Finally --

The monkey birthday cake, for my number 1 monkey, has been documented.


Monkey Cake is here for all of your viewing and, maybe, eating pleasure.


It started from humble origins:


PB Icing – from about.com

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup vegan margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp soy milk

Banana Bread/Cake (bottom layer)

A simple, no frills banana bread. Perfect for, um, eating. I recently edited the amount of sugar needed, so this should be perfect now.

Equipment:
8 x 4 bread pan

Ingredients
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup margarine, at room temp
3 very ripe bananas, mashed well
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup vanilla soy milk, mixed with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 8x4 bread pan with non stick cooking spray, or lightly coat with margarine.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

Cream together the margarine and sugars. Add bananas, soy milk and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix well. Pour batter into pan. Bake for an hour to an hour 10 minutes.




Then things got a little crazy . . .

Chocolate Cake
This chocolate cake might be the easiest cake in the world to prepare, and it’s incredibly versatile, lending itself to a layer cake, bundt cake, or cupcakes. Though this is a pretty common recipe, I want to give credit to Jennifer Raymond, for it was in her cookbook The Peaceful Palate that I first saw it.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups (188 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup (80 ml) canola oil
1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
1 cup (235 ml) cold water
Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C or gas mark 4). Lightly oil a Bundt pan, 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, or muffin tins.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Create a well in the center of your dry ingredients, and add the vanilla, oil, vinegar, and water. Mix until just combined. Pour into your prepared pan, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If making cupcakes, check for doneness after 15 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack. To remove the cake from the pan, run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake. Cool completely before frosting with Chocolate Frosting (see below) or with Buttercream Frosting (page 231). You may also dust with sifted confectioner's sugar and top with fresh raspberries.
Yield: One 9-inch cake (23-cm) or 8 cupcakes. Double the recipe for a layer cake or a bundt cake.

Chocolate Frosting
A chocolate lover's dream! Though many of the commercial brands of frosting are 'vegan,' they're also made with unsavory ingredients, such as partially hydrogenated oil or high-fructose corn syrup. This recipe is as easy as it is delicious.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (112 g) non-hydrogenated, nondairy butter, softened
3 cups (300 g) powdered (confectioner's) sugar, sifted
1/3 (42 g) cup cocoa, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
3-4 tablespoons (45 to 60) water or nondairy milk
With an electric hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the sugar, and cream for about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, and turn the mixer to high speed once all the ingredients are relatively well-combined. Beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add l or 2 tablespoons more milk if it's too dry. Cover the icing with plastic wrap to prevent drying until ready to use. Store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.
Yield: Enough for one 9-inch (23-cm) cake or 8 cupcakes




Oh yes, in all of it's crowning glory, complete with a cookie-crumb island, banana chip rocks and peanut accents, here she be. Just watch out for your bananas.