The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake

When we say that this is the ULTIMATE vegan chocolate cake we mean that from the bottom of our hearts. It's everything a chocolate cake should be; absolutely enormous, rich, moist, fudgy and unquestionably delicous. But the best bit? It contains no animal products so is suitable for everyone to eat, regardless of food intolerances or preferences. Regular customers to our cafe will know that this is very important to us, we always endeavour to have at least 2 vegan and/or gluten-free sweet options on our menu because quite frankly we don't think anyone should miss out on deliciousness. This cake was a storming success as soon as we presented it on the counter, so many people have asked for the recipe that really we had to share it. So here it, the recipe for the best vegan chocolate cake we've ever tasted. 

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2½ cups white sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:

• 2⅔ cups non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
• ⅔ cup light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients:

• ½ cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
• ½ cup vegetable shortening 
• 1¼ cup icing sugar sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 - 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (if needed)

Method

To Make the Cake: Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Prepare two 8" round baking tins by lightly greasing them, and then cutting a circle of parchment paper to fit into the bottom.

In a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients, then set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together all of the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don't over mix. Divide the batter into the prepared pans, then pop them in the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

To Make the Frosting: Use a mixer to blend all of the frosting ingredients except for the non-dairy milk. Blend until whipped and creamy. If the frosting is a bit too stiff, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.

To Assemble the Cake: Run a knife around the edges of the cake pans, and flip the pans over to remove the cakes. Remove the parchment paper and discard. Place the first cake on your cake plate, and spread about half of the frosting on top. Place the second cake on top of the frosted cake, and spread the remaining frosting on top of that cake. Add swirl patterns with your spatula to make it pretty. Store the cake in the fridge or a cool place until you are ready to serve.

*Feel free to half or double this recipe as needed! 

We found this recipe on one of our favourite blogs, It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken, you can see the recipe here: https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/the-ultimate-vegan-chocolate-cake/