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.

Raspberry and Pear Pie

My local health food store is smack-dab- in the middle between where I live and where I work, which is super convenient.  I find myself there a few times a week – anything I can do to avoid driving to our Walmart or Meijer for just those few forgotten things on the grocery list. Besides, I prefer spending my money in local establishments.

At the checkout counter I always grab a copy of “Delicious Living,” the free magazine on display; you know the type – heavy on the advertisements and light on the substance. Lots of suggestions for vitamin supplements and homeopathic recommendations. For example, here is what they published as 10 ways to “Survive the Holiday Stress.”

1.       Eat hard-boiled eggs

2.       Employ Chinese medicine

3.       Moisturize with aromatherapy

4.       Root for fresh ginger

5.       Prioritize meditation

6.       Shield with vitamin D

7.       Energize with herbals

8.       Shun sugar

9.       Take magnesium at night

10.   Schedule restoration

 My method of dealing with holiday stress? Eat another portion of whatever is being served. Seriously.

The BEST thing about this magazine is the recipes and this pie is an example of an excellent one. It comes from page 30 of the December 2013 edition. (I reduced the sugar. Changes are reflected below.)

Here’s what you need:

Two pie crusts

2-3 pounds ripe pears –peeled and cut in ¾ inch pieces

2 T honey

2 T white grape juice (you might also use orange or apple juice)

Pinch of salt

2 C frozen raspberries

½ t vanilla

¼ C flour

5 T natural cane sugar – divided

1 egg, beaten

1 T milk

Here’s what you do:

Prepare the bottom crust by fitting it in a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the extra edges under and crimp them decoratively. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until golden. Note: check the crust from time to time to see if any of the soft edges have slumped over. If they do, just take a wooden spoon and reshape the crust, kinda sticking the semi-raw dough back on to the pie plate.

Meanwhile: combine the pears, honey, juice and salt in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat for no longer than 5 minutes. You do not want mushy fruit! Just soften it a bit. Transfer pears to a bowl to cool a bit. Add the raspberries, vanilla, flour, and 4 T sugar. Blend gently. Pour fruit into warm pie crust. Roll out top crust and carefully place over fruit. Decoratively crimp the edges being careful because the pie plate is now hot. Create an egg wash by whisking the egg and milk together. Brush this over the top crust and then sprinkle the remaining 1 T sugar over.

Continue baking for another 60 minutes – covering the edges with foil after 30 minutes have passed. Crust should be brown and filling should be bubbly.

(printable recipe)