Happy Earth Day and Happy Birthday....to me!

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It was my birthday the other day (April 19). Imagine that...I was born during earth week..(well actually I was already 12 when earth day became a special day)....

How to celebrate....I volunteered at the hospital, went out to dinner with my family and made myself a vegan chocolate cake! 

To my amazement, it wasn't bad at all, it was actually pretty good!

I did my own version of the cake...here's the recipe:

                                                                               
"Triple-Chocolate Cake"                                            
3/4 cup garbanzo- bean flour

1 cup brown rice flour

2 cups evaporated cane juice   ( looks like sugar)

1/2 cup potato starch

1/4 cup arrowroot

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup canola oil

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup hot water

2 cups vegan chocolate chips

vanilla and chocolate frosting (see below)

Preheat oven to 325. Line the bottoms of 3 9x3 inch round cake pans the circles of parchment paper and coat lightly with spray oil.

In medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, evaporated cane juice, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt.  Add 1 cup oil and the applesauce, vanilla, and hot water to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth. Gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Divide the batter evenly among the pans. Bake for 24 minutes, rotating the pans 180 degrees after 12 minutes. The cake will be firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

Let the cakes stand in the pans for 20 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edges and gently invert onto  a wire rack to cool. Cool cake completely before icing!

Place one layer on a cake plate (or whatever your using), frost  with vanilla frosting, top with second layer, frost with vanilla frosting (be generous!). Place the final layer on top and frost whole cake with chocolate. 

Now you can do the reverse of what I did, layer with chocolate frosting, than frost with vanilla or just either chocolate or vanilla for the whole cake.

Vanilla Frosting

1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk

3/4 cup dry soy milk powder

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups coconut oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a food processor, combine the soy milk, soy powder, coconut flour, agave nectar and vanilla. Blend the ingredients for 2 minutes. With the machine running, slowly add the oil and lemon juice, alternating between the two until both are fully Incorporated. Pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for 6 hours or for up to 1 month.

Chocolate Frosting

1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk

1/2 cup dry soy milk powder

 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup coconut oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a food processor, combine the soy milk, soy powder, cocoa powder, coconut flour, agave nectar and vanilla. Blend the ingredients for 2 minutes. With the machine running, slowly add the oil and lemon juice, alternating between the two until both are fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for 6 hours or up to 1 month.

ENJOY! AND HAPPY EARTH DAY!