Mexican Chocolate Cake for Valentine’s Day

Moist, rich, and plant-based, this Mexican Chocolate Sheet Cake is chocolate bliss with delightful kick. ORGANIC INDIA Ceylon Cinnamon and Cinnamon Spice Psyllium Pre & Probiotic mingle with a just-right touch of cayenne pepper to elevate the supreme complexity of flavor that will delight and intrigue. We love how cinnamon cashew frosting beautifully balances the hint of baked-in heat, but feel free to top with your favorite buttercream sprinkled with cinnamon. Whichever way you choose to ice, this is a surefire valentine treat with a perfect bit of warming heat.

Packed with a whopping 41 antioxidants, ORGANIC INDIA Ceylon Cinnamon helps protect the body from harmful toxins while supporting healthy blood sugar levels. Teamed up with heat-tolerant ORGANIC INDIA Cinnamon Spice Pre & Probiotic Fiber, this confection promotes overall wellness with essential pre and probiotics, digestion supporting triphala for immune system support, and more. Psyllium’s unique binding properties further add structure to baked goods and other dishes — incorporating it into both cake batter and icing makes it easy to make this mouthwatering cake plant-based. 

The flavorful cinnamon-cayenne combo is so compelling, this oil-based cake uses less sugar than most. We like using zero calorie monk fruit sugar, but regular granulated sugar works as well. Feel free to decrease the overall sugar even more by swapping out the powdered sugar with ¼ to ½ cup of maple syrup. Or, skip the frosting completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Yield: 18 pieces

Cake Ingredients and Instructions

• 2 cups unsweetened almond or other milk, divided
• 1 ½ Tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 teaspoons ORGANIC INDIA Ceylon Cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon ORGANIC INDIA Cinnamon Spice Psyllium Pre & Probiotic Fiber
• 1 cup monk fruit or plain granulated sugar
• ½ cup vegetable or liquid coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup chocolate chunks or chips 
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 1 recipe Cinnamon Cashew Frosting, below, or frosting of choice, blended with 1-2 Teaspoons ORGANIC INDIA Ceylon Cinnamon)
  

1. Preheat to 350. Lightly coat a 9 X 13 baking pan with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.
2. In a liquid measuring cup, stir 1 ½ Tablespoons white vinegar in 1 Cup of the unsweetened almond milk to make a plant-based buttermilk and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, cayenne pepper, ORGANIC INDIA Ceylon Cinnamon, and ORGANIC INDIA Cinnamon Spice Psyllium Pre & Probiotic Fiber, and sugar. Add the oil, vanilla, applesauce, and “buttermilk” reserved from earlier. 
4. Warm the remaining cup of milk and stir in chocolate chips and coffee until chocolate chips are melting and coffee is dissolved. Add to batter, stirring to incorporate.
5. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool before frosting.

Cinnamon Cashew Frosting Ingredients and Instructions

• 1 cup raw cashews soaked in hot water for at least 1 hour, then drained
• ½ cup coconut milk, full fat
• 2 cups powdered sugar (or sub in ¼ to ½ cup maple syrup for a low sugar frosting)
• 1 teaspoon ORGANIC INDIA Ceylon Cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon ORGANIC INDIA Cinnamon Spice Psyllium Pre & Probiotic
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup liquid coconut oil or vegetable oil

1. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate several hours to firm up before using.