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!

Chocolate: The Vegan Exception of Choice

A VEGAN restaurant that serves a NON-vegan chocolate cake. Who would have thought that such a place exists. Yet that is what Manzanita Restaurant in Emeryville offers, allowing vegan-me and cacao-me to unite. I could literally eat everything on the chalkboard menu and then some. And in this case, the "then some" was a piece of chocolate cake to go.



With a Saturday and Sunday lunch buffet, this organic macrobiotic vegan restaurant provides an all you can eat spread that is tasty, good for you, and good for the environment. It is such a relief for vegan-me to be able go to a restaurant and eat anything I want off the menu. No need to prepare beforehand, think about what's in a dish, ask questions about its preparation with the server, or compromise my vegan values. Instead, I can simply select, eat, and enjoy, allowing the beauty and flavors of the foods to nourish my body and spirit.

Did I mention it was an all you can eat buffet? I've begun to make it a Saturday destination, arriving at 11:30 when they open, leaving by 3:00 when they close, eating, studying, reading, and enjoying the food selections all the while. The turnip-carrot-miso soup, burdock-mushroom-carrot saute, leek-beet sauce, and apple corn cake during this last trip were absolutely excellent. I lost count but I think I filled 6, may be 5 plates, 4 soup bowls, and enjoyed 3 servings of dessert. (I did run 8.39 miles before starting my grub fest!)

When preparing to pay my $15.50 at the front counter, I noticed that there was a serving platter with 2 pieces of chocolate cake. There was a sign on top clearly stating that these $3.95 cake slices were NOT VEGAN.

A VEGAN restaurant that serves a NON-vegan chocolate cake = I had found a common ally in my vegan exception. I was no longer alone! Without hesitation, I asked for a slice to go.

When trying to place the first piece in the to-go box, the server accidentally dropped a chunk of the cake on the counter. I gasped in horror. She apologized, put the rest of the cake in the box, and then proceeded to place the second slice in a box for me to take. Though full from my luncheon feast, I was anxious to give this piece of cake a try. (There is always room for a sampling of chocolate cake!) And having no shame when it comes to chocolate, I asked if I could try the chunk that had fallen on the counter. It was about an inch in length, off the tip of the fallen cake, and simply called to me. The server said go ahead and try it, so I did.

It was not a bad bite, but I knew I would need time to analyze it, review it, and savor it more thoroughly at home. I was just so delighted that I could be in a vegan restaurant, enjoy a vegan lunch, have a NON-vegan chocolate cake, and eat it too! It was a divine moment. I was no longer alone in choosing chocolate as a vegan exception.

Based on appearance, it is clear that Manzanita's Chocolate Cake is homemade for it lacks that refined quality, that finished look, which one often finds in a restaurant cake made by a professionally trained pastry chef. The cake itself was crumbly and the frosting was uneven and a bit runny. But when it comes to chocolate cake, it's not about the look but the taste. I've sampled my share of cakes that were lovely to behold but lousy on the palate. This cake may have looked home baked, but from my counter-top taste test, I knew it was pretty good, even though it was not a slice of dark chocolate cake, my preference.

While the center of this semisweet cake was soft and moist, the edges however were a bit dry and hard, reflecting uneven cooking. The smooth light brown colored frosting did help soften the edges, and with its kahluha and cognac infusions, it also highlighted the subtle chocolate flavor of the cake. The alcohol in the frosting along with the sprinkling of cocoa on top added a nice depth of character to a fairly ordinary chocolate cake.

Overall assessment: 3 cacao beans (out of 5) for the cake. 5 out of 5 for the restaurant as it is the perfect place for vegan-me and cacao-me to unite. And besides, they have an excellent weekend buffet. Though the cake was average, the frosting did bump up its overall taste quality creating a nice non-vegan cake at this vegan restaurant. Though I would love Manzanita to eventually serve a vegan chocolate cake, until they do, I am glad that they like me have made chocolate their vegan exception.

(review date: 2009_11-21)

Saved by the Cake

The table top dessert menu pictured a light brown, German chocolate colored Chocolate Mousse Cake. Would I be disappointed?

I had been looking forward to this dark chocolate delight for weeks since reading its description on the San Jose Old Spaghetti Factory website menu, in preparation for a co-worker's farewell dinner. Vegan-me would first enjoy mushroom marinara pasta, then cacao-me would indulge in my vegan exception - a decadent chocolate dessert.

I would need to wait for the meal to see if my web menu expectations would be met. While the pasta did not meet my culinary preferences, thankfully the dessert did. Being too sour for my liking, the marinara needed pepper to make it tolerable.

Though the cake was delayed because it needed to be defrosted (not something a server needs to voluntarily share with a guest but mine tactlessly did), I was not disappointed when it arrived. It did not look like its faded image on the menu. This pre-fab dessert was dark chocolately brown, and appeared decadent with a generous portion of dark chocolate mousse in the center, embraced by the layers of cake. This was deliciously divine - a balanced blend of chocolate heaven.

I was surprised. While most mousse cakes are lighter and sweeter, this one was dark and dense - almost ganache-like - with a bitterly semi-sweet chocolate flavor. Though the mousse had a sooth texture, there was a subtle waxy grit, probably from the quality of chocolate used. It did however pair nicely with the dark chocolate cake, which on its own was simply a good chocolate cake, rich and satisfying.

While I would have preferred more than a drizzle of fudge on the top to sandwich the layers of flavor below, the chocolate curls on the top and side did create wonderfully appealing bittersweet kicks with each bite.

Overall assessment: 4 cacao beans (out of 5)
The dessert saved this meal from disappointment. While I used to go to the Spaghetti Factory for Mizithra Cheese and Brown Butter (neither of which is vegan). Now I go for the dessert. With their Chocolate Mousse cake, thankfully chocolate is my chosen vegan exception.

A Slice of Sicily in San Pablo

Who would have thought that you could savor authentic Sicilian chocolate in the San Francisco suburb of San Pablo? Yet that is what La Strada serves in its Chocolate Fondant.

While their tiramisu and other desserts are made on site, this local neighborhood restaurant, according to our server, imports this three-layered chocolate cake (along with its Tartufo di Cioccolato) directly from Sicily. And that is a good thing for people like me who desire a deep dark chocolate cake that is not overly sweet, made in good European tradition.

While many American chocolate layered cakes are covered with a too-sweet chocolate frosting, the Chocolate Fondant is covered with a beautifully bittersweet chocolate ganache. A rich subtly-sweet chocolate cream complements the layers of cake, which surprisingly are moist and full of rich chocolate flavor, which are almost good enough to stand solo as a dessert itself. The cake is rimmed with chocolate flakes and drizzled lightly with a bittersweet chocolate sauce. The taste of good dark chocolate pops with each bite. No sweet saccharin here – only the real stuff.

While others in my dinner party thoroughly enjoyed the Tartufo di Ciococolato, I definitely preferred the cake over this traditional Italian ice cream dessert. Filled with zabaglione cream, covered with chocolate gelato, hazelnuts, and cocoa powder, and accented with raspberry sauce, the Tartufo had too much going on for my taste palate and lacked the dark chocolate pop I crave.

While the vegan Fettuccine ai Carciofi was very good, with its artichoke hearts, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic, the dessert is what made the meal.

Overall assessment: 4.5 cacao beans (out of 5)
Enjoy your pasta but save room for the Chocolate Fondant – a rich dark bittersweet delight, as Sicily is deliciously served up in San Pablo.
(review date: 2009_11-10)

Not worth the wait but when with a friend...

I was disappointed. Having traveled from SF to LA to visit a friend, I had been looking forward to the chocolate cake at Bean Town which received rave reviews, but unfortunately they were out. There was an empty spot which read, "Chocolate Mousse Cake," and after inquiring about that, one of the baristas said it would be ready in 15 minutes. Rather than have a brownie, I decided to wait and in the meantime, ordered a cup of Hot White Chocolate, a specialty of Bean Town which also received wonderful comments.

Never having had White Drinking Chocolate, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it in spite it being much sweeter than I typically prefer in chocolate. With its comforting chocolate smell and uniquely white froth, there was a natural creamy richness to this mug of warm goodness which comes from the cocoa butter in their white chocolate mix, as well as the soy milk which they used to prepare it for me. It was "nice," soothingly comfortable, and wonderfully complemented the conversation I had catching up with my friend in this hustling cafe full of lap tops and newspapers.

The 15 minutes of waiting for the Chocolate Mousse Cake, however, turned into 95 minutes as I went back to ask when the cake would be up. One of the counter assistants hurriedly rushed to the back and brought back a slice of cake, which I believe I have seen elsewhere before. "15 minutes," I thought. "How long does it take to defrost a Costco cake?"

Whether Costco or not, this probably pre-fabbed factory cake ended up being perfectly pleasant in satisfying my afternoon chocolate cravings with its smooth texture, mildly semi-sweet chocolate taste, and surprisingly light whipped cream topping with shaved chocolate twirls. Not necessarily worth the wait, but the company and comfort of this local coffee house made it an enjoyable delay.

Overall assessment: 3 cacao beans (out 5).
While the White Hot Chocolate was good, it along with the mousse cake were nothing to write home about (though they are being blogged). Next time in Sierra Madre, I'd order a mug again and hopefully enjoy it with their chocolate layered cake, or may be their dark chocolate brownie, which looked pretty decadent, and which I probably should have ordered in the first place rather than waiting for the cake.

(Review date: 2009_11-01)