milk and I think it gives it an almost nutty, cherry flavor; just something we noticed while snarfing it down.

*The frosting is great but needs to be whipped for a fair amount of time. A stand mixer comes in really handy!

Sifted dry ingredients

Liquid mixture

I greased the pan with some Earth Balance

Ready, set, bake!

So pretty!

Looks like an Oreo... mmmm

Don't hate...

No piece left uneaten!

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