What's for dinner- vegan chocolate cake

Last night, I had friends over for a French inspired dinner while watching Hugo.  I made Coq au Vin

while my friend made a vegan Tartine du Harvest.  lol!  (Harvest Tart) OMGoodness, so delicious!

  But the pièce de résistance, I have to say, was the vegan chocolate cake. I received this recipe years ago from someone when I used to make wedding cakes.  She gave the recipe to me and I alway remember that it was so tasty but haven't bothered making it in years... until last night.  The cake is so moist, you'll see why in the recipe and the chocolate fudge fondant is not like regular tasteless fondant but instead a rich, fudge-y decadent topping.  DO NOT be afraid of the balsamic vinegar.  In fact I used Pomegranate Vinegar and you do not taste it at all.  I also used chocolate soy milk. 

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Oil two 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper


Ingredients:

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 c. unbleached white flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
1/2 c. plus 2 T. Dutch process cocoa (a/k/a "unsweetened" cocoa)
1/2 c. Florida Crystals

1/2 c. canola oil
1 c. pure maple syrup
1 c. vanilla soymilk

1 c. water
2 tsp. balsamic or apple cider vinegar
1 T. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract


1. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl: flours, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, cocoa, and sugar. Stir with a wire whisk to mix.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients with a wire whisk until foamy: oil, maple syrup, vegetable-based milk (vanilla-flavored), water, vinegar, and extracts.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently but thoroughly until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin. Pour the batter into pans, dividing evenly, and bake on center rack of the preheated oven for 25 to 30 min. or until the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched or a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

4. Cool cake layers in pans on wire cooling racks for 10 min. Use a dinner knife to release cakes from sides of pans. Turn layers out of pans directly onto racks. Cool completely. Wrap layers tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate before assembling cake.

Vegan Chocolate Fondant

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups Florida Crystals confectioners' sugar, sifted

5 fluid ounces water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan, combine confectioners' sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a temperature of 92 degrees F (33 degrees C.) Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate and almond extract until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.