It’s time for Cookbook Club! A chance to bake together vicariously. Let’s get started with a vibrant, whole-wheat chocolate cake from “Black Girl Baking.”

Cookbook Club: Black Girl Baking by Jerrelle Guy

It’s time for an installment of Cookbook Club, and this month, we’re pulling Black Girl Baking off the shelf. Nominated for a James Beard award, Jerrelle Guy’s book offers “wholesome recipes inspired by a soulful upbringing.” 

Jerrelle introduces the book by saying, “The collection of recipes I’m sharing are a mishmash of my life: my black roots, the Chamorro food my mother prepared throughout my childhood, the Caribbean islands that were my neighbors, and the places my love for food has taken me to, including Italy, Texas, New York, [and] Boston.” 

My Favorite Part About Black Girl Baking:

What I find most unique and inspiring about her book is the way the book is organized by the senses: 

Sight: Shapes, Colors, and Patterns
Aroma: Scents and Cinnamon
Sound: Snap, Crunch, and Music
Touch: Textures and Mouthfeel
Taste: Spice, Heat, and Flavor

Let’s Bake The Book!

For this installment, we’re baking from the Sight chapter, and with a bold and bright raspberry glaze, it’s easy to see why this vegan chocolate cake lands in this section. I’m not one for vegan fakery, so I love Jerrelle’s whole-food approach to vegan baking.

Vegan Ingredients:

If you’re not vegan or not feeding a vegan, you can swap traditional yogurt and butter where appropriate. If you’re traveling down the vegan path, I recommend a coconut-based non-dairy yogurt and Miyoko’s organic vegan butter, which is made from organic coconut oil and organic cultured cashew milk.

Shop Local:

Don’t forget to support your local bookstores when buying your copy of Black Girl Baking. My favorites are Riverstone Books, White Whale Books, and City of Asylum.

And if you, like me, are still feeling the Valentine’s Day spirit, you can pair your cake with a few bars of chocolate from local shop, Fat Cat Chocolates.

Print

[Not An] Easy Bake Cake with Raspberry Glaze

From the cookbook, Black Girl Baking by Jerrelle Guy

Course: Dessert

Keyword: egg-free, vegan, whole wheat

Yield: 1 9-inch cake (or 10 mini heart cakes)

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 1 ¾ cups (210 g) white whole wheat flour
• ½ cup (60 g) cocoa powder or raw cacao
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (225 g) packed light brown sugar
• ⅔ cup (160 g) yogurt, dairy-free for a vegan option
• ¼ cup (60 g) unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup (60 ml) melted coconut oil or olive oil
• 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (235 ml) hot brewed coffee

Toppings

• 1 cup (120 g) raspberries, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup (50 g) pure cane sugar
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• ½ cup (120 ml) vegan butter (recommended: Miyoko’s Organic Vegan Butter)

Optional Toppings

• Naturally-colored sprinkles
• fresh raspberries

Directions

For the Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a 9-inch springform cake pan or line a regular cake pan with parchment paper. Alternatively, grease a muffin tin or mini cake mold.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the brown sugar, yogurt, applesauce, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the yogurt mixture, and whisk to combine.
• Pour in the hot coffee, and stir to combine.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake time will vary for cupcakes or mini cakes, about 18-21 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cake onto a wire rack to finish cooling. In the meantime, prepare the glaze.

For the Raspberry Glaze:

• In a saucepan, combine the raspberries, cane sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raspberries break down into a sauce, about 10 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat, and strain it through a sieve to remove the seeds.
• Combine the vegan butter and the seedless raspberry sauce in the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk until the butter is melted and incorporated. Transfer to a heat-safe bowl, and refrigerate until chilled and thickened.
• Once the glaze has thickened, spread it over the cake, or dip cupcakes into it.

To Serve:

• Top with sprinkles, fresh raspberries, and enjoy!