Vegan Recipe Monday: Raspberry Blackout Cake

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Recently I’ve noticed a ridiculously high number of hits to this post, wherein I complain about my iPod and go on and on about the deliciousness of the VWAV Raspberry Blackout Cake I made for a friend’s birthday. Sadly, I imagine that everyone who landed there actually wanted the recipe, and not a picture of it and to hear me whining about my first world luxuries.

Thusly, I e-mailed Isa Chandra herself and was all, ummm, can I post this recipe? I did not expect her to reply. But, lo, she did. And she was all, “knock yourself out.” I will cherish and love that e-mail forever, and I will totally cough it up when her publisher’s lawyers come knocking on my door telling me to remove the post.

So then, let me first say that you should TOTALLY go buy your own copy of Vegan With a Vengeance. This is seriously one of the most delectable vegan desserts I’ve ever made. And you, you reading this, you go should buy the book, because there’s more where this came from. Your life is incomplete with out, I assure you.

There, I’ve done my shilling. Now, the recipe…

Originally uploaded by megyn.ohara

Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting
courtesy Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (2005), p 217-218

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 2/2 cups plain rice or soy milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 (10 oz) jar raspberry preserves (reserve 1/2 cup for the batter)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sugar
Fresh raspberries for decorating and yumminess

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch round springform cake pans with cooking spray. If you don’t have springform then use parchment paper rounds on the bottom of two ordinary 8-inch round cake pans to prevent sticking.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine the rice milk, oil, 1/2 cup of the preserves, the vanilla, and the sugar in a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer or strong fork. The jam should be mostly dissolved with the rest of the ingredients; some small clumps are okay. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches and mix until everything is incorporated . Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pans.

When the cakes have cooled fully, spread one layer of cake with a thin layer of the preserved raspberry preserves (give the preserves a quick mix with a strong fork to get a spreadable consistency); spread a layer of chocolate frosting on top of the preserves. Place the other layer of cake on top and spread its top with preserves. Carefully spread the chocolate frosting over the top, then ice the sides. I like to put a circle of fresh raspberries around the circumference of the top. If you happen to have a decorating bag and tips around, you can alternate a rosebud or star flourish with a raspberry, and a few raspberries in the center will finish it off. Makes 12 servings.

Chocolate Ganache-y Frosting
3/4 cup soy creamer (I use Silk Soy Creamer but if it’s not available plain soy milk will do)
6 tbsp nonhydrogenated margarine
10 oz semisweet chocolate chips

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the soy creamer to a low boil. Add the margarine and melt, turn off the heat, and stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Let sit for at least 1 hour. It should still have a pourable consistency at this point. If you want a spreadable consistency then refrigerate for an hour (If you refrigerate it for more than a few hours, it sets too much to spread easily, so you will need to reheat it, then let it sit at room temperature before using.)

[Note: the frosting recipe makes about double what you'd need if you plan to just ice and not decorate much]

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Filed under baking, recipe, vegan/vegetarian