CRAZY GOOD VEGAN DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Hello everyone! Recently, I have wanted to try some new recipes from scratch, and as I'm craving some chocolatey goodness, I came up with this CRAZY GOOD VEGAN DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE with (optional) Nutella peanut butter frosting. Enjoy!

Vegan Double Chocolate Cake 

1 cup whole wheat flour or coconut flour       1 tsp. baking soda 

1 cup Agave nectar or syrup                            2 tbsp. pure cacao powder

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips                           1 tsp. salt

1/3 cup organic unsweetened applesauce       2 tbsp. coconut yogurt 

1 tsp. vanilla                                                   2 tbsp. almond butter or cashew butter 

Optional* Peanut Butter Nutella Frosting

1/4 cup coconut oil- in microwave so warm

1/2 cup of cane sugar- place in blender to make it incredibly smooth

4 tbsp. melted dark chocolate chips 

2 tbsp. melted almond butter

2 tbsp. Nutella *(totally optional if you want to keep it vegan but delicious if you want to really indulge) 

How to do it. The Cake I mean. ;)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees bake. Spray your bunt pan with canola oil. Sift the flour, baking powder, cacao powder, and salt together for the cake. In separate bowl, combine the agave nectar, applesauce, yogurt, and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mix. After fully combing the two, add your 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Place mixture in the bunt pan, and swirl the melted almond butter on top of the cake. Bake on 350 for 25-30 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.  Now, after it is done, let rest for 10 minutes.

Happy Frosting Time

Now, the glaze/frosting. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave while you, in the blender, break the cane sugar into smaller pieces, a consistency similar to confectionary sugar. Mix these well together, then add your melted chocolate chips and almond butter together. Now, add the Nutella if you so desire! Drip it all over the cake. 

Ouila! You now have a beautiful, scrumptious, oh so heavenly vegan chocolate cake in your midst! Enjoy! 

Thank you for reading and experiencing ThinkZoeBoost. If you enjoyed this post, make sure to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram to see more recipes, life hacks and inspiration!

Namaste, 

Zoe 

Zoe's VEGAN OAT BLENDER BANANA BLUEBERRY and DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES

Hi everyone! This is my recipe for my vegan oat blender banana pancakes! I had been searching over a year ago for a recipe for pancakes, and I came across one on http://www.mountainmamacooks.com, that I adapted and changed to fit my vegan lifestyle. Please check out their amazing website if you get the chance: perfect for those who live at high altitudes. 

SO, now present day, my mum, dad, and sister, whenever I come home, beg me to make THIS RECIPE for Saturday breakfast! This recipe is super filling and keeps you full for at least seven hours, perfect for a long hike or a day out!  No oil, gluten free, and vegan! It is my family tradition that I'm sharing with you. Enjoy:) 

Ingredients: about 9 pancakes 

2 cups of ground steel cut oats                                         1 1/4 almond milk 

1 cup extra almond milk                                                   1 jar coconut oil for cooking                                                                                            

1/2 cup of organic dark chocolate chips                            1/2 cup of organic blueberries

1 flax seed egg- 2 tbsp. of flax seed and 1 tbsp. water      1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract                                                        1 heaping tbsp. agave nectar                                                                                        

1 tsp. cinnamon                                                               1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt                                                                        1 large organic, ripe banana 

Directions:

1. Let's make your flax egg! I use 2 tbsp of the flax seed /Chia blend, (it gives a good texture to the pancakes) and let slowly stir with one tbsp of water. Place a damp- paper towel over your mixture  and let rest for 10 min while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.  

2. Take your 2 cup of steel cut oats, (I typically use MCCan's, I much prefer those to Quaker Oats) and place them into the blender. I pulsate for 20 second intervals in the grind setting of my blender. The consistency should be powdery but still textured with the oats themselves: 50% powder, 50% still hard oats. It usually takes me about 2 min to get the consistency I desire. 

3. Place your 1 1/4 cup of almond milk in bottom of the blender, along with honey. Cut up the banana and place it in the blender, along with the rest of the ingredients. 

4. Blend or grind for 1-2 minutes until you get a slightly lumpy batter. 

5. Now, add your flax egg to your battle, pulsate ONLY one or two times, to incorporate. You really do not want to destroy or lose the texture of the flax egg in the batter, so one or two pulses in the blender will mix it just fine. 


6. Now, the fun part! Grab your yummy blueberries and dark chocolate chips, and place
them in the bowls next to the griddle. Grab a large spoon and take your batter in the blender to the stove top! Time to heat to the griddle! 


7. It of the utmost importance that the griddle be hot, leave it on medium heat until heats up. Add about 4 tbsp of coconut oil to the pan- make sure it is medium heat coconut oil. Make sure the entire pan is coated with the coconut oil. 

8. Now, take your spoon and lay down circles of batter on your griddle pan. About three fit on my griddle pan. If you see an area of the pan that it lacking coconut oil,especially around the edges of the pancake, add more while the pancakes are cooking on the griddle! This will create a yummy crispy golden flaky crust! 

9. Add three or four blueberries to your pancake if you desire, and/or six or seven chocolate chips. 

10.Now, add some batter on top of the blueberries to cover them up. This is important for the cooking process to cover the blueberries and prevent them bursting and ruining your expensive pan :)

11. When you see bubbles and the edge of your pancakes become brown and crispy, flip the pancakes over. 2 minutes on the other side until golden brown, and crispy in texture.

12. Now, a word to the wise, as you continue to use batter and make beautiful, delicious pancakes, your batter will become more and more lumpy. Between each round of three pancakes, add about 1/4 cup of almond milk to the blender batter, stirring and working out the lumps as best you can. If you want to squeeze out 12 pancakes, add more milk or water to thin out the mixture. 


13. Then  voila!! You have gorgeousness on the plate!! Just some ideas: make a fruit platter with more bananas, strawberries, blueberries, mango, and kiwi, to put on your pancakes afterwards!

Please enjoy, eat mindfully and remember mindfulness and savor every delicious bite! 
So get a-munching! 
Namaste, 
Zoe

*If you enjoyed this post and others, make sure to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram for more recipes, life-hacks, and inspiration.