when i think of a vegan baked good, the word treat does not come to mind. i expect a dense and chewy lump of gross. the substitutions are fascinating and sometimes terrifying. there is a recipe in the joy of cooking that i visit once a year on those nights when dessert is required and the fridge holds no eggs. it’s the dairy-free chocolate cake (vegan) from the joy of cooking (page 932 in my edition). i like that vegan is in parentheses – it’s not the main attraction (even though it is with the term dairy-free at the start). i am not anti vegan, but for some reason i find that word kind of upsetting and it makes me fear the food i’m about to eat. actually, i think a lot of the food i make is vegan.
 
what am i getting at? well i think it’s time to be more mindful of the foods prepared in this household and their vegan status. sassy salsa? vegan. ugly oatmeal? vegan. quesadilla filling (minus the cheese)? vegan. (i’m trying to get jazzed about that word while going wildly off-track)

the cake!

dairy-free chocolate cake (vegan) from the joy of cooking

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. grease and flour one 8 x 8 inch pan or line the bottom with wax or parchment paper.

sift together in a large bowl:

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened nonalkalized cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

combine and add:

• 1 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

make an icing with powdered sugar and some kahlua, slather that on top. heat up some cherry preserves and throw them on, and top it all off with some slivered almonds. yumville usa!