YOU MUST MAKE THIS CHOCOLATE CAKE!

I made a rookie's error. I saw one tweet about February 27 being National Chocolate Cake Day, and I decided I needed to participate. The mistake was not that I made the chocolate cake, or even that I made the chocolate cake on the wrong day, the mistake was that I should have known better and realized that if February 27 had in fact REALLY BEEN National Chocolate Cake Day, the twitter-verse would have been all aflutter about that subject. And it wasn't. It was only that one person (who will remain nameless), and me.

But I made some damn good chocolate cake.

I found this recipe for Lower-Fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake in Veganomicon. Now I know, I know, this is the SECOND bundt cake I've made in the span of about two weeks, but what can I say, bundts are bangin' and I love how simple they are.

I didn't really do anything wrong with this recipe except that I didn't sift the flour (don't have a sifter), and I hand-whisked everything because I don't have a hand held mixer (never fear, it has been registered for!).

But this may be the best chocolate cake I've ever had.

I'm serious.

The applesauce added such a m**st consistency (I refuse to use the entirety of that word because it gives me the heebeejeebees) and the flavors were so perfect. The coffee flavor was hardly even present (which was a relief because I don't really like mocha-flavored desserts).

WELL DONE VEGANOMICON AUTHORS!!! WELL DONE!

I may just make this cake every week from here on out.

Bake this. Tonight. You'll thank me.

I think that maybe EVERY 27th of EVERY month should be National Chocolate Cake Day. And then, maybe every 2nd and 7th. And then multiples of the number...

Here's the recipe:

Lower-Fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake
From "Veganomicon" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

Ingredients
1 ¾ cups freshly brewed coffee
2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup Canola oil
1/3 cup applesauce
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8- or 10-inch Bundt pan.

Bring coffee to a gentle simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it is simmering, turn down heat and whisk in cocoa powder, until it has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, oil, applesauce and cornstarch until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved, about two minutes. Mix in extracts. Once chocolate has cooled, fold into applesauce mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold into wet ingredients, beating until relatively smooth, about one minute with a hand mixer or two minutes with a whisk.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If pan is on smaller side, cooking time could be as long as 55 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate to cool completely. Once cool, sift confectioners' sugar over top.

Makes about 12 servings.