Vegan! Raspberry Blackout Cake With Ganache-Y Frosting

Vegan_Baker900's Note:

(From Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz) This make a great birthday cake and I have found that even people who think that they aren't crazy about chocolate and raspberries go crazy over it. (I made this for MY birthday party and people, non-vegan people mind you, LOVED it to bits.)

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups soymilk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 (10 ounce) jar raspberry preserves (reserve 1/2 cup for the batter)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup coffee creamer (if soy creamer is unavailable, soy milk will do)
• 6 tablespoons non-hydrogenated margarine
• 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup and 2 tablespoons)
• fresh raspberry, for decorating and yumminess

Directions:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the soy creamer to a low boil. Add the margarine and melt, turn off the heat, and stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Let sit for at least one hour. It should have a pourable consistency at this point. If you want a spreadable consistency then refrigerate for an hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Spray two 8-inch round springform cake pans with cooking spray. If you don't have springform, then use parchment paper rounds on the bottom of two ordinary 8-inch round cake pans to prevent sticking.
3. Sift together the four, cocoa powder, baking power, baking soda, and salt. Combine the rice milk, oil, 1/2 cup of the preserves, the vanilla, and the sugar in a large bowl and mix with hand mixer or strong fork. The jam should be mostly dissolved with the rest of the ingredients; some small clumps are okay. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches and mix until everything is incorporated. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, or until a tooth pick or knife comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cook in pans.
4. When the cakes have cooled fully, spread one layer of cake with a thin layer of the reserved raspberry preserves (give the preserves a quick mix with a strong fork to get a spreadable consistency); spread a layer of chocolate frosting on top of the preserves. Place the other layer of cake on top and spread its top with preserves. Carefully spread the chocolate frosting over the top, then ice the sides. I like to put a circle of fresh raspberries around the circumference of the top.

Reviews

[Xanthia]

This is my favourite cake from this book. Totally a crowd pleaser, and easy to make.

[magpie diner]

Fabulous cake, I'm so glad I tried it. I had to improvise a little because I was short on raspberry preserves, but 1/2 a cup of previously frozen raspberries in the batter worked well. I'm having a little trouble with the frosting being too runny, but that's because I ended up short on the choco chips as well - so my fault, I should have just made half the frosting....and even with 1/2, I think it would have been plenty. Will definitely be making this one again!

[Laura in Taos]

I've made this cake a couple of times, once with applesauce, once with just oil. Amazing, amazing, amazing! My nonveg friends haven't a clue its vegan until I mentioned it. This is my go-to pot luck dessert.