CHOPPED CHALLENGE: MEXICAN HOT LIPS CAKE

Vegan Mofo set forth a challenge for this weekend.  Using four ingredients that seem completely not connected in a recipe that will blow your mind.  Our ingredients were:  OOLONG black tea, plums, radishes and jalapeño peppers. My initial instinct was to create a spicy bean burger with pickled radishes and beets, with a plum ketchup.  I, in fact, did make this creation.  However, I went to go post my idea and realized someone had the same / similar idea.  Wah.  Wah.  So instead I got thinking Mexican.  I was going to then do a taco very similar to the burger.  But that was just me replacing the bun with a tortilla.  So I got thinking about Mexican desserts and decided to make a Mexican cake.  A chocolate cake with a hint of toasted jalapeño pepper seeds with a sweet and sour plum compote and sweet pickled radish for pretty factor.

THE CAKE

Ingredients:

10 -12 seeds of a jalapeño pepper toasted (over medium heat) 

1 cup of all purpose flour

2/3 cup of sugar

1/2 chopped walnuts

2 tbsp of cocoa powder

1 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

1 cup of water

2 tbsp of oil

vanilla to taste

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 and butter an 8 inch square cake pan.

2.  In a skillet, toast the jalapeño seeds on medium heat.  You may decide to toast all the seeds and save what you don't use for a later time in a mason jar.

3.  Mix all the dry ingredients with the toasted seeds until well incorporated.

4.  Add the oil and water and vanilla and mix until "just mixed".

5.  Place in the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes.

THE PLUM, RADISH COMPOTE

Ingredients:

1 bag of oolong tea infused in boiling water

4 tbsp of earth balance

1 plum chopped

2 peaches chopped

1/4 cup of cranberries

1/4 tsp of minced radish

1/2 cup of apple sauce (mine was homemade from my apple tree)

1 chopped apple

1-2 tbsp of sugar to taste

Method

1.  Infuse one bag of oolong tea in boiling water and set aside.  

2.  Heat a pan on medium heat and melt the butter.

3.  Place all ingredients in the skillet and bring to a boil.

4.  Keep the boil for 5 minutes and then reduce to a low simmer.

5.  The compote should thicken after 15 minutes.

6.  Serve warm or chilled.

PICKLED RADISH GARNISH

Ingredients:

1 radish sliced thinly

1 small mason jar

2 tbsp of rice vinegar or omeboshi vinegar

2 tsp of sugar

Method

1.  Mix the vinegar and sugar.

2.  Place sliced radish in the jar and infuse for 1-2 hours.

3.  Place on dessert as desired.

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To assemble the dish I placed the mexican cake on the dish and covered it with a melted mix of chocolate chips and earth balance with a few jalapeño pepper seeds.  To the side I placed the compote with a generous amount of cookie dough ice cream (because I'm pregnant and I want to).  I garnished with a piece of dark chocolate, cacao dust and the pickled radish.  

Hope you enjoy!

( Proof that I purchased the ingredients )

(proof that Vegan MoFo makes the pregnancy pain go away)