This is kind of belated, but this blog recently hit the 3 year mark! The actual anniversary date was more towards Labor Day weekend, but between all the things that happen over a long weekend and wanting to share an apple cake recipeย in a timely manner, time just kind of got away from me. It’s kind of hard to believe that three years have gone by since I published my first (pretty terrible) blog post, all complete with awful photos/lighting and words that didn’t really feel like myself. One of the biggest struggles of blogging, for me, has been finding a voice and method that just felt ‘right’, instead of trying to emulate what everyone else is doing out there. One of the best parts? Well besides making/eating lots of vegan flourless chocolate cake, the people! Some of my favorite connections with people locally and around the country have been with other food bloggers, especially those that I’ve gotten a chance to develop friendships with here in Milwaukee (Hi Erin, Phi, and Jordan!). I think it’s because you kind of have to be slightly crazy at times and just really love food and everything that comes with it (plus it helps that someone else is taking an overhead shot of your food right there with you before you eat). I’m also SUPER excited to get to meet a lot of bloggers that I’ve become internet friends with, but haven’t actually met in real-life, which I will get the chance to do next month (!!).
Since this is cause for celebration, it’s only natural that we would be talking about CAKE! I’ve been eyeing recipes for flourless chocolate cake for a while now, trying to figure out the easiest way to turn it into vegan flourless chocolate cake without sacrificing the ease of throwing together a few ingredients and coming out with a fudgy, perfectly chocolate filled cake, sans flour. I actually had this whole complicated recipe written out to try last week, but ended up just throwing it out the door and baking this recipe from a few things that sounded like they *might* work together. Luckily, they did! One of the best things about this cake is that there are almost no bowl necessary and it’s made entirely in a blender. What?! I know. By the time you blend together the dates, nuts, and sugar, it’s just as easy to add the rest of the ingredients and blend together the rest of the cake batter. I would highly recommend that you use high quality chocolate and cocoa powder here, since they are two of the few ingredients and they are the main components of flavor in this flourless cake. The peanut butter gives just he right amount of fat and oil needed for the cake and dates replace some of the sugar and give a nice amount of moisture to the batter. Don’t use a regular cake pan for this one, make sure you use a springform. Since the cake is pretty dense and flatter, it would be hard to cut and dig out of a normal cake pan.
Onto the fun stuff! Rodelleย Vanillaย ย has been gracious enough to put together and awesome package to giveaway to one of you! The package will include vanilla beans, vanilla extract, vanilla paste, and cocoa powder. I can tell you that I always have some of their stuff on hand and got really nervous last week when I ran out of vanilla extract, eek! I do love making my own vanilla, but for the store-bought products, Rodelle is pretty spot on for the quality and consistency. I love that they follow the process for the vanilla from the very beginning and have close relationships withย their suppliers, ensuring a high quality and super lovely product. So, how do you enter? It’s easy! Just enter through the Rafflecopter widget below and BAM, you are in the running. One lucky winner will be chosen at random next week on the 29th, after the giveaway ends. Good luck and happy baking!
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Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 65 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dessert
Description
Vegan flourless chocolate cake with peanut butter is easy to make and quick, all you need is a blender! (Vegan and gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 6 dates (pitted)
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup dark chocolate (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 inch round springform pan and set aside.
- In a blender, combine the nuts and sugar, blend until combined. Add the dates, milk, water, baking powder, and peanut butter. Blend until mixtures starts to become smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender and add the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and chopped chocolate. Blend until batter is completely smooth and combined. Pour batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the center of the cake is set (doesn’t jiggle with pan is moved) and edges are baked. Cool for at least an hour before serving.
Kathryn says
This looks and sounds so good! Whenever I make a flourless chocolate cake, it’s always heavy on the eggs so I’m really excited to try this vegan version! Congrats on the three years of blogging too – it’s such an achievement to reach such a milestone!
The Frosted Vegan says
That was the exact problem I was running into! All of the recipes had a load of eggs, so I wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out ๐ Thank you Kathryn, I’m thankful to have ‘met’ people like you through blogging!
thenomadicvegan says
Ooh, this sounds just up my alley! I totally agree about one of the main benefits of blogging being meeting like-minded bloggers. I’ve yet to meet any in person yet (though it looks like it will happen this November), but the online connections I’ve made have been really great. I also cringe when I look back at my old blog posts. I’ve only been doing it for one year now, but I guess I’ve learned a lot! I really want to go back and redo the old ones, but then I have so many new ideas I want to post about too!
The Frosted Vegan says
It is SO fun to meet other bloggers, especially when you have such a connection with them and a love for food ๐ I feel the same way, I have so much I want to write about, but the old ones make me cringe as well. Guess it just shows how far we have come!
Zainab says
Happy blog anniversary Abby! This cake is perfect for celebrating!!
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you Zainab! It’s crazy how fast the time goes, right?
Kelsey @ Appeasing a Food Geek says
Abby I am obsessed with this cake. It sounds so so lovely! Also happy blog-iversary!!! I totally get what you mean about trying to do you and not try to mimic other bloggers. I’m so glad we’ve been able to chat online and become blogging friends! Congrats again! Now go eat some cake because you deserve it ๐
PS: that cake server is phenomenal.
The Frosted Vegan says
Oh sweet Kelsey, THANK YOU! You have been an enormous help just for the short time we’ve chatted, so I can’t wait to learn more from you ๐ p.s. That server is actually from my grandmother, so it’s even more special!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
GIRL! Fashionably late to your own birthday party. Love it! Ha ha. This cake looks amazing. And I’m PUMPED to meet you in just about a month now. Eeekk!! So excited!
The Frosted Vegan says
Haha, dang right! Eeeekk!! I can’t wait!
Tessa | Salted Plains says
Happy 3 years! Definitely cause for a celebration. This cake sounds amazing!! So happy that we have connected and cannot wait to meet you in October!
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you Tessa! I can’t wait either, hugs and cookies alllll around!
whiskandshout says
This looks delicious! Congrats! ๐ Pinning!
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you Medha! xo
Danielle says
Happy blog-iversary! I can’t wait to try this cake! ๐
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you Danielle!!! I would gladly make this for you!! ๐
Marfigs says
This looks SO gooey and gorgeous! Happy belated blogiversary (always an exciting time of year!) – you always come up with tasty treats, and it’s always great to see how a blog grows.
Fingers crossed this is open internationally!
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi Marfigs! I need to check on it, but I hope it is for you too!! Thanks for your kind words, I so appreciate it!
Kelli says
Did you use the larger Medjool dates? I just bought smaller California dates from Costco.
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi Kelli! Yes, mine were a bit larger, so if you have small ones, I would say use a few more!
Hannah | The Swirling Spoon says
Congratulations on your three year milestone, Abby! I’m loving what you do here xx
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you Hannah, that means so much to me!
Vicky says
Happy anniversary girl! We’re in the same blog grade, I just hit my 3 year anniversary as well ๐
The Frosted Vegan says
Hooray! Double congrats!
Heartbeet Kitchen (@amanda_paa) says
happy blogiversary! i’m so glad you decided to write and share your life, as well as lovely recipes with us all. and all the chocolate cake! excited to try this vegan version, and peanut butter – always a win. xo
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you dear Amanda! It makes me so happy that I’ve met amazing people (like you!) through blogging. I can’t wait until we can hug in person and share a slice of cake together! xo
Julia says
Yaaaaaaay! Congratulations on year 3 – to many, many more! This cake looks like the perfect way to celebrate! Loving this PB and chocolate combo, and I’ll have to try some Rodelle vanilla lickety split. xoxo
Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet says
Happy three years to you!! I’m pretty sure no one’s first blog is glamorous either … but isn’t it so neat to see how our blogs change and grow over time? This cake seems like the perfect way to celebrate! And I love that it’s flourless! Cheers Abby!
The Frosted Vegan says
It is! I love looking back and thinking that the pictures I thought were SO good a few years ago just make me cringe now ๐
Sarah | Well and Full says
HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY, lovely lady!! I remember The Frosted Vegan was one of the first blogs I came upon when I was searching for vegan resources, and you’ve won a loyal fan ever since!! ๐ You go girl!!
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you sweet lady friend! You are so dear and I love each time I get a comment from you. You are doing quite amazing work as well!
Jordan says
Happy blogiversary!! Keep up your great work! ๐ I’m so glad we’ve become friends over the last year. It’s so nice to be able to meet up in person and gab about blogging and nerd out over food. ๐ Can’t wait for our trip to Chopped!
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you sweet Jordan! I can’t WAIT to eat all the foods and geek out over blogging with you in a few weeks! ๐
Sophie | The Green Life says
Happy Blog Anniversary!! I’m quite new at blogging but I must say that this blogging community seems pretty incredible! I think it’s wonderful that you’ve managed to make really good friends through blogging. This cake looks like the perfect way to celebrate. <3
The Frosted Vegan says
It is probably the loveliest bunch of people around, I have to say ๐
kathryn @ The Scratch Artist says
What a perfect way to celebrate! Congratulations! It is a real challenge to develop your own voice and do your own thing. I know from experience! It is a funny paradox that in our endeavor to be successful, we try and do what other successful people have done, forgetting that one of the things that made them successful was being unique and standing out from the crowd. Oops! I appreciate what you shared about the process of finding your own voice and I am happy you stuck with it for three years. Your recipes and blog are beautiful and you are definitely distinct from the crowd with a clear style just your own. Well done!
The Frosted Vegan says
Those words are so so true Kathryn ๐ It’s hard sometimes to stick to your own path, but it’s so much more satisfying ๐
Miss Polkadot says
Happy belated blog anniversary! ‘Meeting’ – whether just online or in real life, too – new people is honestly the best part of blogging. It’s great to hear there are more bloggers in your area, too.
I’ve been blogging for three years exactly now, too, and I wouldn’t have minded a slice of this to celebrate. Flourless vegan cakes amaze me because – as you likely know – regular flourless cakes contain about a million eggs to achieve that special fudgy consistency. The ingredients in yours are so much more appealing to me!
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you dear! It’s so nice to have those blog friends be local, I have to agree!
stelliciouslife says
Hi Abby, wishing you a very happy blogiversary! This cake sounds delicious ๐ Here’s to many more years of sweet treats and blogging!
Stella @ Stellcious Life says
Hi Abby, wishing you a very happy blogiversary! This cake sounds delicious ๐ Hereโs to many more years of sweet treats and blogging!
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you dear Stella! Cheers to that!
Stephanie says
This looks amazing, and I plan to make it this weekend. One question: you have it topped with lovely nut-buttery looking frosting, but don’t have anything in the recipe for it. What did you use?
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi Stephanie! I just used peanut butter thinned out with a bit of almond milk ๐
Jennifer Essad says
congrats on 3 yrs blogging! I’m new your site & find it very appealing, this recipe is one I’m sure we’ll enjoy, I love dates and add them to many of my recipe.
The Frosted Vegan says
Thank you Jennifer! Dates are a favorite around here ๐
Hitendra says
I tried the recipe
Itโs really good
My cake turned out so yummy
Thanks for the recipe
Heart of a Baker says
So glad you liked it!
Marsha says
Can you provide the recipe for the icing shown in the photo, or did I miss that.