VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKES

The vegan chocolate cake is a relatively recent entry into the longstanding history of this famous desert. There is much debate over whether or not that decadent, notoriously bumbling and disconnected Marie Antoinette ever actually suggested "Let them eat cake," as her solution to the bread-shortage that left thousands of peasants starving in the French streets. What is clear is that the cake, traditionally a sweet, baked desert, has been a part of countless historical special events. Cakes are often chosen for desert after meals to commemorate special occasions, including weddings, birthday, and anniversaries. It is, in many ways, the perfect epilogue to any meaningful meal.

There are literally thousands of recipes for different sorts of cakes, resulting in some that are simple and bread like, and others that are rich and elaborate. At its core, a cake recipe combines flour, some nature of sweetening agent, something to bind (normally egg, but vegans can substitute gluten or starch), a fatty agent (butter, margarine, or even fruit puree, for the healthier bakes our there), a liquid and some sort of leavening agent. So common and so diverse are cake recipes these days that almost anyone with an extra hour can mix and bake a version of this classy desert to their exact specifications.

The emergence of vegan chocolate cakes is the result of a growing demand for a variety of cakes catering to people who choose to live a dairy-free life. When prepared with care and the highest quality ingredients available, a vegan chocolate cake can be every bit as delicious as its traditional counterpart, and every bit as symbolic and meaningful for whatever the occasion.