...i heart chocolate cake!

I don't have a picture for this cake because it was gone just as fast as it was here. Actually.. Lee and I ate three in a row. NOT on the same day but over a 3-4 week time period. We were laying off sugar, dairy, and meat altogether for about a month and I couldn't handle not having chocolate. So, I found a recipe for "crazy cake" and made it free of processed sugar.

You MUST try this cake!

It's not completely my own recipe.. but since some essential tweaks were made and ingredients added - I call it Buttercup's Vegan Chocolate Cake:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup unbleached white flour

1/2 cup dark maple syrup, plus one Tablespoon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup canola oil

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

3/4 cup cold water, plus one Tablespoon

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray 9x9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.

Sift flours, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder together in a bowl. Stir with a fork until thoroughly combined. (make sure to use sifter to break up any clumps in cocoa powder especially).

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Then add maple syrup, vanilla, oil, vinegar and water. Stir with a fork until mixed well. Pour into 9x9 inch baking pan and bake for 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely then frost, glaze and/or serve with fruit.

I tried all three.. made a glaze from maple syrup and cocoa powder - that was gooooood. Experimented with tofu frosting which came out more like a pudding consistency (1 pound silken tofu blended with cocoa powder, maple syrup and a little canola oil) - also very good. And my favorite stand-by was sliced strawberries on top - Ohhhhh my!

You could also double the recipe to make a bundt cake, or to put in 2 round cake pans for a layered cake.. OR you could even make them into cupcakes! So many possibilities!