Chocodiles

♫ Listening to: Cruel Intentions by Carpool ♫

Let’s talk about chocodiles. It’s definitely a mashup of chocolate and crocodile, right? That’s why mine have crocodile teeth. I tried to make them bulging crocodile eyes, but someone in my house called them frankendiles, so be glad I retired that idea, and you never have to see the proof. It honestly could’ve given you nightmares, so you should really be thanking me right now.

I had my first chocodile at Timeless Coffee, which is the vegan coffee shop in the east bay. Then I learned that chocodiles were a chocolate twinkie from my youth, that I apparently never knew existed because my parents were hippies and only bought me natural desserts, like fig newtons.

These vegan chocodiles are quick and easy to make, compared to most baked goods, and they’re cute as a croc(odile).

This recipe makes 12 chocodiles.

Chocodile Chocolate Cake Body Ingredients

• ¾ cup nondairy milk (I used almond milk. If you use soymilk, make sure it’s organic *)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or substitute white vinegar)
• ⅞ cup (110g) unbleached white flour (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons)
• ¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup sunflower oil (or safflower or any vegetable oil)
• ½ cup organic or vegan sugar*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocodile Chocolate Cake Body Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Coat a canoe pan with sunflower oil.

Combine 1 teaspoon vinegar and ¾ cup nondairy milk and set aside.

Sift ⅞ cup (110g) flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder into a medium sized bowl.

Add ¼ cup oil, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the milk mixture and stir well.

Mix dry ingredients into the wet, and mix just until no dry ingredients are showing anymore.

Fill the canoe pan cubbies about half full. Don’t overfill or they’ll spread over the top of the pan, and become disfigured, like a crocodile who got in a fight and lost.

Bake for 15 minutes, until when you insert a toothpick into the center of one, it comes out clean.

(If you don’t want to make chocodiles, and just want to use this recipe to make cupcakes, bake them for 18 minutes. For mini cupcakes, bake for 9 minutes.)

Cool while you make the filling.

Filling Teeth Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegan butter or margarine (if you avoid soy, get the soy-free earth balance; otherwise, get the organic earth balance)*
• 3 tablespoons organic palm shortening*
• 1 teaspoon nondairy creamer or milk (if you use soy creamer or soymilk, make sure it’s organic *)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup organic powdered sugar*

Filling Teeth Directions

Gather all of your ingredients on the counter before you start. This will give your vegan butter some time to warm up to room temp.

Measure 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 tablespoons vegan butter (or any vegan margarine), and 3 tablespoons spectrum sustainable organic palm shortening into the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on high speed until it’s fluffy (this usually takes around 3-5 minutes). You can use a handheld electric mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer.

Sift 1 cup organic powdered sugar into the mixing bowl.

Mix on high for a couple of minutes.

Add 1 teaspoon nondairy creamer or milk, ½ teaspoon at a time just as needed, mixing in between each addition, until the frosting is a smooth consistency.

Fill a piping bag fitted with a leaf tip if you want them to look more like actual teeth. Otherwise, use any tip you like.

Remove the chocodiles from the pan using a silicone spatula to help get them out safely.

Cut each chocodile in half, so you can lift off the tops to pipe the teeth on the bottom layers.

Pipe the chocodile teeth frosting on top of each bottom layer.

Vegan Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

• ¾ cup (28 grams) vegan chocolate chips
• ¼ cup nondairy milk (if you use soymilk, make sure it’s organic *)

Vegan Chocolate Ganache Directions

Heat ¾ cup (28 grams) vegan chocolate chips and ¼ cup non-dairy milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often until all chips are melted.

Dip the tops of the chocodile cakes into the ganache and then place them on top of the teeth frosting.

If you like this chocodiles recipe, you might also like my vegan twinkies and my ding dong cake.

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* I use mostly organic ingredients when I cook, but I realize that not everyone has the disposable income to purchase all organic ingredients. Therefore, I only specify organic on the ingredients that really matter: when buying the organic version is the only way to ensure that the item is vegan.