By Kaycee Bassett, Guest Contributor

This recipe from Kaycee over at Vegan Machine just won “Husband’s Choice” in the Fiery Vegan Valentine’s Contest on the blog Cook.Vegan.Lover and she was nice enough to share it with all of us!  I just love vegans.  They’re full of awesome!

Fiery Chili Chocolate Red Velvet Cake Pops

Step 1 – The Red Velvet Cake

• 1 C Soy Milk
• 1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 C Sugar
• 1 1/4 C Flour
• 1/3 C Canola Oil
• 2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
• 2 Tbsp. Liquid Red Food Coloring (use natural food colorings, find out how here)
• 2 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
• 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. Salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Using a paper towel or cloth lightly coat the edges of a 11 x 7 rectangle glass baking dish with a thin coat of vegetable shortening or vegan margarine.

• Combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to thicken.

• Combine sugar, oil and extracts in a large mixing bowl.  Once your soy milk mixture has thickened, add it to your mixing bowl.  Combine thoroughly.

• Add the rest of your dry ingredients, mix until all lumps are gone.

• Fill your baking dish with your batter.

• Cook in the over for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

If you are using a different size baking dish, check your cake every 5 minutes after an initial 30 minutes with a toothpick until the toothpick comes out clean.

Step 2 – The Frosting

• 3/4 C Confectioners Sugar
• 1/4 C Vegetable Shorting
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Milk
• 1/2 tsp. Almond Extract

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until smooth.

Step 3 – Forming the Balls

Once you take your cake out of the oven let it sit for about 15 minutes.  After the 15 minutes, with a spoon scoop your cake out of your pan in crumbles and into a bowl.  If your cake has stuck to your pan at all do not scrap the bottom of the pan with a spoon or you will have harder pieces in your pops.

One spoonful at a time start add your frosting to your cake crumble and mixing it together by hand.  Keep adding frosting until your cake and frosting have bound together enough to form balls.

Roll your mixture into golf ball size balls and set on wax paper.  You should be able to roll approximately 15 or so balls depending on how big you roll them.

Place the balls in the freezer for at least an hour.

Step 4 – Making the Pops

• One Bag Vegan Chocolate Chips
• 15 Long Candy/Sucker Sticks (find at a food/candy supply store, or cut dowels to your desired length)
• 5 Dried Red Chilies
• Thick Styrofoam or piece of wood with 15 1″ holes drilled at least 3″ apart.

Cut the tips off of the end of your chilies and tap them on a flat surface until all of the seeds fall out.  Once you have removed the seeds, mince the chilies into small flakes.

Place all of your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 2 minutes, stopping every 30 seconds to stir.

Remove your cake balls from the freezer.

Dip 3/4 of an inch of your sticks into your melted chocolate and insert them 3/4 of the way through your cake balls.  Let sit for 10 minutes.

Once the inserted chocolate covered sticks have fully dried take a spoonful of your melted chocolate and slowly roll your pop in your spooned chocolate.  If the chocolate is not soft enough microwave for another 30 seconds.  Coat the entire ball with a thin layer of chocolate.  While the chocolate is still hot on your cake pop sprinkle some of your minced chilies on top of your pops.  Insert your cake pops into your thick Styrofoam or wood so they stand upright to fully dry.

Wait 30 minutes for them to dry before eating.

Photo: Kaycee Bassett