One Bowl Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake
Updated: Nov 19, 2020
I have a bit of a confession to make. I used to not like chocolate. Or at least I used to adamantly express my dislike for chocolate. I'm not sure why. I think I was trying to be different or interesting. I never wanted to be like everyone else. It took me a long time to realize that I didn't need to try so hard to be unique.
As I got older, I started to really appreciate chocolate, and now I can say with full confidence that I am absolutely a convert. Chocolate is delicious. It's also full of health benefits- the good kind is at least. I'm not talking about Hershey's or Almond Joy (my former favorite and part of why I added coconut to the icing of this cake). I'm talking about pure cocoa powder, dark chocolate... the GOOD STUFF.
When I went to Costa Rica a couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to visit a cacao plantation and I was blown away by the things I saw. It was a day that I will never forget- and that's without even considering the unforgettable experience of having cleaner ants storm the plantation during the chocolate-making demo.
(If you're unfamiliar with cleaner ants, they are an amazing species that storm in by the thousands, clean your home of all dirt and debris, leave it spotless, and then move on. If you get in their way though- they have a very painful bite. I learned that the hard way as they rushed over my sandaled feet on their quest to find the chocolate house).
Back to the chocolate though. The process of making chocolate starts with some gorgeous looking trees and almost prehistoric-looking pods. Those pods are picked, shucked, dried, put through a mill, separated from the husk... it's an arduous process. The plantation I went to did everything the old-school way and it was amazing to watch.
