Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Cake

A cake can make any day brighter. It can set the tone for a special meal. And it can make a dramatic statement at a dinner party. I love cake. There, I said it. I love to see a pretty cake sitting on a platter in my kitchen. Plus I love sneaking a thin slice every time I walk by.

This delicious recipe comes from “Vegan…Made Simple” – a new cookbook from my mom (Thanks, Mom!) I modified it by adding almond extract along with the vanilla. I reduced the sugar also. My changes are included here.

I hope you try this simple and delicious cake: very tender and moist and full of raspberry flavor.

Here’s what you need:

2 1/3 C all-purpose flour

½ C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

1 C sugar

1 ½ C almond or soy milk

½ C canola oil

½ C raspberry preserves, warmed and strained

½ t vanilla extract

½ t almond extract

For the frosting:

3 T non-dairy milk

½ C chocolate chips (vegan if possible)

½ C powdered sugar

1 T maple sugar

Fresh raspberries to decorate

OR

Create a simple raspberry sauce by warming and straining more raspberry preserves

 You might notice in the photo above that I used a 10 inch spring form pan and baked it for about 30 minutes. Why it sunk in the middle I can’t say – it was cooked all the way through….I guess I should have put a bunch of raspberries in the middle to hide the ugly crater!

Here’s what you do:

Grease a 9 inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Whisk the milk, oil, preserved and extracts well. Add the dry to the wet and mix gently, just until everything is moist. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting: heat the milk over low heat until just reaches the boiling point. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Add the sugar and syrup. Mix well. Cool for a bit before frosting the cake.