Ooey Gooey Vegan Chocolate Cake

Guys, I'm sorry for the flash on that picture. It was late. And by late I mean 6:00 in the winter, and dark dark dark outside. Since I get out of school at 2:20 on Fridays (yessss,) I always bake something more complicated on Fridays than I normally would. Something that requires just a bit more time (and by that I mean more than 15 minutes. What can I say? I like the easy stuff.) 

Anyways, the flash. I'm sorry. But for now, we are going to set aside the flash and focus on the cake. This caaaaake. It's ooey gooey melt-in-your-melt chocolatey but not too sweet-y goodness is too much to handle. Except it's not, I handled it just fine and ate 3 pieces, thank you very much. And the 2-ingredient ganache on top is the perfect addition.

I didn't want too overdo it on the ganache since the cake is already so rich, so I thought it would be appropriate to just lick the rest of the spoon myself. That's okay to do, right? Oops.

The cake itself comes together in about 20 minutes, bakes for 35, and cools for an hour. The ganache takes 2 minutes. And if you drizzle on the ganache while the cake is still the slightest bit warm, it'll drip down the edges like this.

Mmmmmm. The secret ingredient to get an ooey gooey vegan chocolate cake without the butter and eggs? You'll never guess. Or maybe you will, because I've already used it in baking here.

Avocadooooe. Makes this cake super moist and heart healthy (at least, I like to think it is.) 

This cake is super easy to make and is a much healthier alternative to regular chocolate cake. Sit down, have a slice (or the whole thing?) and enjoy.

Recipe and directions from Ambitious Kitchen (very slightly adapted by me:)

• 3 oz good-quality vegan chocolate (I used chocolate chips)
• 2/3 cup freshly brewed coffee
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Ghiradelli)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil 
• 1/2 large very ripe avocado, mashed
   
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unsweetened soy, coconut, or almond milk (I like Silk brands)
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (I get mine at Whole Foods)
• For the vegan ganache:
• 8 oz vegan chocolate, chopped (I used choco chips again)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used lite, but any type can be used)

1. Grease 12-cup bundt cake pan with whatever oil you have on hand. I usually use olive oil. (I used cooking spray) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place a small saucepan over low heat and add in 3 oz of good-quality vegan chocolate and freshly brewed coffee. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, both sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
4. In a separate large bowl, beat together mashed avocado, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Whisk in cooled chocolate and your milk of choice. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips. Your cake batter should be pretty thick. If it’s too thick, add in an extra tablespoon or two of milk.
5. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and smooth top. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out almost clean, with just a few crumbs attached. Let cool in pan an hour on a wire rack before flipping over and transferring to wire rack to finish cooling completely.
6. To make vegan chocolate ganache:
7. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add in coconut milk and chopped chocolate. Watch carefully and whisk until chocolate is completely melted. If you want a thinner ganache, add in more coconut milk. Let stand for a few minutes then immediately spoon ganache over cake. Top ganache with sprinkles, more chocolate chips, nuts, or another topping of choice. Cut into 12 slices and serve immediately!