Crunchy Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Concoction

As the world prepares for Halloween I figured it would be fitting to take a stab at something that scares me. Now I have messed with vegan cake, and created a glow in the dark vegan frosting. But I have always wanted to try a chocolate one. I've had many doubts about how this would taste, even after seeing a few around the web that look so decadent. So today, on a whim and a chocolate craving, correction: a chocolate cake craving, I decided to face my fears.

Oh, did I mention that I was also out of eggs? So an eggless cake really was my only option.

After browsing the web and finding a few recipes that got great reviews I felt more confident about this journey that I was about to embark on. Looking at the comments of what was wrong with the recipe I doctor it up to create my own version of a vegan chocolate cake. It was quick to whip up  and I'm so happy to report that it is a winner!!

Now before you get too too excited I have to caution you on how this cake differs from a regular non vegan chocolate cake. I observed that the texture was a little more crumbly than you would find on a cake that included eggs. However, it is still very moist. And that the flavor was also a little different (the price you pay for the lack of both milk and eggs). But all in all it came out great. If you had a regular slice of chocolate cake next to it you would not be able to tell the difference until you tasted it. This vegan chocolate cake is a wonderful alternative if you're counting calories, ran out of eggs like I did, or if your diet forbids milk and eggs.

I had some cream cheese frosting on hand that I was prepared to rub all over it, but I figured I should probably go vegan all the way. So I whipped up a chocolate peanut butter frosting  for a filling.
The cake was quite delicious and definitely hit the spot! Better than I expected. So much that I had to write about it.

I know its been a while since I've posted on the blog - life...  I'm still baking though!  But here I wanted to share, even if it was a quick post with no sciency language :). See the recipe below, give it a try and tell me what you think in the comments. Happy Baking!

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Materials:
2.25 Cups of flour
1.5 cups of sugar
.5 cups Unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
.25 Teaspoons Salt
.75 cups of vegetable oil
1.5 cups of water

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine dry ingredients. Mix oil extract and water then add to dry ingredients. Mix until well combined. Prepare two 8-inch square pans with baking spray or vegetable shortening and flour to prevent sticking. Divide mixture evenly among both pans. Note: the mixture may look like a little but it will rise a lot. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The finished cake should spring back when touched.

Crunchy Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

Materials:

1 Cup of your favorite Vegan vanilla frosting ( if you want to know the specific one I used let me know)
1 heaped tablespoon of chocolate peanut butter
1 heaped tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter
1 rice cake or 4 tablespoons of Rice Krispies

Method:
In a bowl mix frosting and both types of peanut butter until smooth. If using rice cake, crumple rice cake to separate bulbs. Reserve rice cake crumble or rice krispie treats to layer on top of frosting when assembling cake. Chopped peanuts are also a good substitute to add texture.

P.S. All the pics of this cake I've shared on Instagram today. I'll add them to this post later. In dessert heaven right now. Night, night!