Tempted by the promise of Brooklyn Blackout Cake (page 126) every time I flipped through Chloe Coscarelli’s latest masterwork, forthrightly titled Chloe’s Vegan Desserts, it was high time to take matters into my own hands. One could only resist that siren song for so long, and after having the book sitting idly in my kitchen for the past few months, I would wait no longer for a good excuse. It was time for cake, and that was that.
Indulgent but not quite hedonistic, I cut the recipe down to a third of its original grandeur, simultaneously putting my new 3-inch round cake pans to the test. Happily, they passed with flying colors, holding tight and not spilling a drop, despite ominous reports of leakage.
Carefully sliced and layered with rich chocolate pudding, the moist crumb was perfectly compliant with the demands of assembly. Just enough for two, maybe three people if they were all well-practiced in the fine arts of both self control and sharing, it’s just the right amount of decadence for a Friday. Or a Tuesday. Or whatever day it happens to be when the urge to bake hits.
Don’t be fooled by the festive candle; there was no celebration or particular occasion to commemorate here. Perhaps I was just trying to rationalize such a random act of cakery, fooling myself into painting a grander picture than was accurate. If I could invent a story about a party, and weave this cake in somehow… It was a far-fetched ruse to begin with, my motivation as transparent as the clear bottles filled to the brim with ice cold, unsweetened almond milk. So I’m not going to lie: I just wanted cake.
And oh, what a cake it was! Sure, the recipe was very standard, the sort of thing you’ve probably already made a hundred times and could find closely related renditions of within a few seconds of searching, but there’s no denying that it’s pretty much fool-proof. Best yet, it’s the perfect cake for the baker that hates fussy frosting, because all decorative sins are instantly erased by a thick layer of crumbs coating the entire exterior. Satisfying to make and eat, I’d say that’s a win-win situation if I ever did taste one.