[This post is sponsored by my loves at Bob’s Red Mill! We’re using their Organic Whole Wheat Flour (affiliate link) and their Organic All-Purpose Flour (affiliate link) for this Vegan Buckeye Cake.]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FOODUZZI!!!!
If you’ve been ’round these parts for a while, you’ll probably know that I started Fooduzzi on my birthday four years ago with this beautiful recipe.
(spoiler alert: it is not beautiful)
But I started it. And in just four (!!!) short years, it has become one of the most important things in my life.
I’ve alluded to this a bit in the past, but I’ve never really come right out and said it: I struggled with an eating disorder in college. It was a really scary, painful, strange, dark, intense time in my life, and then I started this blog the December before I graduated. On December 18, 2014. On my birthday.
Food certainly wasn’t a positive thing back then, but this blog helped me fall back in love with it. Helped me understand balance. Helped me recover. Helped me celebrate food again. Granted there was a lot that helped me get through my struggle, but this blog, Fooduzzi, was a huge part of it.
I don’t think I could ever quite say how much Fooduzzi means to me, and the fact that you’re reading this right now is just…man, it’s so cool.
Writing for you (yes, you right there…hi!) has been one of the biggest honors of my life. Thank you for being here and for reading and for being my internet friend.
GAH so sappy, but so totally warranted. THANK YOU.
So we are celebrating big today, my friend.
And that is because we are honoring Fooduzzi’s birthday with…chocolate and peanut butter.
Surprised? I think not. You surely couldn’t think we could finish up 2018 without another ode to the greatest food pairing in all the land, did you?
This chocolate-pb duo is a bit of a tradition for Fooduzzi’s birthday:
- 1st birthday: Peanut Butter Cup Muffins
- 2nd birthday: Snickerdoodle Buckeyes
- 3rd birthday: Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cinnamon Rolls
- 4th birthday: Vegan Buckeye Cake (today’s recipe!!)
So much peanut butter-chocolatey goodness on December 18. I love it.
AND…fun fact…three out of the four Fooduzzi Birthday Extravaganza™ recipes are made in collab with Bob’s Red Mill. Who I love dearly as you well know.
We are so totally “these are a few of my fav-o-rite things”ing it today, and I’m here. for. it.
Ready? Let’s do it.
This cake is made up of three parts:
ONE: The chocolate cake! It’s so good you guys, omg. It’s the same cake as my Perfect Decadent Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake (what a mouthful, right?), and it’s totally one of those cases of, “Don’t fix what ain’t broke.”
It is perfect. Seriously. I’ve made it a bunch, and I’m consistently amazed at how good it is each time. It has to do with a few different things like vegan yogurt and vegan buttermilk as our “moist-makers,” lots of cocoa, hot coffee, and two flours.
The two flours are the key here. We’re using Bob’s Red Mill’s Organic All-Purpose Flour (affiliate link) and then their Organic Whole Wheat Flour (affiliate link) for a dynamic, perfectly-textured cake. Vegan baking is tough because without eggs, there’s no structure. The AP / WW duo help keep the cake light and help give it structure. And on our birthday (and heck, any day) we use only the best. Thanks for being a part of the celebration, BRM!
One thing to note, this is a smaller cake – 6-inches around – so be sure you have some 6″ cake pans. I have these (affiliate link)! I love small cakes because that means I’m not eating cake 10 days later.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
(I’ve been watching Seinfeld)
TWO: The frosting!! Man you’re lucky I like you. I tested this frosting more than I’d care to admit because, hello, natural, oily peanut butter does not make a good frosting. Oh no. You’ll end up with oily play-doh. Not fun.
Instead, you can use a natural no stir peanut butter. Or just regular ol’ peanut butter. You just don’t want it oily.
The rest of the frosting ingredients are simple: vegan butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, almond milk, salt. Whip it up good, and boom. Done.
It’s thick, but surprisingly light. It’s not super sweet (because, toppings), and it covers the cake beautifully.
THREE: The toppings!!! So fun, right? I love sprinkles (like LOVE them), so I found these naturally-colored ones (affiliate link) off of Amazon, and they work great! I also used a chocolate glaze, vegan peanut butter cups, and chocolate chips because we’re celebrating! Feel free to be as crazy or reserved as you like, but like most things in life, I very much appreciate a little crazy every now and again.
And that, my friends, is that. Happy birthday, Fooduzzi!
And thank you, friend, for celebrating along with me today.
I really really love ya.
PrintVegan Buckeye Cake
A perfectly moist vegan chocolate layer cake topped with peanut butter frosting, sprinkles, fudge sauce, and more! You’ll love this easy cake recipe for any occasion!
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 1 cake
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
CAKE:
1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour (affiliate link)
1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour (affiliate link)
6 Tbsp. cocoa powder*
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup raw cane sugar
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup almond milk, at room temperature (I used unsweetened vanilla)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup dairy free yogurt**
1/2 cup strong hot coffee
FROSTING:
5 Tbsp. vegan butter, at room temperature
1 cup natural, no-stir peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
splash vanilla extract
pinch salt
2–4 Tbsp. almond milk
TOPPINGS:
sprinkles, fudge sauce, vegan peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, etc.
Instructions
- CAKE: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottoms of two 6″ aluminum round cake pans with melted coconut oil. Line the bottoms with parchment paper (use this method), then grease and flour the parchment paper and sides of each pan.
- Sift all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add raw cane sugar, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add apple cider vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then pour room temperature almond milk to the 1/2 cup line. Mix to combine. This is your vegan buttermilk!
- Add melted coconut oil, yogurt, and hot coffee to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add your “buttermilk,” then start the motor on low. Slowly add your dry ingredients until everything is combined. The batter will be on the thinner side. Taste the batter. Seriously. So good.
- Divide the batter into your two prepared cake pans (you can eye-ball it), and bake from 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. My layers weren’t perfectly divided into two, so one cake took 20 minutes and the other took 25. Just start checking at the 20 minute mark, and you should be good to go.
- Allow your cakes to cook completely on a wire cooking rack before removing them from their pans. I covered mine with some plastic wrap and stuck them in the fridge overnight.
- FROSTING: The next day, add all of the frosting ingredients (except the almond milk) to the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, and whisk until combined. Start on low so the powdered sugar doesn’t get everywhere. Drizzle in the almond milk with the motor running to thin as needed. You want it thick but spreadable.
- ASSEMBLE: Carefully level your cakes with a serrated knife. Place one cake on a plate/cake stand, and add a dollop of frosting. Smooth to the edges. Top with your second cake, flat-side up, and frost the entire thing. Top with your favorite toppings and dive in! I like serving straight from the fridge because everything firms up a bit which makes cutting easy!
Notes
*Use only natural cocoa in the cake. You can use dutch-processed cocoa or natural in the frosting (I used natural).
**I use So Delicious vanilla.
***This frosting is enough for a thin crumb coat. I’m not a huge frosting fan, so this was perfect for me. If you want the whole crumb coat / final coat look to your cake, double the frosting recipe.
Cake adapted from the queen, Sally at Sally’s Baking Addiction & frosting adapted from fellow Pittsburgher, Michelle at Brown Eyed Baker.
Happy HAPPY birthday Alexa AND Fooduzzi!!! What an incredible way to celerbate! Now if only you could fed-ex a slice of this cake to me I’d be the happiest girl in the world :) I’m so glad the internet brought us together sweet friend!
Love love love you and this blog. Congrats for your openness and honesty… it’s why people like you and can connect with you. Happy birthday. Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxi
Happy Birthday and wow what a way to celebrate with a cake like this. Thankyou for sharing and for all your other great recipes. I am so excited to try this.
Sheila
Happy Birthday! This cake looks super good. Hey, I enjoy your blog cause your posts are so fun to read. You make me laugh! You must be a really fun person. (Although I disagree with your hatred of celery – I’m a fan myself. Lol) Your beautiful recipes and photos are inspiring!
So glad to have you as part of the Fooduzzi fam :)
Happy Birthday!
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes and stories you share with all of us!
I had the pleasure of having this cake last night to celebrate Alexa and Fooduzzi. It is even better than it looks (which I wasn’t sure was possible).
Happy Birthday Alexa and Fooduzzi. Love you both for so many reasons ??
I never knew a cake could be this moist and delicious! Undeniably the best cake I have ever tried! Happy Birthday Alexa and Fooduzzi!
This is…my fantasy! I would have absolutely zero control over my actions if presented with this ‘thing’!
Your picture (the one with the mile high pb frosting on top…omg…) is what did it for me.
The cake consistency looks dense (in a good fudgy way)
I’m in love…
Thanks (i think) for sharing:)
:) So happy to hear that!