Happy National Chocolate Cake Day

This year my birthday fell on the same day as National Chocolate Cake day.  Which meant I needed Chocolate Cake for my birthday.  I have a favorite chocolate cake, here it is in all of it's goodness.

 

 

(this is her picture, not mine) Holy cow!  it is amazing. My major weakness is peanut butter and chocolate.  Unfortunately, this cake has milk in it.  So it can now only be made for my colleuges at work because it would not be fair for me to make it for all but one member of my family.  But I decided to play with this already perfect recipe and see if I could make it Dairy Free.  My philosophy is start with the best recipe you have and maybe you will end up with something decent.  I did my research. Coconut milk is the best substitute for sour cream in baking. Coconut milk also makes a lovely dairy free ganache.  Looks like Coconut milk was the way to go.  Because I was expecting to be able to taste some of the coconut, I figured I ought to stay away from the peanut butter. However, I couldn't taste the Coconut at all, so we could make this in to a chocolate peanut butter cake after all, or maybe next time I will get some coconut extract and add that in for a chocolate coconut cake.

Milk Free Moist Chocolate Cake

 

For the Cake :

• 1 box Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (check to make sure it is dairy free, they sell them I promise)
• 1 3.4 ounce box Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix (Jell-O brand is milk free, off brands tend not to be)
• 4 Eggs
• 1 cup Canned coconut milk
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips (milk free)

 

For the Topping:

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate Chips (milk free)
• 1/4 cup Coconut Milk

To Make the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, Coconut Milk, oil, and  chocolate chips.
3. Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray.
4. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Remove pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the wire rack to cool completely.

To Make the Topping:

1. In a small bowl, combine baking chocolate, Coconut milk
2. Microwave on high at 30-second intervals until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth when stirred with a whisk.
3. Pour over cooled bundt cake.

It really was amazing! my philosophy worked! Start with a perfect recipe and maybe you will turn out with something great!  It was my birthday so my daughter wrote on it with some cookie frosting from the store MOM.

 

Someday I am going to take amazing pictures. But for now,  my non amazing pictures will have to do.