The BEST vegan chocolate cake

I’ll be the first to admit it. I lucked out in the in-law department. I love my in-laws. (Hi Monty and Moira!) I love them for many reasons, the main one being that the raised an amazing son. Also, they give really sweet Christmas presents. Like this!

I found this little beauty under the Christmas tree. I have been pouring over the pages since Christmas trying to decide which recipe to try first…and how not to die an early death due to pastry intake. 

So far, I’ve only made one recipe from Flour and it is to die for: Low fat, Vegan Chocolate Cake. I know, that sounds awful, right? No, no. This cake is so moist and chocolately, I would put it up against any other chocolate cake. It’s that good.

       Vegan Low-Fat Chocolate Cake
From: Flour by Joanne Chang with Christie Matheson 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup dutch processed cocoa (I used no name brand cocoa, and it tasted just fine)
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, or 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder (I went the coffee route)
1 teaspoons of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (I just used table salt)
1 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil (I’m sure any light oil would work)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsulfured light or dark molasses
Confectioners sugar for dusting

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 6 inch round cake pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, coffee powder, baking soda and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together the water, oil, vanilla and molasses. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and mix together with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth and homogeneous. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the middle with a fingertip. (NOTE: I found this baking time to be WAY too long. I almost burnt the cake on the first try. Check the cake after 20 minutes and then every 5 minutes after. I have no idea why the cooking time is so off, but trust me, for a moist cake, watch the oven closely.) Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then invert the pan onto the rack, lift off the pan, turn the cake right side up, and let cool completely.

4. Just before serving, dust the top with powdered sugar.

5. The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days. 

Ta-da. The BEST vegan chocolate cake ever.