It seems like the perfect marriage of happiness and insomnia to bake a cake while dancing to Elvis Presley in the kitchen at 2 a.m.; not to say that cake isn't a reason to dance all on its own. But in all honesty, this is probably the most successful thing I've ever done at 2 o'clock in the morning- and a treat that I genuinely look forward to waking up to. After all, there's nothing like starting out a stressful day with booze hidden in your breakfast. Right?

Vegan baking is usually on one end of the spectrum in regards to success and tragedy, especially when you invest your trust in a recipe upon an unrealistic, studio-quality food photograph you find on Pinterest. (We all, I'm sure, have experienced a disappointment in our own cooking when our presentation doesn't compare to that of some internet baking goddess.)

So, rest assured upon my average, imperfect pictures of my perfectly delicious cake that this recipe is one for the books.

Vegan Banana Rum Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Adopted from Original Recipe: Bananas Foster Cake

Banana (RUM!) Cake:

2.5 Cups Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 Cup non-dairy milk

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening (I used Crisco)

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

3/4 Cup White Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

5 Bananas

1 tbsp Vanilla

4 tbsp Spiced Rum (Captain Morgans preferably!)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350; grease and flour two cake pans. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, combine non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar to set aside and allow to curdle. (Viola! Vegan Buttermilk!) Cream together shortening, oil, and both sugars until fluffy. Mash together bananas and vanilla, then combine with sugar mixture. Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and the buttermilk until all ingredients are evenly combined. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, then remove from pans immediately and brush rum over hot cakes.*

Brown Sugar Frosting

1 Cup Vegetable Shortening

1 tbsp Coconut oil

3 Cups Confectioners Sugar

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1.5 tbsp water

1 tsp Vanilla

Slowly combine shortening, oil and confectioners sugar until smooth. Microwave brown sugar and water until bubbling, (about one minute) to form a caramel-like syrup. Add to the shortening mixture along with vanilla.

*To add extra moisture to the cake, you can also brush some of the brown sugar syrup onto the cakes along with the rum.