Tomorrow is Yoga Day, a biannual event sponsored by the Iyengar Yoga Association of MN. The December Yoga Day is to celebrate Mr. Iyengar's birthday and show member appreciation. Since I started serving on the IYAMN Board, I've been baking cakes for this event. I think I'm the only one who cares if the cake is vegan, but everyone seems to like them so I've kept doing it. And I think it's really an honor to be asked to make Guruji's birthday cake...So I tend to go all out decadent.
This time: Chocolate Turtle Cake
This recipe uses Colleen Patrick-Goudrou's version (The Joy of Vegan Baking) of Jennifer Raymond's (The Peaceful Palate) Chocolate Cake, Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's Thick Chocolate Fudgey Frostin' (VCTOTW) and a Vegan Caramel recipe that was posted on veganrepresent.com.
Here's the finished cake. I'll get an inside shot tomorrow.
I do think that next time I'll use ganache or a more dark chocolate frosting. I forgot what this one was like and while it is a favorite for cupcakes, I think this cake needs something more dense and dark.
The caramel turned out really nice, and was a learning experience. I know logically that hot caramel will burn me. But when I accidentally get some on my finger and it is burning hot, I LICK my finger to stop the burning and remove the caramel. HOT! So needless to say, I have sensitive fingers and tongue right now and my teeth are rotting out of my skull.
I had a lot of leftover caramel and decided to make little turtle candies...but caramel sticks to waxed paper. Maybe other people know this, but I didn't. I had to scrape the caramel off in order to dip them in chocolate. Very time consuming. And I used salted pecans, which are AWESOME in the caramel, but when I licked my burning fingers it only reinforced the stupid behavior because my fingers were salty and caramely. So delicious. So painful.
I also ate real food today. We had Brooklyn Pad Thai from Vegan with a Vengeance. (Minus the sprouts and plus carrots)
6 comments:
wow, that cake looks sensational!! yikes, sorry that you burned yourself with the caramel!!
mmm, the Brooklyn Pad Thai dish is definitely one of my favorites from VwaV.
That cake looks fantastic...I hope it was worth the burned fingers and mouth! I am sure it will taste great!
Courtney
I'm gonna bet that cake will be all the more delicious for the sacrifice that went into it. And it looks like sin-bomb of tasty to begin with! cook for me??? :D
Oh that cake looks amazing-- Completely worth the burnt finger
Yum, that cake looks divine! How creative!
That cake looks wonderful and I'd love to try the turtles! I haven't attempted the VWAV Pad Thai yet, but I will!
Post a Comment