chocolate cake – WordPress test9

Vegan Beet Chocolate Cake with Coconut buttercream frosting

Well hello there you delicious hunk of cake, you! Yes you! The one without eggs, or butter, or milk, or any of those yummy things that come from animals. You are truly amazing. What? You even taste good? STOP. I just can’t take the awesomeness.

Well, hey readers! You caught me in a moment of loving conversation with my food creation. I am sad to admit this is a common occurrence. Men have been know to give their cars personalities, many of my DIY friends name their furniture (I do this too!), and I … talk to my food. But gosh, they have so dang much to say! They speak of traditions, family times, fellow veggies & fruit they like to hang with, memories, seasons, and loved ones gone.

I think of Chocolate Cake and a lovely man named Marvin that adored that cake. Wild Rice Soup reminds me of my Grandma and her cabin. Shortbread Cookies remind me of my sister Darla (who first introduced me to their buttery goodness in full force). And Cauliflower Potato Salad reminds me of my grandparents (who really didn’t like cauliflower subbing out potatoes and were quite vocal!).
For instance, this cake would tell you that it is chock full of healthy beets, cocoa, and coconut without using a single egg or chunk of butter to make it delicious. It would tell you about it’s raw sugar, it’s coconut milk, and it’s Bob’s Red Mill flour. This chocolate beet cake requested only the finest ingredients and careful care. And gosh is it dang proud of itself! Rightly so. For my vegan readers, you will appreciate the accomplishment of a delicious fudgy chocolate cake with a buttercream frosting that tastes sooo close to the real thing that you will swear you hear mooing!
Beets are messy, this is very true. But sometimes they are absolutely worth the trouble and mess. They do a fantastic job of helping this cake create a fudgy, sweet inner without a hint of an egg or milk. Plus the nutrients they sneak into this chocoalte cake is a giant bonus! The frosting here is made for this chocolate cake. As in, the cake and frosting combo is a must try your first time around.

So, I have this little bit of a pet peeve when someone wants to make changes to recipes and dishes. Like, when you go to a restaurant that specializes in something and then proceed to adjust the meal. Not for dietary changes. Because you think something will taste better. Or, you don’t think you’ll like a combo. For pete’s sake, they don’t get awesome by chance. I am a big believer in always trying something the way it comes or is combined the first time. No subbing or changing for me. No siree. Those chefs know their stuff I and am NOT going to be the one to question them. Please, for the sake of our friendship, don’t tell me if you are one of “them”. Eh, I’ll still like you 🙂

Coconut oil “butter”cream pairs beautifully with the chocolate cake especially especially if you top the whole thing with a bit of coconut. You’ll be swooning and talking to your food like me. Really, you and I will have conversations about the conversations we have with our food. They probably have a meeting I should be going to. But, I’m thinking of making another cake. Or bringing the cake to a meeting? Baha! A FTU (Food Talkers Unite) meeting.

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the Best White Cake recipe

After seeing the success that our homemade chocolate cake recipe has had and how much you all love it I realized that that my best white cake recipe could be something that you would find valuable as well. Having a chocolate cake or white cake recipe that you KNOW will produce a fantastic cake makes life so much simpler. It might take a bit longer to make these cakes than a box mix, but it certainly is better for you to use REAL ingredients. And, there is something so satisfying to make a cake. Put a bit of music on, pour a glass of wine, and get baking. Truly, you’ll be feeding your soul!

Classic cakes like chocolate cake, white cake, carrot cake, and pound cakes never go out of style. Especially really, really good cake recipes like grandma used to make!

Tips to a perfect white cake:

Use room temperature buttermilk and egg whites.
Don’t skip this. It makes a huge difference!! Just set your buttermilk and whites on the counter a few hours before you intend to start.
Using shortening keeps your cake white in color.
But don’t be afraid to use butter! The flavor is better. Just be sure your butter is softened a bit.
Spray & flour your pans.
There is nothing worse than cake that sticks to the pan. Especially when making layer cakes. Of course, if you are making a 9 by 13 cake there is no need to worry about this step as much as if you are attempting a layer cake. You can even pick up cooking spray that is made just for baking and has flour right in it…easy peasy!
Use clear vanilla concentrate, if possible.
Again, this does nothing for the flavor…only the color. And don’t be afraid to try almond extract….yum!
Use good flour. We used Bob’s Red Mill. It’s organic and incredibly versatile. And it is the same high protein flour used by professional bakers and produces high, well-textured loaves of bread equally as well as it produces light, airy baked goods.
Make your own buttermilk, easy-peasy…
1 cup of regular milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
Stir together and let sit 10 minutes…buttermilk!

I’m a big fan of tried and true recipes, and this white cake is one of them. I can imagine a family back in “the day” sitting about talking and laughing around this very same cake. That makes me feel like I have a small touch of the “way it was” in my kitchen. Granted, I am making this cake with my fantastic oven, mixer, and fancy pants tools. But still. I still have a bit of nostalgia for recipes like this.

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For this cake I used our sugar-free cream cheese frosting but often use my absolute favorite…creamy chocolate frosting. Seriously you guys, it is the best!

Other cakes we love:

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cake (Gluten-free)
Butter Cake

Click here to download a $1 off coupon for any Bob’s Red Mill product!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

slow cooker chocolate cake with frosting

I’m a busy working mom, like many of you, and adore recipes that use real ingredients to create delicious, simple, and fast treats for my family. Although you have seen versions of a slow-cooker chocolate cake that use a cake mix and pudding mix, can I encourage you to try making this recipe instead? I would love you to take the extra few minutes to use real ingredients that you have touched and measured for yourself. This chocolate cake is ridiculously fast to make and will become a family favorite that you are happy to get in your crockpot before you head out to work, schedule it, and have it ready to be eaten after dinner or for your kids when they get home from school.

This chocolate cake is utter magic. Magic because it is utterly decadent and rich, magic because the frosting is created while the cake cooks in the same pan!, but magic mostly because this delectable cake is made in the slow-cooker!

I often question the practicalness of some slow-cooker recipes. Especially the ones that are for 3 hours and then done. Or for 2 hours and then you add something and cook for an additional 2 hours. Isn’t the idea of a slow cooker to allow you to set supper up to be cooking while you are working? Who the heck works 3-hour shifts? Eh, it must just be me that doesn’t see the value in 1400 Slow-Cooker Recipes.

(You are going to start to stir the batter and want to yell at me that something is wrong. There isn’t. The stuff is thick! Just stir it gently with a wooden spoon until the giant chunks are gone and call it a day. Put it into your greased slow-cooker and let the magic work. It works out, promise!)

This recipe I get. When I eat this cake with it’s built-in frosting I understand why slow-cooker recipes exist. In the 3 hours this cake is cooking, the frosting is cooking up too. It SELF FROSTS itself. No really…when you cut the cake, you automatically get frosting! BAM!

But is it good? I have had my share of slow-cooker recipes that I didn’t think were worth the trouble. They were only so-so. But this. THIS is mouth-watering! I use a couple of special ingredients to keep this cake rich, full of flavor, and lighter in calories. It isn’t light and fluffy like my homemade chocolate cake instead, it’s rich, fudge-y, and dark. THIS is the cake I use for ice cream sundaes, coffee dates, and regular appearances on the meal menu.

Stout.

Using a dark, rich alcohol like stout allows me to remove the milk from the cake recipe, quite a bit of the sugar, AND contributes a wonderful rich flavor to the cake. Using stout works fantastic for this slow-cooker recipe because the slow-cooking time allows that alcohol to foam and bubble to the top of the cake, mixing with the sugar and chocolate, and creating a delicious frosting.

Nutella.

Now, you can use peanut butter (this is better for the calorie count!), almond butter, or cookie butter in place of Nutella. However, for the richest and most decadent flavor, and when making this for your kids, use Nutella. Obviously :).

(Do NOT stir in your boiled stout topping. Simply pour it on top and leave. Really. It all works out.)

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