Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cake + Dulce de leche = delicious but not so vegan anymore

I'm not sure if I've confessed in the past my love for chocolate. It might seem stereotypically female, but there you have it. As a Cuban I was born with a mean sweet tooth and my ultimate weakness is chocolate. During one of our many flan making sessions, my mother told me that as a child she was occasionally given a snack of coca-cola spiked with condensed milk. With that bit of background, you'll understand my deep affection for the set of recipes I'm presenting in this post.

Dulce de leche is Latin American caramel. It is traditionally made by simmering milk and sugar together until the mixture caramelizes as most of the milk evaporates. The easier way to achieve the same delicious final product is to simmer a can of condensed milk in water for two and half hours. Many food websites warned that this practice is DANGEROUS because the can of condensed milk can potentially explode if the water level is allowed to drop below half of the can. My solution to this was to NOT allow the water level to dip below 1 inch below the top of can. Making dulce de leche is not an operation that can be left unattended, but I simply topped off the simmering water every 30 minutes and I did not suffer from an exploded can of condensed milk.

Dulce de leche:

1. Remove the label from a can of condensed milk and pierce two holes on the top of the can.
2. Place the can in a pot and fill with water until the water level is a half inch from the top of the can.
3. Bring the water to a simmer and allow the can to simmer for two and a half hours for a spreadable, viscous consistency. Simmer longer for the thick, candy-like consistency.
**Check the water level every 30 minutes and top up to the original water level as needed to prevent a dulce de leche nightmare**

The chocolate cake posted here is classified as Mexican because of the large amount of cinnamon and pinch of cayenne pepper used in the mix. Though this cake has no milk, eggs, or butter and can be made without the oil, the cake remains rich, moist, and comes out really dark with a final spicy taste which contrasts nicely with the dulce de leche. If I'm in a rush, but obligated to bake, this cake is my go to dessert for entertaining or a birthday because it can come together in 45 minutes at the most.

Vegan-Mexican Chocolate Cake (adapted from Real Simple):
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup cold water

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together with a fork.
2. Using the fork, make two wells in the mixture. In one well combine the vanilla extract and balsamic vinegar, in the other well pour the oil.
3. Pour the cup of cold water over all the other ingredients and mix together with the fork.
4. Stir until well combined, be sure to scrape all the dry ingredients from the bottom of the bowl. The mixture will become smooth and dark immediately as the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar takes place.
5. Pour the cake batter into a round 9 inch cake pan. Bake at 350 °F for 30 minutes.
6. Let cool for 15 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pan and flip the pan onto a plate to decant the cake.
7. Top the cake with the dulce de leche.