The 2009 "Perfect" Chocolate Cake

She said she was intimidated in making her chocolate cake for me. She said my standards were too high, but for Christmas this year, my cousin Janeen baked the "perfect" chocolate cake and wins the prize for the best chocolate cake of 2009.

While Buca di Beppo's Double Dark Chocolate Cake was in the running for the "perfect" prize this year, Janeen's creation takes the cake in not only being VEGAN (as Buca's was not), but also having a ganache that is not overly sweet, which was one of my only criticisms about Buca's near-perfect chocolate dessert.

A vegan adaptation of three recipes, Janeen was able to make the appropriate substitutions to create a cake that has the dense moist quality I like, the deep bittersweet chocolate taste I appreciate, and the rich but not overly sweetened ganache I expect in an excellent chocolate cake. The cake on its own was outstanding, with a fantastic frosting and filling which was a delectable delight on its own, but was the perfect complement for the cake. The ganache did not overpower the cake but enhanced each bite with harmonious cocoa-ed notes.

With a deep rich dark brown color, the cake was "subtly" bittersweet. In other words, it didn't have a sharp bittersweet bite, yet it also did not have the sickly sweetened sugariness that some cakes possess. It was a perfect blend of bittersweet sweetness that would please the taste palates of both dark chocolate and milk chocolate lovers. Truly a rare find in a chocolate cake.

There was a unique depth of chocolate flavor in Janeen's cake that I've never tasted before. At first, it took me off guard, but with each bite, I was addicted as I enjoyed the way the ganache frosting highlighted the chocolate subtlety in the cake. I had three slices, and with each slice, I kept trying to find words to express the subtleties in the flavors I was experiencing. It was simply an excellent cake on its own but raised to a new level of heavenly delight by the ganache frosting which was also vegan.

While bittersweet chips would add a bite to the cake which my dark chocolate palate appreciates, overall the cake was excellent - no complaints - and most importantly, Janeen's cake was a crowd pleaser, even among those who don't like chocolate cake! Everyone in the family, especially the non-vegans, enjoyed it and were impressed by how rich and delicious vegan chocolate desserts could be.

Janeen said, "It's so strange that people think because it doesn't have animal products that it will taste bad." How wrong they are! Janeen's cake proves that you can enjoy an excellent chocolate cake and be kind to animals as well, and for that Janeen wins my prize for the "perfect" chocolate cake of 2009. CONGRATULATIONS JANEEN!

Happy Birthday Jesus Cake

Every year for Christmas, I've been making a cake with my nieces and nephew to celebrate Jesus' birthday, the true reason for the season. In previous years, it's been a boxed cake which the kids would help me make, adding the eggs, water, and oil to the packaged mix, frosting with the overly sweetened store bought stuff, and then decorating with sprinkles, of course.

This year, my sister, who was cooking the Christmas meal, suggested we bake the cake from scratch. Following her recommendation and online recipe search, we enjoyed a flourless chocolate cake by Tyler Florence of the Foodnetwork. She and the girls baked while I took pictures.

Here's the recipe for the Chocolate Cracked Earth, our 2009 Happy Birthday Jesus Cake:

1. Separate 9 large eggs and whisk the egg yolks with 3/4 cups and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar until light yellow in color.

2. Put 1 pound bittersweet chocolate and 1 stick unsalted butter into the top of a double boiler, and heat over (but not touching) about 1 inch of simmering water until melted.

3. When chocolate is melted, whisk a little of the mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs - this will keep the eggs from scrabling from the heat of the chocolate - then whisk in the rest of the chocolate mixture.

4. Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form, and fold into the chocolate mixture.

5. Pour into a buttered 9-inch spring form pan, and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

6. Cake is done when the top starts to crack. Inserted toothpick should come out with moist crumbs clinging to it. Let stand 10 minutes then remove sides of the pan.

7. After the cake is cooled, dust with confectioners' sugar and decorate. (Optional: Serve topped with 2 cups heavy cream whipped until light and fluffy.)

For reasons we are unsure of, the cake "fell". We think it needed a bit more baking time. Thus, from the side, our cake looked like 2 big chocolate cookies with a chocolate filling. Though it looked a little flat, it was definitely not flat in taste. Having used 60% cacao bittersweet chips, our cake had a nice deep dark bittersweet bite, with rich subtleties in the chocolate flavoring. With a deep dark brown color, it had a wonderful chocolatey aroma, and was moist, slightly crumbly.

There was a unique texture to the cake, however. With 9 eggs in the recipe (definitely NOT vegan), it had a souffle quality which was different from most flourless cakes I've had. The cake was not dense, it was not light. It was simply different - hard to describe - a uniquely dense souffle; a smoother lighter brownie. Words don't quite capture it.

Overall, it would be a cake to try again, especially for dark chocolate lovers. I enjoyed it. It was fairly easy to make, used few ingredients, and was gluten-free. With a definite bittersweet bite, the whipped cream is a must however for those who prefer a sweeter chocolate profile. This was not your typical overly sweetened, out of the box chocolate cake.

Though I think the kids missed licking the pre-made frosting from the spoons this year, I enjoyed this year's cake better than the box. What's most important however is that our Christmas tradition continues as we work together to bake a cake for Jesus, spend time together as family, and celebrate the gift of love God gave us in Christ. Happy Birthday Jesus! You are the reason for the season.

The Perfect Potluck Dessert

With the holidays, it's always hard to know what to bring to potluck gathering. And being a student once again, time is always an issue when preparing a dish. And then also being vegan, I want to bring something I will enjoy, something others will also appreciate, and then be surprised when they discover that it is vegan. Vegan desserts can be very rich, delightfully delicious, and easy to prepare. My Quick and Easy Vegan Chocolate Silk Pie is the perfect holiday potluck dish.

The recipe is sinfully simple. My nieces helped me make this one which I brought to our family Thanksgiving potluck. Here's the secret recipe which you can use to impress your guests.

1. Pour about one and 3/4 cup soy milk into a pot and heat over medium heat.

2. When warm, add one and 3/4 cup vegan dark chocolate chips to the milk, stir, and melt.

3. Pour into a pre-made Keebler chocolate graham cracker crust (no animal products used according to the packaging).

4. Cool on counter; decorate with dark chocolate sauce; and refrigerate before serving.

6. Optional: Top with a dollop of vegan whipping cream.

7. And don't forget to lick the spoon.

Optional spices can also be used like cinnamon and vanilla to create a Mexican chocolate pie. When using carob chips, I will often use 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to round out the carob taste which I think is an acquired taste. With the added spices with the carob, most non-vegans cannot tell that it is not chocolate.

With a high quality dark chocolate chip, this silk pie is rich and dense. When served, people are shocked to discover how simple and how vegan it is! The recipe can also be "un-veganized," however, by using cow's milk and milk chocolate chips. Just use an equal amount of each and follow the same directions.

But no matter how it is served, it is always good to the last lick!