Get Ready to Implode...

...it's CHOCOLATE CAKE ON 'ROIDS!!

Who says you can't make a vegan cake work? Here's one that I rescued from causing me an emotional breakdown, for reals.

My bridal shower was the next day, and I really, like REALLY, wanted to make a vegan chocolate cake to bring. I know you're not supposed to bring food to your own shower, but we weren't exactly riding on the H.M.S. Tradition for this wedding...

My chocolate cake was actually like a Triple Chocolate Madness Bundt Cake, the cake recipe I lifted from VegWeb here. But it was what I did for the topping that really blew my mind à la Lewis Black.

I bought my first bundt cake pan for this recipe (so proud). After the bundt cake cooled, I made what became my first of TWO layers for the icing--yeah, I almost lost it after the first one.

I made a makeshift double-boiler (glass mixing bowl--sufficiently heatproof, over a pan of boiling water but NOT touching the water). Next, I poured a cup or so of chocolate Divvies into the bowl and added a small splash of canola oil for shine and ease of melting.

Then I got creative. I thought, "Hmmm, what about if I added something fruity to this? That would taste FAB!"

So I pulled out the tiny jar of black currant jelly I had sitting around in my fridge and added it to the chocolate. At first, it was OK. Then it started to thicken and become slightly stiff. Then I about lost my cool! Philip was trying to talk to me, and I was like, "You need to leave the kitchen right now before I say something I won't be able to take back." Point taken.

I thought it was a total loss but still wanted to smoosh it on the cake to see what would happen. I ended up having to mold it over the top of the bundt cake with a spatula, like Play-Doh, which made it look like total crap.

After harrumphing and feeling sorry for my stupid self, I decided to use the very last of my precious Divvies chips to make ANOTHER batch of glossy chocolate icing, just without the preserves, and pour it on top of the cake.

After another round of spreading stuff onto the cake, sufficiently enough to cover the "fruity" layer, I let it sit overnight, and the next day the outside had dried and hardened into a lovely shell that helped to keep the cake's delicate moisture inside.

Sorry so blurry, photo courtesy of my awesome Aunt Carol!

It looks like a tasty, choc-tastic donut, but bigger!

When I brought it to the bridal shower and cut it open, it was like the two layers of icing melded together and produced this sweet and tangy and chocolaty goodness that was spot on. The cake wasn't even the best part. The topping made me want to gobble up the whole cake, right there in my maid of honor's kitchen, in front of everyone.

Alas, I retained my last shred of dignity :)

How's your MoFoing coming along?

(By the way, I'm freaking jonesing for some Daiya. Stupid Wichita foodplaces not carrying it...blast!)

Jes