Holiday Battle Plan

Chocolate Orange Vegan Passover Cake

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 4 Comments

Due to the unprovoked, criminal and seemingly endless brutal war of annihilation against Israeli and Palestinian civilians by Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis and against the Ukrainians by Vladimir Putin and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the links below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help victims suffering the devastating effects of natural disasters. This list is not exhaustive but is a good place to start.

It’s almost Passover. In the past, I hosted Seders for friends and family, but most everyone has moved away. So this year, it will be just me and my husband at home and a shared Seder hosted by someone else.

Pesach has always been my favorite holiday on the Jewish calendar. I never tire of reading the dramatic narrative of the Maggid that tells the story of how the Jewish People were freed from slavery. And then there is the Seder itself. Who doesn’t love a holiday that is centered around sharing food, telling stories and singing songs with friends and loved ones? Dayenu!

But because this Pesach we are simply two at home, there are only so many desserts that we can consume. (I will link below to some wonderful Passover desserts that I encourage you to try rather than simply eating store-bought from a can.) However, when I came across this dessert, I needed to try it. And, of course, I needed to make it my own with a few tweaks. If, however, you are not a fan of orange and chocolate, just leave out the orange zest and liqueur.

While Chocolate Orange Vegan Passover Cake is clearly vegan, it’s good enough to serve to non-vegans. Unless fudgy dark chocolate that melts in your mouth doesn’t appeal to you. Wait, what? How is that even possible?

When it comes time to serve the cake, you can go as simple as dusting the top with confectioner’s sugar or you can be as utterly decadent as adding non-dairy ice cream or whipped cream. That is between you and you!

Depending on your level of observance, you will either buy all of your ingredients labeled Kosher L’Pesach or will use what you have on hand. That’s between you and your rabbi.

For other Passover Dessert ideas:

Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake for Passover

Death by Chocolate Vegan Passover Cake

Passover Sephardic Wine Cookies

Chocolate Chip Vegan Meringue Buttons for Passover

Passover Almond Coconut Macaroons

Passover Florentine Cookies

Passover Orange Ginger Spice Cookies

Iraqi Almond Cardamom Cookies

Tarte Citron Mama (Just replace the 1 Tablespoon of flour with Matzah Cake Meal.)

Recipe

Yield: About 10 to 12 servings (It’s rich.)

Ingredients

3 ounces unsweetened vegan dark chocolate bars, broken into smallish pieces (Go for the highest percentage of cocoa solids that you can find. This one is 50% – I would have preferred 70% but it worked fine and it was what I had available.)

⅓ cup coconut oil

1 (15-ounce) can unseasoned pumpkin puree

¾ cup almond flour (I like to use the “super fine” blanched almond flour for a somewhat lighter finished cake.)

¾ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process or natural cocoa powder

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon instant espresso granules

1 Tablespoon Orange Liqueur such as Sabra

Grated zest of one medium orange (preferably navel)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Kosher for Passover confectioners’ sugar*

Possible Garnishes

1 ¼ cups fresh blueberries (Optional)

1 ¼ cups fresh raspberries (Optional)

Chocolate covered orange slices or strips (Optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper; lightly coat bottom and sides of pan with cooking spray. Place the pan on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. [NOTE: If you are using a springform pan with its own built-in tray, like mine, it is unnecessary to place another pan underneath.]
  2. Combine chopped chocolate and coconut oil in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (This can also be done in the microwave. Start at 30 seconds and then give it a stir. If the chocolate isn’t all melted add another 10 seconds, then stir. Do this until you have a smooth, glossy chocolate.) You must watch this. If the chocolate seizes up, you will need to start over.
  3. Meanwhile, whisk pumpkin, almond flour, maple syrup, cocoa, brown sugar, espresso granules, vanilla, orange zest, liqueur and salt together in a medium bowl until well combined.
  4. Whisk the melted chocolate mixture into the pumpkin mixture until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan; smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until a crust has formed on the top and sides, about 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the pan sides and let the cake cool completely, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until firm, 8 hours or overnight. [NOTE: The cake can be made one day ahead. If you will be doing that, leave the cake rim on the pan until you are ready to serve.]
  5. To serve, lightly dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar and serve with berries. (Use a sharp knife dipped into hot water to slice this dense, chocolaty cake right out of the refrigerator. Carefully wipe the knife with a wet paper towel between slices to get clean, crisp-looking slices.)

To Make your own Kosher for Passover Confectioner’s Sugar

Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 tablespoon potato starch in a food processor and process until very finely ground and powdery. Store leftovers in a dry container in the pantry.

Tips for stress-free High Holidays – Part 1

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

apple and honeyWhen it comes to holidays, I’m a planner. I love everything about the holidays whether they are secular or religious. I admit it – I’m one of those people who has decorations for every holiday, which I have collected over 30 + years of marriage. For me, the planning and preparation is almost as much fun as the actual day itself. And one of the ways I make it as stress-free as possible is that I plan ahead. My husband says that I am like a general going into battle and there is no last minute craziness. With my small kitchen I HAVE to be thoughtful. I don’t usually have much help and frankly there isn’t even room for another person working in the kitchen. I do dream of a bigger kitchen some day where Frances and grandchildren/godchildren are working together alongside me, but I’m not there yet.

My husband does most of the cleaning and when Matthew and Frances are visiting they always do most of the clean-up. I don’t have outside cleaning help, but if I had to do one splurge to make things ready, that would be worth it to me.

It is just a little over two weeks out before we enter into what my brother refers to as the Super Bowl of Judaism – otherwise known as the High Holidays. For me, the new year always is September (very occasionally, it’s October because Judaism follows the lunar calendar). I collect and read cookbooks the way other people read novels and I also have about 10 years worth of Gourmet Magazines to go through that are bound and belonged to my mother. I never like to do things exactly the same because frankly its boring for me. On the other hand, everyone has their favorites and it just wouldn’t be the holidays if I didn’t include them. This isn’t just about you dazzling people – it’s about making your guests feel comfortable and happy.

The first decision you have to make is who to invite. It’s not a question of just how much food to make, but where will everyone sit and who is or isn’t speaking to whom. We are in a good place in our family where everyone currently gets along, but I still like to know who will help make conversations interesting and who won’t. With families, you kind of have to invite everyone, so is there anyone else you can add to the mix? Will there be children? Does anyone have serious food allergies or other issues? Do you have enough chairs, silverware, dishes etc. for a sit-down meal for everyone? Will it even be a sit-down meal? Preparing for a fun dinner party- no matter what the occasion – is a bit like making Chinese food. There is a great deal of preparation so that the actual presentation can appear effortless and you as the host or hostess can sit down and enjoy yourself as well.

Some people are into pot-luck for the holidays or assigning dishes for others to bring. I do let others bring wine and my nephew is a good cook so I periodically have him bring something, but he works full-time and has two young children so I like to give him a break. And this year, he and my niece are hosting one night of the holiday at their house.  Frances would make something fabulous, but when she visits she is coming from New York and the last thing I want is for her to be shlepping food – even if she could. And if I am being really honest, I like quality control and this is one of the opportunities I have to go all out. If on the other hand, you are inviting people who you know are good cooks, by all means have them bring things.

When making your menu, especially for a holiday, there are a few things to keep in mind: variety, texture, appearance, traditions, storage space for make-ahead items and quantities. At Thanksgiving, I always pray for really cold weather so I can use my terrace as an extra refrigerator! I have also been known to borrow refrigerator space from a neighbor who neither cooks nor entertains. You do what ya gotta do to make it work.

Tomorrow – choosing your menu.