Ten days ago was my husband's birthday. Now, he's a big cinnamon fan but when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday treat this year he requested an ultra moist, death by chocolate type cake with sprinkles. He wanted chocolate on the inside, chocolate on the outside and chocolate in between. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Who can argue with chocolate... it's good for the soul. So I obliged.
I'm not going to say much about this cake. It's definitely NOT a non-fat cake. But it's oh so worth it. It also involves what I call a hurry up and wait mode, which essentially means that there are a lot of steps but a whole lot of time in between where you're just waiting for the cake to chill out (pun intended). So although it may seem like it's taking an entire day to make the cake, really the amount of time spent making the actual cake and decorating it is less than an hour. It's really important to have the cake cool and set before moving on to the next step as it will save you a lot of mess and heart ache, based on first hand experience (don't ask - it was traumatic - I still get nightmares about it).
In summary, the cake requires preparation, patience (sometimes very much lacking in this house) and a willingness to indulge because it is decadent. This is the kind of cake you eat once a year. Birthdays are not a time to fret over calories in my opinion. Eat and be merry. I certainly ate and was merry. The next day I scheduled a sit down with my bike and we devised a plan to help with damage control. If the plan works, I'll be sure to let you know.
In the meantime, go forth and conquer. For the army of darkness you will need...
I'm not going to say much about this cake. It's definitely NOT a non-fat cake. But it's oh so worth it. It also involves what I call a hurry up and wait mode, which essentially means that there are a lot of steps but a whole lot of time in between where you're just waiting for the cake to chill out (pun intended). So although it may seem like it's taking an entire day to make the cake, really the amount of time spent making the actual cake and decorating it is less than an hour. It's really important to have the cake cool and set before moving on to the next step as it will save you a lot of mess and heart ache, based on first hand experience (don't ask - it was traumatic - I still get nightmares about it).
In summary, the cake requires preparation, patience (sometimes very much lacking in this house) and a willingness to indulge because it is decadent. This is the kind of cake you eat once a year. Birthdays are not a time to fret over calories in my opinion. Eat and be merry. I certainly ate and was merry. The next day I scheduled a sit down with my bike and we devised a plan to help with damage control. If the plan works, I'll be sure to let you know.
In the meantime, go forth and conquer. For the army of darkness you will need...
All the wet ingredients together should look like this mess below...
Dry ingredients to follow. Oh and the cocoa powder absolutely, definitely, without a doubt, needs to be sifted, otherwise you will end up with little bitter cocoa pockets - not fun.
The batter should be very thin and runny, almost too liquidy to be cake batter. Do not worry, it will all turn out okay, like magic. The cake is not a lie...
Instead of using usual frosting, I decided to surprise the birthday boy and added his favourite chocolate pudding as filling. I'm genius, I know. Sometimes I scare myself.
Assembly... Yes, I forgot to take pictures of the in between steps because I'm totally brilliant and my brain is just overflowing with little tidbits of useless information that makes me walk into walls sometimes. That happens to brilliant people, you know.
Please refer to my statement above about forgetting to take pictures. I think I may need to permanently install the camera on my forehead. Anyway, after you frost the cake and let it cool, you can pour the shiny ganache on top. If you want little specks of chocolate in the frosting just like the image at the beginning of the post, you can add some chocolate sprinkles or crushed chocolate chips to the frosting. It gives a nice contrast in texture and flavour. Let the whole thing chill overnight and you will not be disappointed when you cut a slice the next day. Chocolate overload, check. Decadent, check. Moist beyond belief, check, check and check.
Okay, I'm going to stop talking now... ENJOY!
Okay, I'm going to stop talking now... ENJOY!
Chocolate Birthday Cake (Dairy, Egg & Nut Free)
Makes triple layer 9 inch cake
Serves 16
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup soy milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup hot water
1 Tbsp instant coffee granules
Filling
1 pack Cook & Serve Chocolate Pudding
3 cups soy milk
Frosting
1 pack Chocolate instant pudding powder
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup Nutriwhip (or any dairy free whipping cream)
Ganache
1/4 cup dairy free margarine
3 Tbsp soy milk
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease three 9 inch round cake pans with dairy free cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil, applesauce, soy milk and vanilla. Stir until combined. Add instant coffee granules to the hot water and pour over mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add dry ingredients and beat on medium/high speed for 1 minute or until no more lumps are present. The batter should be runny.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan for ten minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
While the cake is cooling, make the filling. Combine the cook and serve pudding and soy milk in a heavy bottom medium size pot. Cook on medium heat until thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool completely before using.
When the cake is cooled make the frosting. Combine instant chocolate pudding and soy milk. Whisk until thick. It will be very thick. Set aside then prepare the Nutriwhip. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the pudding until thoroughly combined. Frosting should resemble whipped topping in consistency.
To make the ganache, heat margarine and soy milk in microwave until very hot. Pour over chocolate chips and let sit for a minute. Stir until mixture is smooth and shiny. Use right away.
Assembly:
Place one layer of cake upside down and top with one third of filling. Place the second layer on top and add another third of the filling. Top with remaining cake layer and place in fridge for two hours to set. Use remaining pudding for other fun projects, or just store in fridge.
When cake is set, cover with a thick layer of frosting on top and sides. Smooth out the edges so that the ganache can flow over easily. Pour ganache and quickly spread so that it flows over to the sides but do not disturb the chocolate as it drips down the sides. Decorate with sprinkles or fruit.
Nutritional Info per slice
Calories 408.76, Total Fat 14.43g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 490.76mg, Potassium 129.94mg, Total Carbohydrates 67.46g, Fiber 1.04g, Sugar 45.57g, Protein 3.98g
Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.
Makes triple layer 9 inch cake
Serves 16
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup soy milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup hot water
1 Tbsp instant coffee granules
Filling
1 pack Cook & Serve Chocolate Pudding
3 cups soy milk
Frosting
1 pack Chocolate instant pudding powder
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup Nutriwhip (or any dairy free whipping cream)
Ganache
1/4 cup dairy free margarine
3 Tbsp soy milk
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease three 9 inch round cake pans with dairy free cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil, applesauce, soy milk and vanilla. Stir until combined. Add instant coffee granules to the hot water and pour over mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add dry ingredients and beat on medium/high speed for 1 minute or until no more lumps are present. The batter should be runny.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan for ten minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
While the cake is cooling, make the filling. Combine the cook and serve pudding and soy milk in a heavy bottom medium size pot. Cook on medium heat until thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool completely before using.
When the cake is cooled make the frosting. Combine instant chocolate pudding and soy milk. Whisk until thick. It will be very thick. Set aside then prepare the Nutriwhip. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the pudding until thoroughly combined. Frosting should resemble whipped topping in consistency.
To make the ganache, heat margarine and soy milk in microwave until very hot. Pour over chocolate chips and let sit for a minute. Stir until mixture is smooth and shiny. Use right away.
Assembly:
Place one layer of cake upside down and top with one third of filling. Place the second layer on top and add another third of the filling. Top with remaining cake layer and place in fridge for two hours to set. Use remaining pudding for other fun projects, or just store in fridge.
When cake is set, cover with a thick layer of frosting on top and sides. Smooth out the edges so that the ganache can flow over easily. Pour ganache and quickly spread so that it flows over to the sides but do not disturb the chocolate as it drips down the sides. Decorate with sprinkles or fruit.
Nutritional Info per slice
Calories 408.76, Total Fat 14.43g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 490.76mg, Potassium 129.94mg, Total Carbohydrates 67.46g, Fiber 1.04g, Sugar 45.57g, Protein 3.98g
Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.
