Chocolate-Pecan-Cranberry Cake

Because there needs to be more cake in the world. :) Or maybe just in my world!

I saved this recipe out of a magazine ages ago, but never made it. Found it again recently, made a few changes, and took it to a church potluck. It was so moist and yummy!! Loved it and I will definitely make again!

I did have a problem with the middle sinking and being too goopy, which may have been due to my using coconut oil or I may have added a bit too much moisture {not measuring carefully} to the cake. This is what it looked like with the sunken middle...

Had to get my pics in the church kitchen, so I didn't get very good ones. I was going to cut out the soggy middle and put a little dish with pecans and craisins in the middle (LOL), but the ladies at church told me to keep the middle there! I had already planned on topping it with powdered sugar, so I did my best to camouflage the unevenness of the cake by putting the pecans and craisins all around the outside of the cake and some on top. :)

Chocolate-Pecan-Cranberry Cake
adapted from Cooking Light

1 2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa {What's Dutch cocoa?}
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Pear Sauce {or apple sauce}
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk {or plain almond milk}
1/4 cup coconut oil {or canola oil}
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Powdered sugar for topping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl and whisk together. Combine pear sauce, almond milk, and oil in small bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Add cranberries and pecans. Stir until combined. Spread in 10-inch greased springform pan {I put foil on the outside to prevent any leakage while cooking}.

3. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. {I baked mine even longer and still had a goopy center for some reason.} Cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

This cake is great for dessert but would also be wonderful with a cup of coffee in the afternoon - mmmmm. And hey - chocolate antioxidants with the addition of fruit and nuts - makes this cake practically a health food. Yes. Yes it does. :)

Do you have a favorite kind of chocolate cake?


This post is linked to:
 ~ Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace
 ~ Chic and Crafty Party at The Frugal Girls
 ~ I'm Lovin' It at TidyMom

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