If you told me a year and a half ago that I wouldn’t have just one, buttwovegan cakes on the site, and that I liked them so that I honestly question from time to time why any cakes have any eggs in them, ever, I’d have thought you lost your mind. Let me explain: I know there are amazing and delicious vegan cakes in the world, but I believed I’d need flax eggs or the liquid from a can of chickpeas or some other magic to pull them off; I figured I’d leave it to the experts. Plus, I suspect my devotion to butter and buttermilk is well-established by now.
But that was before I learned about Wacky Cakes, a.k.a. Depression Cakes or Cockeyed Cakes, if you’re a Peg Bracken fan, which of course,everyone should be. They typically have about 7 completely basic, everyday ingredients and they’re usually chocolate-flavored, but never enough for me. Soin my version, I used a higher proportion of cocoa powder and olive oil, whose fruitiness is exceptionally cozy with chocolate. The cake is so good, we recently found in the fridge a chunk of the one I made in late November (five weeks later) and my husband refused to let me throw it away, taking his life in his hands to eat it right then and there. If you’ve made it, maybe you understand.
Not a chocolate fan? Today is your day. This long overdue version (with only 6 ingredients, what a showoff) might be — don’t tell the chocolate fiends in your life — evenbetter. I made it with coconut oil and coconut milk, which together provide a subtle coconut flavor and rich, plushness to the cake I thought heretofore impossible in any cake, vegan or other. Forget a month; this cake isn’t going to survive this long weekend.
One year ago:Sheet Pan Meatballs with Crispy Turmeric ChickpeasTwo years ago:Chocolate Dutch BabyThree years ago:Blood Orange, Almond, and Ricotta CakeandCabbage and Sausage CasseroleFour years ago:Key Lime PieandMake Your Own Vanilla ExtractFive years ago:Pear and Hazelnut MuffinsandWarm Lentil and Potato SaladSix years ago:Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and GarlicSeven years ago:Buttermilk Roast ChickenEight years ago:Baked Potato SoupNine years ago:Black Bean Soup + Toasted Cumin Seed CremaandCranberry Syrup and an Intensely Almond CakeTen years ago:Clementine CakeandMushroom BourguignonEleven years ago:Chicken Caesar SaladandFried ChickenTwelve years ago:Grapefruit Yogurt Cake
And for the other side of the world:Six Months Ago:Bourbon Peach Smash1.5 Years Ago:Hummus Heaped with Tomatoes and Cucumbers2.5 Years Ago:Corn, Bacon, and Parmesan Pasta3.5 Years Ago:Very Blueberry Scones4.5 Years Ago:Brownie Ice Cream SandwichesandEasiest Fridge Dill Pickles
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons (285 grams) all-purpose flour1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar1/2 cup (110 grams) coconut oil, warmed just enough to liquefy1 1/2 cups full- or low-fat coconut milk (see Note)1 tablespoon (15 ml) plain vinegar
This, as written, is fantastic everyday or snack cake with a simple glaze and [updated to note] a mild coconut flavor, but I could totally see it getting ready for a party as a two-layer cake. I bet it would be a gorgeousconfetti cake, too. If you’re not deeply into coconut, use a flavorless oil or vegan butter instead of coconut oil and then soy, almond, or oat milk instead of canned coconut milk to give you a more neutral launchpad for other flavor combinations. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.
