Cooking Lesson #50— Chocolate Pandemic Cake

How you doin’? I started writing this post a few weeks ago, when the unemployment counts were heading sharply up. Last week’s surprisingly good report on that front doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods by any stretch, but it was a ray of sunshine in an otherwise pretty bleak week. I reached back in our files to bring back this Chocolate Depression Cake, but perhaps we can update (vegan) it and call it the Chocolate Pandemic Cake. We are all concerned about our health and our budgets. It’s a sign of the time.

Many of the standard ingredients used in baking chocolate cakes like butter, milk and eggs were in limited financial reach and supply during the Great Depression. We are finding some of that right now in our own grocery stores.  But, then as now, people found workarounds, so they didn’t have to give up their ration of chocolate cake. Even without those ingredients in this recipe, it still delivers on big chocolate flavor and a moist, fudgy texture.

I’ve replaced the butter with oil and cut down on the typical amount of sugar. It’s still a great chocolate cake only a tad less sweet. This recipe is more about the chemistry of the ingredients than the art of baking—so follow the recipe carefully. Because there are not any eggs, butter or milk the cake is suitable for a vegan diet—hip-hip hooray! 

Prep time:  10 minutes
Bake time:  35 to 40 minutes
Yield:  8 to 10 servings
 
Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole-grain pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon for dusting
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil or other neutral-flavored oil (or butter, if you please)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
whipped topping (optional)
 
Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F.
2. Spray and dust an 8-inch square baking pan with one tablespoon of cocoa powder.
3. Sift together the whole-grain pastry flour, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
4. Combine the water and vinegars in a small bowl.
5. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; pour the oil and the vanilla extract in the well.
6. Pour the water-vinegar mixture over the dry ingredients; stir to form a smooth batter.
7. Fold in the chocolate chips.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
9. Bake on the middle rack for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Transfer the pan to a wire rack for the cake to cool.
11. Before serving, dust the top of the cooled cake lightly with confectioners’ sugar and/or a spritz or a dollop of whipped topping.

ChefSecret:  Dusting your sprayed pan with cocoa powder instead of flour prevents white streaks on the sides of your chocolate cake.

#Dessert #ChocolateCake #Baking #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #Vegan

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