Description
A rich and moist vegan chocolate cake made with plant-based ingredients including soy milk, vegan yogurt, and dark chocolate. This cake features a deeply chocolatey flavor enhanced by brewed coffee, and is topped with a decadent vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfect for celebrations or any chocolate craving, this cake is dairy-free, egg-free, and delivers indulgence without compromise.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake
- 360 ml soy milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 420 g all-purpose flour
- 120 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder (or unsweetened dark cocoa powder)
- 450 g soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 180 ml olive oil (or light olive oil, sunflower oil, or rapeseed oil)
- 270 g vegan Greek-style yogurt (or vegan sour cream)
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 360 ml hot brewed coffee (freshly made)
For the Frosting
- 200 ml vegan heavy cream
- 360 g vegan dark chocolate (70%), finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 g vegan butter (block-style), cubed and room temperature
- 50 g powdered sugar
For Garnish (Optional)
- Fresh berries
Instructions
- Measure Ingredients: Use a digital kitchen scale to measure all ingredients accurately for the best results.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 160°C/320°F fan (or 180°C/356°F conventional). Prepare three 8-inch cake tins by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and greasing the sides well with oil or vegan butter.
- Make Vegan Buttermilk: Combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a jug, stir together, then let sit for 10 minutes to curdle and thicken slightly, creating a vegan buttermilk substitute.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, soft brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt into a large bowl. Whisk thoroughly and set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegan buttermilk, olive oil, vegan Greek-style yogurt, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Make Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Slowly pour in the hot brewed coffee while continuously whisking until the batter is smooth and runny.
- Bake the Cake: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake tins. Bake for 25-35 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick; it should come out clean with a few crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Cool Cakes: Allow cakes to cool in pans for 15-20 minutes before turning them out onto wire racks to finish cooling. Store refrigerated if not using immediately.
- Heat Cream: Gently heat the vegan heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer, but avoid boiling.
- Make Chocolate Ganache: Pour the hot cream over the chopped vegan dark chocolate. Let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate fully, then whisk together with vanilla extract and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Add Butter: Using an electric mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, add the cubed vegan butter incrementally to the chocolate mixture, whisking well after each addition until fully incorporated and creamy.
- Chill Frosting: Cover the frosting with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour until it firms up to a spreadable consistency. Whisk again gently just before using.
- Assemble Cake: Secure one cake layer on a turntable using a bit of frosting. Spread frosting evenly on top, then layer with the next cake, repeating for all layers. Use remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake smoothly or with decorative piping.
- Store Cake: Keep cake at room temperature on day of serving. For later serving, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. Allow to return to room temperature about one hour before serving for optimal flavor and texture.
Notes
- Use a digital kitchen scale for best measurement accuracy.
- Freshly brewed hot coffee enhances the chocolate flavor deeply in the batter.
- Vegan heavy cream can be substituted with coconut cream for a slight variation in flavor and texture.
- Ensure vegan butter is block-style and at room temperature for smooth frosting incorporation.
- Optional garnish with fresh berries adds a pop of color and fresh tartness.
