Monday, March 7, 2011

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Truffle Cake with Strawberries

Now that's a bit of a mouthful of a title for a cake, but I promise every single word is actually completely vital to it's description.  It's vegan, it's chocolate, it's fudgy, it's decadent like a truffle, it's a cake, and it has strawberries.  See!  I told you so. :)  (Unfortunately the front piece had more strawberries tucked inside than you could really see...I know this because I ate it right after I finished photographing!)  

I really had no reason to make this...except it is my birthday week so I figured I could use that as an excuse for this ultra rich and gratifying treat.  I actually consider the whole month of March to be a celebration for my birthday..and I'm definitely one of those people who is obnoxious about letting you know the countdown til my day comes.  (By the way, it's March 13th and I will be 21 finally!  Only 5 more days to go!)  And in case you're wondering, I hold my mother and my Grammie completely responsible for the monster/princess they created when it comes to this.  You see, my mom was always the same way as a child.  She was the only one out of of her brothers and her sister that was like that and let's just say the apple didn't fall far from the tree.  I just really love my birthday and I love telling everyone that it's my special day (whether they care or not, but that's beside the point!).   Coincidentally, it's usually in March that my pants begin to feel a liiiiittle more snug because I frequently use the excuse "But it's my birthday!" to indulge (and maybe slightly overindulge..), but hey, you only live once!  And I definitely enjoyed every second of indulging in this little slice of heaven.

I'm sure Betty Crocker didn't think I would see this cake and then decide to turn it into a vegan version, but guess what lady, I DID!  I mean, just take a second look at the title.  It says "vegan" so it must be dry, bland, and unappetizing, right?  Nice try!  I bet if I didn't include that little "v word" in the title, you would have had no idea it was.  And, if I sliced a piece and handed it to you with a big old grin on my face, I'm sure you still wouldn't know it was vegan until I gave you the recipe and you gasped and said "But where are the eggs!? The heavy cream!?  How did you...?"  And I would simply explain that vegan doesn't automatically mean flavorless, lifeless meals and desserts.  This cake is unbelievably delicious, rich, dense, and fudgy...it's simply amazing!  The addition of the strawberries make it seem like the perfect "March" kind of dessert.  You really never know what to expect from the weather this month, with the lingering winter and the (hopefully) approaching spring, which is why the chocolatey cake (which is quite comforting on the colder days) really benefits from the strawberries (which really add a great fresh and spring-like feel to the cake).  So, if you're looking for an excuse to try this out (just like I was)...just say I made you do it.  You'll be pleasantly surprised and happy you did. :) 


Ingredients:

For the Cake:
  • 2 cups soy milk
  • 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup canola oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
  • 1 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Ganache Filling and Topping:
  • 2 packages (8 oz each) semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped (Baker's semi-sweet is vegan)
  • 1 1/3 cups soy milk
  • 1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan butter
  • 2 cups cut-up fresh strawberries
Garnish
  • Fresh strawberries
  • 1/4 cup vegan white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8 pan.
  2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. 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).
  3. Pour into pan, smooth top.  Bake for 28-35 minutes.  (I checked mine every few minutes after 25 minutes just to make sure it didn't overcook)
  4. Cool completely, about 1 hour
  5. Meanwhile, in large bowl, place chopped chocolate; set aside. In 2-quart saucepan, heat soy milk and Earth Balance (or other vegan butter substitute) over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until "butter" is melted and mixture comes to a boil. Pour "cream" mixture over chocolate; stir until smooth.
  6. Line bottom of 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper round. Cut cake into 1-inch cubes. In large bowl, beat half of the cake cubes on low speed until cake is crumbly. Add remaining cake cubes and 1 3/4 cups of the ganache (reserve remaining ganache for topping). Beat on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed until well combined (mixture will look like fudge). Fold in 2 cups cut-up strawberries. Spoon mixture into springform pan; smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze 45 minutes or until firm enough to unmold.
  7. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake mixture. Place serving plate upside down on pan; turn pan and plate over. Frost side and top of cake with reserved ganache. Arrange strawberry halves on top of cake.
  8. In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips and 1/2 teaspoon oil uncovered on High 45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted. Place in small resealable food-storage plastic bag; cut off tiny corner of bag. Drizzle over top of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cake is best served the same day.
Adapted from: Betty Crocker
Source for Cupcakes: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

17 comments:

  1. Congrats on making Food Buzz top nine again!

    Happy Fat Tuesday!

    Love

    Auntie Susan

    PS I never knew you loved your birthday !LOL

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  2. Holy yumminess! WOW! That's a whole lot of cake that I would love to eat up all on my own! :)


    Congrats on Top 9!

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  3. If it's got Truffle in the title, I'm there. Strawberries are my favorite fruit with chocolate.

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  4. Thank you Auntie Susan! :)

    @Diethood.com- Thank you! This cake is seriously delicious, I am eating a piece right now! :) I am not exaggerating a bit when I say that you really cannot tell it is vegan..but I did also link the original just in case. Totally yummy and I definitely reccommened it trying it!

    @Angela Pritchett- If that's your favorite then you would LOVE this cake! This is definitely for extreme chocolate lovers who like a hint of a little something extra mixed in. Plus you don't have to worry about the cake coming out evenly because you just mix it up with more chocolate and strawberry goodness! :)

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  5. ooh la la~~ awsomee!! <3 <3 <3 it!!

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  6. This is seriously killing me!! CONGRATS!! I have been seeing this pic on your facebook and have been wondering when we get the recipe! Oh- and Happy Birthday WEEK...MONTH!! I love birthdays too...I love celebrating anybody's birthday. Any excuse to bake something (or eat something) yummy! Another great post!!! ♥- Katrina

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  7. Ahhhh... to be 21 again!! Happy Birthday! Cograts on the double Top 9, this one is simply stunning. Our local strawberries are a bit behind schedule, but I'm setting this one aside for when they come in. I cook "veganish" for my son who can't have dairy, this would definitely work for him!!

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  8. Heyyy congrats! And this looks so good~you're quite talented, lovely girl!

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  9. @ Katrina- Thank you so so much...you are so supportive and encouraging it means so much to me! :)

    @Kim- Thank you!! I am very eagerly counting down the days! I hear you on the strawberry thing...this was one harsh winter for produce. :( But you will definitely have to try it once they are at their peak! If your son loves chocolate, I'm sure he'd love this! :)

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  10. @ Fitforthesoul- Thanks so much to you too! It makes me so happy to know people are taking a look at my blog and like the things they see..I hope to keep entertaining and keep making mouths water! lol

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  11. I love vegan recipes that I can use when I need to. Thanks, looks delicious.

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  12. This looks so rich! I love that it's vegan!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  13. That has got to be the sexiest vegan cake I've ever seen.

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  14. do you think one could substitute rice milk instead of soy milk here?

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  15. Thank you for this recipe. I have been looking for a vegan birthday cake to make. This is perfect! Love this blog by the way. I started a blog, too! Check it out if you have time @ wayfaringteacher.com

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  16. This looks like a fantastic recipe. I have been looking for a vegan birthday cake to make and this looks perfect. I love your blog by the way. I started my own as well. Check it out @wayfaringteacher.com

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