Soy-Free Chocolate Bundt Cake

Happy holidays, folks. I hope you all had a very merry time with those closest to you, taking walks, watching football and (most importantly) eating delicious food. Knowing my Christmas day was to be spent traveling from one city to another, I baked this classic bundt cake that is holds itself together through TSA checkpoints and high altitude and dry, western air. My dear friend, EJ, introduced me to this delicious recipe by Isa, and here it is modified a tad and presented to you. Add dried cherries, fresh blueberries or chocolate chips and enjoy any time of the year!

1 1/2 cups strong, black coffee
2/3 cup dutch pressed cocoa powder (splurge, it's worth it!)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup veg. oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Go to your neighborhood's coffee shop and buy a large cup of your favorite roast. Slurp a bit while walking home and pour the rest in a small saucepan over medium heat. Preheat your oven to 325. Once coffee is hot, add the cocoa and stir with a whisk until combined. Remove from heat. In a small bowl mix together the sugar, oil, applesauce, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is no longer lumpy. Add the extracts. Next, mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl with a whisk. Mix the wet ingredients together and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Be careful not to over-mix! Bake in a greased-up bundt pan for 50 or so minutes or until a knife comes out just a bit sticky.

After 15 minutes of cooling, flip the cake onto a plate and dust with powdered sugar or icing. I usually make a sloppy ganache frosting and then cover the whole thing in slivered almonds. To make a ganache, heat 1/2 a bag of chocolate chips on the stove with a splash of soymilk and whisk until smooth.

Here's to the new year!
NRG