National Chocolate Cake Day 2012

Friday, 27 January is National Chocolate Cake Day in the U.S.  Why, I have no clue.  There appears to be no corporate sponsorship (unlike the Pie Day earlier in the month).  I brought mini chocolate cake donuts to volunteer-work.

Chocolate Donuts

Makes 2-3 dozen mini donuts [the larger amount if you fill the pans 2/3 full]

Note: these donuts will taste like coconut if you use coconut oil and coconut milk.

Modified from: King Arthur Flour

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed plus 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (or canola oil)

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup non-dairy milk (I used coconut)

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup sugar (or more if you like ‘em sweet)

1 3/4 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease a 12-well mini-donut pan.

In a small measuring cup, set up the flax mixture.  In a large glass measuring cup, combine the rest of the wet ingredients.  [If you add cold applesauce and milk to the melted coconut oil, the oil will solidify.  Microwave the entire mixture for a minute to melt it again, or, use room-temperature applesauce and milk.]  Add the flax to the wet ingredients and mix well.  In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Add wet to dry and mix well.  Fill the donut wells two-thirds full [filling to the top breeds half cupcake-half donut Cthulhu creatures].  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the deepest part of the donut comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for five minutes before removing.  Re-grease the wells, fill, and bake until the batter is all used up.  [I had a little leftover batter since I over-filled my wells, so I baked that in a small loaf pan.  If you do not fill all the wells in the pan for the last round of baking, fill empty wells with water so that the pan does not scorch in the oven.]  Cool donuts completely on the rack before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.

I did not frost mine, but they’d do well with the glaze from the pound cake post.

That’s enough for tonight.  Zombie tea (Teavana’s Night-Night tea, a chamomile-nana mint blend) is knocking me out.  I’ve been off caffeine since I had my tats redone, and I’m not sure what that’s doing to me—other than making me certifiably straight edge.  Do I get to claim the label or does someone have to apply it to me?  Does it matter?  Nope.