Happy 2013, readers! Black Cat Bakery is back after taking a brief hiatus. Since Spring of 2012, I've started experimenting with all sorts of new recipes, most of which are vegan and a few that are raw. Adopting a much more adventuresome approach to cooking and baking has allowed me to experience more than my fair share of wonderful and terrifyingly unforgettable moments.

Around August of last year, I tried my first raw cheesecake. I honestly didn't know what to expect. I had heard about creating a vegan cheesecake out of cashews but I had never attempted to make one. My boyfriend asked for a raw cheesecake for his birthday, so, begrudgingly, I obliged. I set about the process of finding a good recipe and researching more into that particular technique. As it turned out, my partner has two good friends who run a fabulous raw vegan catering business and video blog- Vegan Shortcake. One of their posts tackled a "raw vegan blackberry cheesecake." I vigilantly watched the episode and I took notes, just in case I got confused. As I soon came to realize, it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be to create a cheesecake from nuts and it was actually considerably less complicated to make than a non-vegan cheesecake. Each bite of the cheesecake was decadently smooth; it melted in my mouth and the flavor-packed crunch of the crust just solidified my opinion on the matter- I am a huge fan of raw cheesecakes.

Since making that first cheesecake, I've been working on a recipe of my own- a Strawberry, Pomegranate cheesecake. With it's ruby red color and seasonally appropriate fruit, it's the perfect treat for the coming snowy nights of winter.

(Inspired by Vegan Shortcake)

Crust-
1 cup raw Almonds
1/2 cup Freeze-dried pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp Cocoa powder
1/2 cup shredded Coconut
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
3-4 oz. Prune paste*
pinch of Salt

Filling-
3 cups raw Cashews, soaked*
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp Pomegranate concentrate
8 medium Strawberries
1/2 cup Agave nectar

 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp Pomegranate molasses
1/2 cup Almond milk
1 1/4 tsp Coconut extract
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup Coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp organic Red food coloring

Begin by lightly coating the bottom of a 9" springform pan with coconut oil or cooking spray.

Coarsely chop the almonds and chocolate chips together in a food processor. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the cocoa powder, pomegranate seeds, shredded coconut, salt and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly.

*To make the prune paste, process the prunes together with several tablespoons of water. It should be sticky and slightly watery.

Stir the prunes paste into the nut mixture. The crust will be ready to use when you squeeze it in your hands and it holds it's shape. Press the mixture down into the bottom of the springform pan.

Using a large blender or sturdy immersion blender, begin the filling by chopping up the drained cashews, milk, agave, concentrate and molasses.

*Prepare the cashews ahead of time by covering them completely with water and allowing them to soak. Cover them and refrigerate them for a minimum of 5 hours. 

Add in the extracts, strawberries and red food coloring. Blend for 5-10 minutes. You want the filling to be silky smooth. If you can feel tiny bits of nuts with your fingers, continue blending. Once you've reached the right consistency, slowly pour in the coconut oil. Mix thoroughly.

Pour the pomegranate filling into the springform pan. Smooth out the top with a spatula. Tap it several times down on the counter to allow any air bubbles to rise to the top. Smooth the top over once more. Cover the pan and let it cool for a minimum of 5 hours.

(v) Cupcakes for a dear friend.

 <3 you Jeremy.

Vegan cupcakes from the "Last Friday" event 

at Lamplighter Roasting Company.

Over the past two weeks, I've been working on some of my vegan cupcake recipes. For the most part, I've just been making subtle tweaks- adding different kinds of flour to emphasize certain flavors, adjusting the amount of liquids to get fluffier cake, etc. but, I did end up developing one new recipe. In "A Monsterous Appetite for Cake", I included a heavenly coconut cake recipe, which is terribly delicious, but, I thought I would spruce it up a bit by adding in a couple other flavors. Below, is a picture of my newest creation- Vegan Coconut Espresso Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting.

For the longest time, I've never given a hoot about Valentine's Day. I mean, after mandatory Elementary school V-Day valentine swaps and individual packages of conversation hearts, what else is there, really?

This year, I decided to actually celebrate Valentine's Day. I bought into the idea of sending out valentines to my loved ones and buying gifts for those "special someones" in my life. What did I learn? It isn't nearly as bad as the media makes it out to be for single folks. Sure, I'm 25, I'm unmarried, I don't even have a marriage prospect but I'm pretty damn happy. Why? Because life is worth living, whether or not you have someone to fall asleep next to every evening. I know that's a pretty revolutionary idea so if you need to take a minute, I understand. I have friends, family and coworkers who all care about me and from my point of view, that makes me pretty lucky.

I decided to celebrate my Valentine's Day this year, not crying at home while watching sappy movies or trying to chat up guys at a bar, but, rather, by baking a cake. Cake is always the answer, it seems.

A while ago, a friend of mine asked me to describe myself using only one flavor of cake and frosting. It actually took me quite awhile to piece together my response. It was my response, however, that helped inspire this month's blog post. Below, is a slightly modified version of myself (in cake form)- dark chocolate cake with raspberry mousse filling, a crunchy chocolate topping and a vanilla bean infused cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!

Red Devil's Food Mini Cakes w/ 
Raspberry Mousse & Vanilla Bean Infused Cream Cheese Frosting

2 oz. unsweet. Baker's Chocolate
3/4 cup Boiling water
2 tsp instant Espresso powder
1 stick room-temp Margarine
1 1/4 cup Sugar
2 room-temp Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 cups Cake flour
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Salt
Red Food Coloring (optional)
Kahlua

Mousse-
(Courtesy of Baking Bites)
1/2 cup Raspberry puree
2 Tbsp Water
1 1/2 tsp unflavored Gelatin
2 room-temp pasteurized Egg Whites
1/4 cup Sugar
1/3 cup (whipping) Cream

Chocolate topping-
Dark Chocolate Candy Coating or
4-8 oz. Dark Chocolate

Frosting-
3 cups Powdered Sugar
4 oz. room-temp Cream Cheese
4 Tbsp room-temp Margarine
1 tsp Vanilla Bean paste

Begin by melting the chocolate squares in the boiling water. (Tip- make sure to add the chocolate to the water, not the other way around). Once dissolved, stir in the espresso powder. Let cool. Add a little water to bring the mixture to 1 cup.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add in the eggs. Beat well, about 2-3 minutes. Sift in the flour, soda and salt. Beat until combined. Add 1/2 the chocolate mixture. Beat well. Add in the last of the chocolate. If you want a more visible red tint to your cake, add 1-2 drops of red food coloring to the batter. Beat well. Pour into a greased jellyroll pan. (Tip- make sure to add a piece of parchment paper to the bottom of your pan so that your cake doesn't stick.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Prepare the mousse while the cake is cooling. Start by first creating the raspberry puree. Mash fresh or frozen raspberries and press through a strainer to remove seeds. 1-1 1/2 cups of berries will yield about 1/2 cup puree.

In a small saucepan, combine water and gelatin. Let stand for 2 minutes to soften gelatin. Add raspberry puree and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve gelatin. Bring mixture to a simmer. Cook until the sauce begins to visibly thicken. Remove from heat and let cool (about 15 minutes).

Beat egg whites to soft peaks in a cold bowl. (Tip- add a couple dashes of cream of tartar to help your egg whites rise). Gradually add in the 1/4 cup of sugar, continuing to beat the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks (i.e. the peaks are able to keep shape and not tip over.) Drizzle the cooled raspberry mixture into egg whites. Fold together.

Beat the cream to stiff peaks. Finish by folding the cream into the raspberry mixture. Chill before using.

Once the cake is completely cooled, use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out 10 circles. Transfer to a piece of wax paper. Use a knife to level and cut off the tops, you want the circles to be under an inch tall. Prick the circles with a toothpick and then lightly drizzle the tops with Kahlua. Use a pastry brush to coat any parts of the cake not covered.

Prepare the chocolate topping by melting either several ounces of dark chocolate candy coating or just some good dark chocolate. Dab all of the cake tops with the dark chocolate. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the chocolate. Let dry.

Pipe half of the circles with the chilled mousse. Stack the other half of the cakes on top of the mousse.

Prepare the frosting by combining the cream cheese, margarine and vanilla bean paste. Beat well. Add in the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Continue to beat until the frosting begins to turn lighter and lighter. It should be snow white. Use a piping bag to dot the tops of the cakes with some of the frosting.  Garnish with chunks of chocolate. Other possible garnishes: chocolate-covered espresso beans, fresh raspberries, truffles (made from leftover topping), a light chocolate drizzle.

Makes 5 mini cakes. These are best fresh. If you do plan on making these a day in advance, cover them. Make sure to refrigerate them but let them sit out a bit before you eat them so the cake/frosting/mousse can soften.

Good Morning, readers! Already we're 3 weeks into the new year. Where does the time go? I've promised myself that this will be a year for great change and growth, oh, and, of course, tons of new recipes.

A friend and coworker of mine recently mentioned that his significant other is putting together a Richmond-based vegan and non-vegan cookbook. How could I pass up the opportunity to submit something? I've been meaning to work on a new vegan cake filling for a while now. When I was compiling recipes for my zine, I didn't get a chance to experiment with tofu that much. The world of soy-based products is extensive. There are about a dozen different varieties of tofu alone. It can be quite intimidating if you don't know even where to start. As always, I suggest you take things slow and make sure to do a little research before buying anything, after all, there's nothing worse than wanting to make a tofu scramble only to find out you bought the wrong type of firmness.

Below is my recipe for vegan Dark Chocolate cupcakes, taken from "A Monsterous Appetite for Cake", my Pomegranate Orange Mousse filling and my Killer Dark Chocolate frosting, tweaked, but also from AMAC. When I was trying to think of a seasonally appropriate dish, my mind gravitated towards pomegranates. Pomegranates really are a winter fruit. They're typically in season between September and February. The ruby-colored seeds of the pomegranate make it particularly festive, especially around Christmas. Pom juice is exceptionally high in antioxidants, so, do yourself a favor this year- start eating right by first baking yourself a cake.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Pomegranate Orange Custard & Dark Chocolate Frosting

1/4 cup Molasses

1/3 cup unsweet. Applesauce

3/4 cup + 1/2 tsp Sugar

4 oz. unsweet. Baker's Chocolate

1 Tbsp Vanilla

1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar

1 cup hot Water

1 1/2 cups Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 cup unsweet. Cocoa Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

Custard-

1 pkg (12.3 oz) Silken Tofu (Extra Firm)

1 Tbsp Grand Marnier

3 Tbsp Pomegranate Concentrate

1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
4 1/2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Natural Red Food dye

Orange Zest

Begin by melting the chocolate either in a double boiler or the microwave. Make sure to stir constantly to avoiding clumping and burning.

Combine the molasses, applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the melted chocolate. Mix again. Add the vinegar. Mix a third time. Add the water. Mix once more. Sift together the flour, soda, cocoa and salt. Stir until just combined. 

Divide the batter evenly among the cups. (Tip- use an ice cream scoop to ensure uniform cupcake size). This recipe makes 14-15 cupcakes. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before you core them.

While you're waiting, start preparing the filling. Pour the first six ingredients into a blender. Pulse thoroughly. You want the filling to be satiny smooth- think yogurt consistency. Scoop the mousse into a small bowl and manually stir in the last two ingredients. Let the filling firm up a bit- refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

To fill the cupcakes, simply load a zip-loc baggy with some of the mousse and cut off one of the tips. Pipe until the mousse reaches just the top of the cupcake.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

4 oz. unsweet. Baker's Chocolate
3 Tbsp Vegetable-based Shortening
4 cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 cup unsweet. Cocoa Powder
Warm non-dairy milk
Pinch of orange Zest

Begin by melting the chocolate either in a double-boiler or the microwave. Stir constantly to avoid clumping and burning. Add the shortening (it should melt completely). Beat in the powdered sugar and cocoa.

Heat up the non-dairy milk. Add milk to desired taste and consistency. Beat until smooth. You want the frosting to be stiff but spreadable. Finish by adding in some orange zest. You want just a hint, to pick up the zest in the filling.

Pipe your cupcakes and enjoy! You can garnish your cupcakes in a variety of different ways, here are just a few ideas: dot the tops with fresh or chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds, drizzle with a pomegranate red wine reduction, candy or dehydrate orange slices or create caramelized sugar decorations.

If you would like to create your own sugar decorations, this is a simple recipe I picked up from Fine Cooking. I switched out the lemon juice for orange juice but, next time, I'll probably also add 1/2 tsp Orange extract. 

Good Morning, readers. I hope this chilly Tuesday morning finds you well.

Christmas is just a mere 18 days away. No doubt, most of you are busy planning out your social calendars or scrambling to finish up the last of your holiday shopping. These days, I find myself focusing more on what I will be baking this holiday, rather than what I will be wearing and buying. Who cares about presents when you have an awesome cake to eat Christmas morning? My thoughts exactly.

Over the next 3 weeks, I'll be posting updates about my baking adventures as well as sharing some of my favorite holiday recipes. Got family visiting? Need a cheap gift to give to your friends? Got the annual office Xmas party coming up? Never fear, I'll have all the recipes you need to get through the holidays.

This week, I'm tackling breakfast. What do you eat Christmas morning when you have your entire family coming over to open presents? Something fast, sweet and filling. I'm a huge proponent of breakfast breads and coffee cakes but I thought, this year, I would try something new- crumb cake. Crumb cake is a delicious hybrid of a cake and coffee cake. It's a moist, fluffy and buttery cake with a crunchy crumb topping, often sprinkled with powdered sugar or drizzled with frosting. Below, is a recipe I've modified from Ina Garten. I've switched out the blueberries for raspberries, added some vanilla yogurt and included a frosting that can be drizzled liberally over the top of your cake. Make this the day before and all you'll have to worry about Christmas morning is finding a large enough spatula to shovel out your family's slices.

Raspberry Crumb Cake
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

Streusel-

• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/3 cup packed Brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose Flour
• 
  
• Cake-

• 6 Tbsp room-temp unsalted Butter
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 2 room-temp Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1/3 cup Sour cream

• 1/3 cup Vanilla yogurt
• 1 1/4 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup fresh Raspberries

Drizzle-

1 cup Powdered Sugar

2 Tbsp room-temp Butter

Coconut Milk

Grease and flour a 9" cake pan. I suggest using a spring-form pan.

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

• 
  
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream and yogurt. 
• 
  
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the raspberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely.

Fall has reached the River City. The recent rain-soaked afternoons and chilly, mist-filled breezes have given way to an overwhelming need to be surrounded by all things comfortable, e.g. warm blankets, soft sweaters, a favorite warm beverage and of course, something sweet to nibble on.

Every year our neighborhood has a picnic the last weekend of September. It's meant to celebrate the end of Summer and herald the start of another Fall. When I was reflecting on what I'd like to bring, I thought about pumpkin-flavored desserts. It seems like most pumpkin desserts are quite plain. Instead of being paired with different flavors, they typically stand alone in a dish. I understand that pumpkins have a subtle taste, but, why not harness that lovely, earthy flavor and add it to something else to make it even better? Thus, the idea of a Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake was born.

Below, is a recipe I pieced together using several different recipes. The pumpkin cheesecake recipe, I adapted from Paula Deen. It's a creamy, softer cheesecake with a hint of pumpkin that interacts beautifully with the denser texture of the dark chocolate cheesecake. I actually got the dark chocolate cheesecake recipe from a Kroger ad. Kroger knows their stuff; no joke. I think what really ties the whole cake together is the ganache topping. It's subtly sweet so it doesn't overpower the other flavors, but, at the same time, it does give the cake a nice tart bite.

This Fall, I hope you can take some time out of your busy day to sit down and enjoy the little things, like curling up with a good book, drinking a nice warm cup of tea or even eating a piece of cheesecake while watching the leaves fall outside your window. Remember, Fall comes only once year. Don't let it go to waste!

Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

2 cups Chocolate Graham Cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 cup melted Butter

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake-
8 oz. softened Cream Cheese
2.5 oz. melted Dark Chocolate
1 room-temp Egg
1/4 cup  + 1 Tbsp Sugar
1.5 Tbsp Cocoa powder
Pumpkin Cheesecake-
10 oz. Pumpkin purée
16 oz. softened Cream Cheese
2 room-temp Eggs + 1 Egg yolk
4 Tbsp room-temp Sour cream
1 cup Sugar
2-3 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
1/8 tsp ground Nutmeg
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Flour
1 tsp Vanilla

Ganache-
3/4 cup Whipping Cream
6 oz. chopped Dark Chocolate
1 Tbsp Sugar

Butter a 9" spring-form pan. Chop/smash the graham crackers until they've reached a fine consistency. Stir in the sugar and melted butter. Press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of the prepared pan. Set aside.

Prepare the dark chocolate cheesecake by first melting the chocolate, either in a double-boiler or the microwave. Allow the chocolate to cool until it's lukewarm but still pourable.

In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar and cocoa powder together until smooth. Mix in the egg. Add the chocolate. Make sure to scrape down the sides. Pour the filling into the crust. Smooth out the top.

Prepare the pumpkin cheesecake by blending together the cream cheese and pumpkin purée in a large bowl. Mix until smooth. Add the eggs and yolk. Mix well. Pour in the sour cream, sugar and spices. Make sure to scrape down the sides. Finish by adding in the flour and vanilla. Mix once more. Pour the filling into the crust; spread it out evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes. Let sit until it reaches room-temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. It's best over night.

Once the cheesecake is completely firm, prepare the ganache topping. In a saucepan, heat the chocolate, sugar and cream. Stir until completely smooth. Let the ganache sit until it reaches room-temperature.

Pour the ganache into the center of the cheesecake and spread it to within a 1/2 inch of the edge of the cheesecake. Refrigerate the cheesecake for 1 hour to ensure the ganache is set.

If you want to get fancy, you can sprinkle the top with some edible glitter and drizzle some melted chocolate.

Zine Fest 2011 is quickly approaching. I've been working non-stop to come up with some fantastic new recipes for the zine. The zine is laid out in such a way, that, essentially you can mix and match anything. By throwing in a few more ingredients, you can change a basic cake recipe into an entirely new creation. Below, is one of the "variation recipes" for my vegan Dark Chocolate cake. This cake is dark, spicy and hella tart. It would pair best with a simple, sweet frosting like my "Baker's Frosting" (below) or my Cream Cheese Frosting, if you're looking for more of a kick in the pants.

Make sure to stop by the RVA Zine Fest, Saturday, October 8, to pick up a copy of my zine, "Monsterous Appetite for Cake." If you get there early enough, there just might be some cupcakes left!

Vegan Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes w/ "Cream Cheese" Frosting

1/4 cup Molasses
1/3 cup unsweet. Applesauce
3/4 cup + 1/2 tsp Sugar
4 oz. unsweet. Baker's Chocolate
3 tsp Bourbon-flavored vanilla
1 Tbsp Distilled white vinegar
1 cup hot Water
1 1/2 cups Flour
2 tsp Baking soda
1/4 cup unsweet. Cocoa powder
3 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cornstarch
1/2 the zest of a Lemon
3/4 cup Cranberries

Begin by melting the chocolate either in a double boiler or the microwave. Make sure to stir constantly to avoiding clumping and burning.

Chop up the cranberries. I prefer larger chunks, so, I only split them in half.

Combine the molasses, applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the melted chocolate. Mix again. Add the vinegar. Mix a third time. Add the water. Mix once more. Sift together the flour, soda, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Zest in the lemon. Stir until just combined. Finish by quickly folding in the cranberries.

If you’re making cupcakes, divide the batter evenly among the cups. This recipe makes 15. If you’re making a cake, this will make one 9 inch.

Bake at 350 degrees
18-19 minutes for cupcakes
30-35 minutes for cakes

When your cake or cupcakes are almost completely cool, begin making the frosting. 

Baker's Frosting

4 cups Powdered sugar
1/3 cup Vegetable-based shortening
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp Salt
Warm Soymilk

Beat the shortening until it is light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until well combined.

Heat up the non-dairy milk. Add milk to desired taste and consistency. You want the frosting to be stiff but spreadable.

Summer is here and with it- thunderstorms, mosquitos, fireworks, gut-busting temperatures, water-gun fights, ice cream cones and tons of fresh, seasonal fruit. When I think of Summer, I think of berries, particularly strawberries and raspberries, I also think of pie, but, I digress.

Today, I was tasked with making a dessert for the Wingnut's annual Memorial Day Cookout. Most of the people who live/hang out around The Wingnut are vegan or at the very least sympathetic to a cruelty-free, animal product-free lifestyle. To avoid excluding people, I usually tend to bake entirely vegan. Why not if you can't tell the difference? Below is a lemon cake recipe I've been working on for quite awhile. Every time I make it, I tweak it just a little bit. This time around, I added some fresh raspberries and I think it added another level of complexity to the over-all flavor. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it and I hope, if anything, it helps open up your mind to veganism.

Vegan Lemon Raspberry Cake

1 cup Non-dairy Butter (e.g. Earth Balance)
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 cup Sugar
5 1/4 cup Flour
5 1/4 Tbsp Cornstarch
3 3/4 tsp  Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2 1/4 cup Non-dairy milk
3/4 cup Lemon juice
Zest from 1 1/2 Lemons
3/4 cup fresh Raspberries

Frosting-
6 cups Powdered Sugar

3/4 cup Vegetable-based Shortening

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 tsp Salt

Warm non-dairy milk

Begin by "buttering" two 9 inch cake pans. (Tip- a sure-fire way to guarantee that your cakes won't get stuck to the bottom of your pans, is to simply cut up 2 wax paper circles and add them to the pans before you pour in the batter.)

Mix the soymilk and lemon juice together in a big bowl or cup. Set aside to curdle (yes, curdle).

Cream the non-dairy butter together with the sugar in a large bowl until white and fluffy.

In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, soda and salt.

Add half the milk and all of the oil to the "butter" mixture. Mix well. Slowly rotate between adding in the milk and dry ingredients. Mix until just blended.

Use a spatula to stir in the raspberries. (Tip- make sure they are completely dry before adding them to the batter.) Pour into the baking pans and level out with the spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Remove and let cool before frosting.

When your cakes are almost completely cool, start making the frosting. Cream together the powdered sugar and shortening. Add in the salt and vanilla.

Heat up the non-dairy milk. Add milk to desired taste and spreading consistency. (Tip- if you frosting is too thick it will rip the top off your cake)

Saturday marked a huge moment in my life. For the better part of a month, I was working on putting together the event known as "Party in the Park".  It was a very important day for the Monroe Park Campaign and due to the incredible amount of hard work from my teammates and several dedicated volunteers, we were able to pull it off without any major hitches. It's amazing how many people came out to celebrate with us. It was a genuinely good day, full of smiles and laughs and, of course, plenty of dancing. 

We did, however, underestimate the amount of food we needed. What do you do when you plan for a crowd of 150 and 350 show up instead? You bake what you can, and hope for the best. I caught this little blunder about a week in advance and was able to arrange for a few people to bring a couple dishes with them to the park. RVASugar Mamas were able to chip in last minute and FNB pulled through with some vegan baked goods as well. I figured I might as well bake something because, hey, who's going to say, "No" to cupcakes? Well, apparently no one could say no to my cupcakes and they were devoured before I could even get them all to the table. Since they were such a big hit, I thought I would pass on the recipe. I know there are probably a few of you readers out there that would die to try this one out.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
(Courtesy of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)

1 1/2 cups Cake flour
3/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup and 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Tbsp Distilled white vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 cups Water

Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Sift together the dry ingredients: cake flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

With an electric mixer, beat together the oil, vinegar, vanilla and water until well combined. Slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (Tip- the batter will be very thin).

Divide batter evenly among the lined cups (Tip- using an ice cream scoop is an easy and reliable way to ensure consistent cupcake size).

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cupcakes sit for 2 or 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Let them cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
(Courtesy of the Joy of Vegan Baking)

1/2 cup Natural peanut butter
1/3 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup or more Nondairy milk
2 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla

Cream together the peanut butter and cocoa (Tip- it's best to use fresh peanut butter with this recipe, otherwise the oils will separate and make it more difficult to frost and harden). Slowly add in the milk. Beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla. Gradually pour a little more milk in at a time to reach a good spreading consistency.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I honestly don't know where my year went. With my mother still recovering from her double-knee surgery, I find myself taking a much more hands-on approach to this year's celebration- i.e. I'm doing all the baking/cooking. You can definitely say that I've risen to the challenge. As I told my mom, Thanksgiving is like a decathalon for chefs and you better believe I've been studying Food Network as religiously as a Freshman student cramming for first semester exams. I've been stocking up on enough pricey cheeses, fresh herbs and obscure spices to make my parents cry from looking at all the grocery bills. I AM READY.

One of the easiest recipes in my arsenal, has to be my nana's coffeecake. The recipe dates back to 50s, a time when they loved their bundt pans and cake mixes almost as much as their first-born child. The fluffy vanilla cake pairs beautifully with the crunchy cinnamon pecan filling and sweet frosting topping. Serve it with a cup of coffee and it'll start your day off right!

French Vanilla Coffeecake

1 pkg French vanilla cake mix
1 pkg French vanilla instant pudding
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1 cup Water
1 tsp Butter flavoring
4 room temperature Eggs

Topping-
3/4 cup chopped Pecans
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup Sugar

Frosting-
1 cup Powdered sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Milk
2 Tbsp melted Butter

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the eggs. Add in each egg individually, beating after each. Beat batter for 8 minutes- make sure to time yourself!

Sprinkle half of the cinnamon topping into the bottom of a well-greased bundt pan. Pour in half of the batter. Throw in the rest of the cinnamon topping and then cover with the remaining batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Remove from pan after 10 minutes. Let cool and then drizzle top with the frosting.

If you've been following my latest status updates on Facebook you are probably aware of my ongoing obsession with winning first place at the Chesterfield County Fair for one of my baked treats. It was my second year entering something food-related. Last year I placed 3rd for my Apple pie. It was the first pie I had ever made, but I was still furious with my ranking. To this day I still feel like I was gypped out of that blue medal.

This year I wanted to try something a little different. I asked the great interwebz what I should bake and it responded, in a great booming voice- "MAKE A GERMAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE." Intrigued by the suggestion, I pieced together a recipe that not only is ridiculously decadent but extremely satisfying. Although I somehow managed to walk away with yet another 3rd place medal, at least I can say I delivered something this county hasn't seen in ages- innovation.

German Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust-
2 cups Chocolate Graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp Sugar
7 Tbsp Butter
3/4 cup shredded Coconut
5 oz. chopped Pecans

Begin by preparing the crust. Melt the butter in a large bowl. Pour in the crackers and sugar. Stir well. Finish by adding in the coconut and finely chopped nuts. Press into the bottom (not the sides) of a 10" spring-form pan.

To get a crisper crust, bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool. 


Filling-
8 oz German Chocolate, chopped
4 pkg Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Cocoa powder
4 large Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla

Chop up your chocolate into very fine pieces. The best way to ensure that your chocolate doesn't burn or clump, is to melt it either in a double boiler or a heat-resistant bowl, set over a pot of simmering water. I used a heat-resistant bowl. Once velvety smooth, remove immediately from the water and let sit until the chocolate is lukewarm but still pourable.

Blend the cream cheese, sugar and cocoa powder together in another bowl. Add in the eggs one at a time, until fully blended. Finish by pouring in the warm chocolate. Make sure it has been fully and completely mixed, otherwise your cheesecake will have streaks. Pour the filling over the crust; smooth top as best as possible.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until the center is set and just appears dry.

Let cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before adding topping.

Topping-
1 can Sweetened condensed milk
1 bar Bittersweet chocolate

Probably the most time-intensive part of this entire recipe is the topping, but trust me when I say- it's well worth the effort.

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. For 3 hours let a can of sweetened condensed milk cook, completely submerged in the water. Make sure to check every couple of minutes, to refill the water that has been evaporated. Once done, let the can sit out for about 45 minutes-hour. It should still be pretty warm.

Open it and pour it into a small bowl. The condensed milk should be a dark brown and have a thick, sticky consistency, similar to caramel. Use a spatula to smoothen the mixture. Pour it onto the center of the cheesecake and spread it to within 1/2" of the edge. Let chill 30 minutes.

The final touch- melt half a bar of bittersweet chocolate and drizzle it over the top of the cheesecake. If you want to get really fancy- like Cheesecake Factory fancy, you can create chocolate curls with the other half of the bar. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 5 second intervals until it's just warm to the touch. Starting at the far end of the bar, using a vegetable peeler, move it towards your body. You can make the curls as tight or as loose as you want; they're best used immediately.

All that's left to do is enjoy.