Birthday Bash – Fallon Blake
We have two days left here for my Birthday Bash and I hope all of you readers have had a little fun learning about authors and bloggers over the month of February. I hope some of you have found new authors to try, maybe a new genre to look into, a new publisher to seek out. I have loved having everyone here and posting. The comments have been great and I feel so incredibly lucky to know so many wonderful people and to call them friend.
Today, I have my very good friend, author Fallon Blake. We have a lot in common from food to BDSM, except she’s Vegetarian and I’m not. Grins…
Happy Birthday Lissa! May you get your forty spankings *evil grin*.
I have to be honest here; I have the most boring birthdays EVER. Well, that wasn’t always true, but no one wants to hear about my girl-gone-wild days and even if you do, I’m taking those secrets to the grave.
For me the very best part of the whole birthday deal is not feeling guilty about what you put in your mouth. I’m talking about food people! Well, I’m certainly not one to tell you to get your mind out of the gutter. Just make room for cake while you’re down there…dark chocolate cake…with raspberry. Sounds good doesn’t it? It is decadent even if you’re not veggie like me.
I wanted to share the cake recipe I make for my birthday every year. What? I like to bake, and this way I always get the cake I want. Anyway, it’s really hard to find a bakery around here that can do a good vegan cake. The best part is you’d never know it was vegan. Whenever anyone asks me to bring something to a get-together, I bring this baby. There is never a crumb left and everyone is always shocked it’s vegan. Of course I don’t tell them until after they’ve eaten it *snicker*.
Raspberry Blackout Cake
Recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups plain soy milk
1/2 cup of canola oil
1 (10 oz.) jar raspberry jam – reserve 1/2 cup for batter *note: the original recipe calls for preserves, but I am so not down with picking seeds out of my teeth four hours after I eat a piece so I switched to jam. You’ll thank me.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup sugar
Fresh raspberries for decorating and yuminess
Preheat oven to 350. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. I use Wilton’s Cake Release to keep it from sticking *note: I have no idea if it’s vegan, but it rocks for baking cakes.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine the soy milk, oil, 1/2 cup of the preserves, the vanilla, and the sugar in a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer or strong fork. For the most part, the jam should dissolve with the rest of the ingredients, but some small clumps are okay. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches and mix until everything is incorporated. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes.
When the cakes have cooled, spread one layer of cake with a thin layer of raspberry jam. Spread a layer of chocolate frosting on the top of the preserves. Place the other layer of the cake on top and spread its top with preserves. Spread chocolate frosting over the top, then ice the sides.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING:
3/4 cup of soy creamer (Silk soy creamer, or plain soy milk)
6 tablespoons non-hydrogenated margarine
10 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring the soy creamer to a low boil. All margarine, turn off the heat, stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Let sit for at least 1 hour. It should have a pourable consistency. If you want a spreadable consistency, then refrigerate for one hour. Do not refrigerate it for more than an hour, it will set too much to be spreadable. Allow the ganache to set then eat until your chocolate lovin’ heart is content!
Available at Ellora’s Cave
Plus-sized fetish model and aspiring chef Indigo Hartley has plenty of tattoos and a fiery attitude to match. When she’s offered a job as a sushi model for one of Miami’s trendiest restaurants, she jumps at the chance. Little does this country-mouse-turned-city-vixen know that what starts out as a modeling job will end up the answer to all of her kinkiest fantasies. Three days serving as a sub to this hot chef is too tempting an offer to refuse.
Banner Faust has worked his ass off and sacrificed his love life to become a rock star in the culinary world. On what should be the biggest night of his career, he realizes something is missing from his life—the submissive woman he’s always craved. The curvy new model with the blue-streaked hair and innate submissive nature just might be the one he’s been waiting for. And when he gets her home—and in his bed—he soon realizes three days will never be enough.
Visit Fallon at www.fallonblake.com
