Rich and I celebrated Father's Day super casually this year (like all years) with homemade cards and mostly made from scratch vegan cake!
Dads will be dads and this was my card to mine.
If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I bought him a little Hens and Chicks succulent as a gift. His other one had died, so I thought this would be a nice replacement. It's super cute!
I even re-potted it to make it all pretty.
I made the cards with a die cut machine (Silhouette Cameo). I love this thing and it's not even mine. Super crisp letters and shapes make me swoon!
Rich's card, obviously Star Wars themed.We used paper, vinyl and silver foil on his.
I made little labels, 'cause I'm a huge dork. Whoohoo!
The cake was an adaptation of the famous recipe from Moosewood Restaurant. To me it's Rich's mum's recipe, as it is one she makes often. It's super chocolatey, decadent and flavourful. You'd never know it's made without eggs, butter or milk!
It's also really easy to whip up, so it's the perfect go-to recipe.
I topped this particular cake with (canned, vegan) vanilla frosting and loads of local strawberries. The berries add a little summer-y freshness with their welcomed tartness.
I'll be honest- I'm not much of a cake person, but this was one delicious cake! I think we all ended up sneaking in to the fridge for seconds. I know I did and it was even better chilled.
Excuse my poor frosting skills. It was a hot and humid day and I was running out of time. Actually, only minutes after I was finished the cake, Rich's dad walked in the kitchen!
Go make this cake!
The Best Chocolate Cake Ever
Adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook
Makes one 9" round cake
Preheat oven to 375F ( 350F on convection)
Line the bottom of the cake pan with a cut round of parchment.
Bowl A1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/3 cup Dark Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup White Sugar
- Combine in a bowl and set aside.
Bowl B
½ cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Water, cold
1 tablespoon Ground Flax Seed
1 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Butter Extract
- Stir the wet ingredients together and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Pour wet (Bowl B) into dry (Bowl A) and mix until just combined.
2 tablespoons White Vinegar
- Pour the vinegar into the batter and quickly whisk until mixed through.
- Immediately transfer batter into your cake pan and into the oven.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan before removing
Notes: I find it much easier to cut the cake for layers, if the cake is frozen. Just wrap it up in plastic wrap or pop it into a freezer bag until you're ready to use it! This also means it's fantastic as a make a head cake. Make sure to remove the parchment paper on the bottom!