My sister has been a strict vegan for over 15 years, so her cake needed to be completely and utterly dairy and egg- free. I found an amazingly decadent, light and airy chocolate cake recipe and an equally scrumptious frosting to go along. The cake was super fast and easy to make, and most of all, it did not taste like it was vegan! In my opinion, a lot of vegan desserts can taste like they're missing something and/or not taste as good as their egg and diary counterparts, so I was surprised to find this cake exceeded my expectations. And most of all, my sister enjoyed every piece of it :) which of course, is all that matters in the end ..This cake is also great for those of you who are watching your cholesterol and fat intake.
Vegan Chocolate Cake with Raspberries
Cake Ingredients
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar
Chocolate Frosting Ingredients
16 oz. high quality dark, semi sweet chocolate (dairy free), cut into small pieces
2 sticks (1 cup) vegan butter, (earth balance is great) at room temp.
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 to 5 tablespoons soy, almond or rice milk
Fresh raspberries
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. I used two 6 inch round cake pans for my cake, which this recipe is the perfect amount for. Or you can use a 8 x 8 square pan as well. Spray with non stick cooking spray and lightly flour. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt with a fork, making sure it is really blended together. Add the water, vanilla, oil, and vinegar, and again, mix together so that it's really blended together, I suggest using a whisk for this. Evenly pour into cake pans and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack, about 2 hours.
For the frosting:
To melt chocolate, I suggest using the double boiler method, which is placing a heat safe bowl above a pot of boiling water. This is the safest way to properly melt chocolate so it doesn't burn. Once your water is boiling, place chocolate pieces into bowl and occasionally stir until completely melted. Remove from pot and allow to cool-about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whip the vegan butter using an electric mixer for about a couple minutes so it's light and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla and mix well. Then add powdered sugar and soy, almond or rice milk. Once all mixed together, it should be light, fluffy and airy.
To assemble cake:
Once cake is cooled completely, cut the tops of each cake so they are both even and level layers. Slather a generous layer of frosting onto the first later, then put second layer on top. Continue to frost the entire cake so it's completely frosted and covered. Arrange fresh raspberries around the top of the cake and voila! :)
