This is the perfect Chocolate Cake recipe for fall because it includes pumpkin puree in the luscious filling. These gorgeous food photos are recipes from Gena Hamshaw’s new cookbook, Food 52 VEGAN: 60 Vegetable-Driven Recipes for Any Kitchen.

Learn more about the cookbook and get this recipe for the most amazing fall chocolate cake..

Get THIS recipe below!..

* Chocolate Layer Cake – © 2015 by James Ransom

Gorgeous Book. This book is gorgeous. Hardbound. Beautiful matte pages. Stunning food photography that looks fancy yet totally accessible. You will flip through the pages and be inspired yet empowered at the same time. You will say, “That looks amazing! And I can totally pull that recipe off!”

..And not only are all of Gena’s recipes delicious, but as a nutrition-savvy vegan she really knows how to craft recipes that make your body feel good. Gena’s buzzwords for her work and website: honest and nourishing. And I love how perfectly the word nourishing describes Gena’s creations.

About the Author. One of my favorite people, Gena is also one of my personal fave bloggers out there. Gena’s work is always emotional and heartfelt, yet analytical and intellectual. I adore everything she produces, which is why I love to share her work and support her projects and her!

And how adorable does she look in her new author photo. I just love it.

About the Book. Food52 Vegan: 60 Vegetable-Driven Recipes for Any Kitchen

The book contains sixty recipes, each of which you will immediately want to make. Scribble up a shopping list and start menu planning your week, this book can do that for you.

There are so many amazing vegan cookbooks out there right now, so why would you want to buy this one?? It is a great question!…

The answer: These are recipes you will make. And crave. And make again. And serve for vegans and non-vegans. You might even forget this book is called VEGAN.

As someone who writes recipes for a living, I honestly do not use cookbooks as exact sources for my meals. BUT I absolutely get inspiration from cookbooks and try recipes once in a while. And this book is super inspiring to me.

Highlights for Me. Some of the stand out recipes that will easily inspire my meals include:

– Gena’s Muesli. She always reminds me to make more muesli for breakfast! (page 3)
– Gorgeous vegan pancakes (page 8) – perfect cozy morning moment.
– Vibrant green smoothie (page 7) – it looks so good!
– Breakfast Tostadas (page 20) – for a savory brunch!
– Socca (page 30) – I have been meaning to try socca, this reminds me and gives me a recipe!
– Gingered Carrot Bisque with cashew cream (page 49) – the photo is so gorgeous and makes me want a bowl right now!
– Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew with Kale (page 54) — THIS is the recipe I will be trying first! Maybe dinner tonight in fact!
– ALL the salads! (pages 62-77) — Gena is the queen of salad bowls that become meals. All these recipes are calling me.
– Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (page 85) — I love the look of this dish. Comfort food from plants.
– Mushroom, Pecan and Lentil Burger (page 90) — Hearty burger to try! This veggie burger is not shy.
– ALL the Desserts! (page 112-131) From bread pudding to biscotti and this chocolate cake. I adore these recipes.

What are you waiting for? Get this book today and add some deliciousness to your mealtime tomorrow! Buy on Amazon.

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Filling and Ganache

By Gena Hamshaw
Published 10/06/2015

Yes, it is true: vegan chocolate cake can deliver all the flavor and satisfaction of its egg- and butter-filled cousins, as this one amply demonstrates. The “buttercream” in this recipe is an ingenious combination of pumpkin puree and almond butter. If you don’t have time to bake a cake, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to make the filling anyway and eat it with a spoon.

Ingredients

CAKE:
3 cups (375g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cups (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups (475ml) unsweetened nondairy milk, homemade or store-bought
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 3/4 cups (350g) sugar
2/3 cup (160ml) melted coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
FILLING:
1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree
1/4 cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup
3 Tbsp almond or cashew butter
GANACHE:
6 ounces (170g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1-2 cups (120ml) coconut milk
2 Tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat two 8- or 9-inch (20 or 23cm) round springform pans with melted coconut oil.
To make the cake, put the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the nondairy milk and vinegar until frothy. Whisk in the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add about one-third of the mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a spatula or whisk, or use an electric mixer on the lowest setting. Repeat, adding the remaining liquid in two more additions, mixing just until incorporated after the final addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven but leave the cakes in their pans and let cool completely.
To make the filling, process all the ingredients in a food processor.
To make the ganache, put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Combine the coconut milk and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just simmering. Pour over the chocolate and stir until melted. Let cool to room temperature.
To assemble the cake, remove the layers from their pans. Place one, top side up, on a serving platter and gently shave off the rounded top with a sharp knife. Spread all of the filling over the top. Place the other cake layer atop the filling. Pour the ganache evenly over the top and let it drizzle down the sides. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Leftovers will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Yield: 10-12
Cook time: 00 hrs. 25 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: cake,vegan,chocolate cake,gena hamshaw,food 52,dessert

All images (including author photo): Photographs copyright © 2015 by James Ransom

More book details from Amazon:

“An essential collection of hassle-free, vibrant vegan recipes, from the author behind Food52’s wildly popular The New Veganism and Vegan Lunch columns.

Omnivore or vegan (or anywhere in between), we’re all looking for memorable, flavorful dishes to cook for ourselves and the people we care about. If those recipes happen to be healthful, nourishing, and friendly to vegetarians and vegans, even better.

With her wildly popular New Veganism column on Food52, Gena Hamshaw has inspired home cooks to incorporate plant-based recipes into their everyday routine—and even gained some nutritional yeast and cashew cheese converts. This vibrant collection of all-new recipes plus beloved favorites from the column—along with exquisite photography and helpful tips throughout—will show all of us innovative ways to cook with fresh produce and whole foods.

From Savory Breakfast Polenta to Cauliflower and Oyster Mushroom Tacos to Ginger Roasted Pears with Vanilla Cream, these recipes are delicious, dependable, and deeply satisfying. Cook from this book just a couple of times and you’ll soon find yourself stocking up on coconut oil, blending your own nut milks, seeking the sweetest tomatoes at the market, and looking at plant-based dishes in a whole new way.”