6-minute cake?!
I must admit, this post is kind of a cop-out. I mean it IS Monday and this IS a Moosewood recipe, but aren’t most desserts vegetarian? If you’re looking for meatless Monday ideas you won’t find one here today. Sorry.Scratch that. I just realized this cake is vegan! That’s a pretty awesome thing for vegan cake-lovers.
Anyway, I got my days totally screwed up. I thought it was already next week and that I was supposed to post my Recipe ReDux today (always the 21st of each month). It wasn’t until I was halfway through typing it up that I realized I was way ahead of myself.
And simultaneously behind because I had nothing ready for today.
I grabbed my trusty copy of Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. This is, hands down, my favorite book from the Moosewood Collective because all of the recipes are quick and easy. Since it was already 9pm, the title of this recipe obviously caught my eye. The title, and the fact that I amazingly had all the ingredients. I can’t even remember the last time I bought groceries. For real. We have absolutely no food.
Well, except now we have chocolate cake. Let them eat cake!
Vegan chocolate cake
Even though I adore the Moosewood, I have to say the title of this recipe is a little misleading. I timed it, and it took me 10 minutes to prepare. And they don’t include the time it takes to make the frosting. Luckily, my kids are weird and they don’t like frosting so I skipped that step altogether.
Still, it’s a super quick recipe with minimal clean-up. It came out delicious and tasted pretty much identical to any basic chocolate cake from a box. This might just be the perfect cake to make when your child tells you right before bed that they’re supposed to bring treats to school in the morning. Double the recipe, make 24 cupcakes, and you’ll be good to go. No panic attack required.
- 1½ cups unbleached white flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup cold water or brewed coffee (I used water)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- ½ pound bittersweet chocolate
- ¾ cup hot water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar into an ungreased 8 inch square baking dish.
- In a 2 cup measuring cup, measure and mix the oil, water or coffee and vanilla.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the baking tin and mix the batter with a fork or small whisk.
- When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. Pale swirls will occur where the vinegar and baking soda react. Stir just until the vinegar is even distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (mine took 30). Set aside to cool.
- If you are making the glaze, reset the oven to 300°F.
- Melt the chocolate in small ovenproof bowl or heavy skillet in the oven for about 15 minutes. Stir the hot liquid and vanilla into the chocolate until smooth.
- Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake. Refrigerate the glazed cake for a minimum of 30 minutes before
Recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.
Link up your best vegetarian recipes below. Anything goes today, even dessert!
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How about a vegan Mexican chocolate pudding to go with that cake? http://areluctantfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/02/vegan-mexican-chocolate-pudding.html
A Reluctant Foodee recently posted..Versatile Blogger Awards - Pass it on
Sounds perfect, thanks!
6 minute cake is a dangerous thing to know about! Even if it takes 10… Danger zone for me! lol Looks awesome!
Part Time House Wife recently posted..French Toast…in a Mug!
It’s pretty darn good. I don’t even like chocolate cake and I’m on my second piece of the day.
You don’t like chocolate cake?? (I let out a gasp. A real one. Not just a written one.)
kale recently posted..make your own: lemon curd
Actually, I don’t like most cakes. Especially store bought birthday cakes, gag! I prefer carrot cake or something with lemon or orange or banana flavor. Blasphemy, I know!
That looks so good! I think I need some chocolate cake right now
I shared my Onion Jam. Happy Monday!
Jane recently posted..Crockpot Monday: Vidalia Onion Jam
You are so dedicated … Can’t say that I’d start baking at 9pm
CJ at Food Stories recently posted..Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
Dedicated or perhaps just nuts!
This looks awesome!! I’ve bookmarked it to make soon for sure, thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Katherine. It’s ridiculously easy!
6 minutes, chocolate and delicious? Count me in
Yum!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Choc Chip Uru recently posted..Virtual Vegan Potluck Finally Here
Recipes always take me a wee bit longer than they say they will-I’m glad I’m not the only one! But I think I can spare the extra 4 minutes on this one.
I love a good chocolate cake!
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies recently posted..Recipe | Fresh Corn Saute with Coconut Milk & Sriracha
Haha, I’m pretty sure they take me longer because I’m so unorganized! The 4 minutes wasn’t bad but if you were to make the frosting and frost the cake it would be a lot more than 6 + 4 minutes.
Great recipe! So what if it didn’t take exactly 6 minutes - details! Actually, when I time myself I find my prep time fluctuates quite a bit when doing identical tasks. I know we’re all supposed to include prep time in recipes, but I wonder how many people actually pay attention to them? I never do! Anyway, fun post - thanks.
Thanks! I know I never pay attention to it. Then sometimes I’m making something that seems like it will never be done and I’ll look at the recipe and I’m like “ready in 2 hours?!”.
Great cake! I’m thinking the sifting might have added the extra 4 minutes, no? Confession time…I do not own a sifter, so all my baked goods are made sans sifting. Also, I have to say I love those quinoa patties you made, and, as the mother of a 10 year old {going on 20}, I totally feel your pain, with those silver sequin shorts. Oh, my!
EA-The Spicy RD recently posted..Weekly Menu Plan and Photo Fun: Sweet Potato Skins and Cowgirl Time!
Honestly? I don’t have a sifter either! When a recipe calls for sifting I just put all the dry ingredients in my fine mesh strainer and shake it all through. It’s better than nothing, right?
Oh my! This looks heavenly! Thank you for sharing, can’t wait to try!
I love Moosewood, but always forget about it! What a great reminder to pull it out! Cake looks goooood!
emily (a nutritionist eats) recently posted..daily eats: 5.14.12
Chocolate cake?? In 6 minutes?! Sign me up!! This looks so delicious!
Thanks, Kelly!
Made this for my final class of the semester! Topped it with a cocoa peanut butter glaze instead of the recipe here. Hope my classmates like it
Ooooh, peanut butter glaze. Now you’re speaking my language!
Haha, then we speak the same language! Just powdered sugar, cocoa powder, warm water, and melted peanut butter. Thrown in the fridge to set now that it’s on the cake
Christina recently posted..Quick breakfast, then time to crank out another 10 pages of…
Thanks for that. I’m making this again!
I like this. It’s a fancier version of the wacky cake. I like to decorate my grown-up cakes with chocolate truffles from The Chocolate Book to make them a little fancier. It would go well with the coffee in this recipe.
Wow. I have time for this!! I can’t believe something that looks this good can be so simple and quick. YUM!!
ATasteOfMadness recently posted..Teriyaki Chicken
Even a 10-minute chocolate cake sounds dangerous. And perfect for when you want a dessert at 9 p.m.! Looks so good.
Shirley recently posted.."Fancy Twix," or Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars
I’m making this tomorrow! Thanks for sharing! Moo x
Moo recently posted..21st Birthday Cake
I hope you like it!
Really lovely cake! The part for the frosting is a bit confusing though, i just ended up melting the chocolate and adding a little bit of water and it created a lovely rich layer of squishy chocolate
Yes, I thought the frosting recipe was a little odd. I’m glad yours worked out!
I’m thinking about using this cake recipe for cake pops, how many do you suppose this cake could yield?
Hi! I’m sorry I’m not familiar with baking cake pops but this cake makes a 9-inch round or 8-inch square pan. If I had to guess I would say maybe 12?
I have made this cake loads of time - it’s fast, easy, and delicious. I’ve never bothered with the icing - it’s delicious on its own or with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’m tempted to make it tonight for dessert using Murphy’s Irish Stout instead of water…
Great idea, go for it!
I just made this recipe for vegan cupcakes. As a non-vegan, I still loved it! I’m going to try a cake version next.
I pretty much followed the recipe except used 1 tbsp instant espresso with water instead of brewed coffee and that worked fine. The recipe made ~18 cupcakes for me. I topped them with vegan passionfruit buttercream and vegan vanilla bean buttercream. Oh, and I baked a vegan oreo-type cookie into some of them. SO GOOD!
Beth @ Decadent Dragon Bakery recently posted..The BEST Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
This is in the oven right now. Remarkable for me, as I am temporarily disabled as I await surgery. I was able to prep it and clean up without help. I’m still debating the glaze. We aren’t big on sugary frosting. Ganache is more our style.
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