Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake

You won’t have to explain to anyone that you didn’t use eggs or butter or sour cream, etc. unless you wanted to brag about it.

I always do! It’s a beautifully risen, moist cake and I will make it even if I have eggs.

It is requested by people with all preferences and aversions, and is popular with people who have allergies.

I will admit I had a problem with this once.  

I don’t always test my cakes before removing them from the oven and sometimes I forget to start the timer and sometimes I do both at the same time, so a batch of cupcakes sunk before my very eyes (yes, it is a funny visual now, and I made a new batch for the actual cupcakes needed) but I passed the slightly sunken ones out anyway without explanation and we enjoyed them. 

Brownies? Yes

Fudgey cupcakes? Yes

– apologize for nothing or rename it. Or toss it.

If you need some vegan brownies, add some chocolate bits or nuts and bake it for less time. I really think they would go over just fine.

I am using refined coconut oil in the frosting.  If you use unrefined coconut oil it can be more lumpy than refined coconut oil.

Coconut oil also gets very hard when refrigerated and very soft when warm, liquid even, so I have made an Ermine style frosting that starts with cooking flour and a liquid like a pudding and then beat in powdered icing sugar. The recipe follows, but the details are here.

How To Make a Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake

Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake ingredients

Vegan Chocolate Buttercream ingredients

For the Cake

Grease and line 2 -8” round or square cake pans.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa baking soda and salt.  Stir to combine.

2. Beat the oil, vanilla and vinegar.  

3. Gradually beat in the sugar until it all comes together.

4. Add the dry ingredients all together then pour the coffee or hot water over all and mix together completely.

5. Immediately pour into prepared pans.

The hot liquid helps to dissolve the cocoa powder better therefore intensifying the chocolate. It also seems to activate the baking powder sooner. 

A baking powder or baking soda batter shouldn’t sit too long before cooking, and even less so when you use hot water. It just rises less the longer you leave it.

If you are making cupcakes and you can only bake one pan of 12 at a time, use cold liquid.

6. Bake for about 35 minutes. Check for doneness using a toothpick or a cake tester.

Top should show cracks

For 24 cupcakes, bake for about 20 minutes.

Fill cups ¾ full.

For the Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

For details on a Vegan Buttercream Frosting check here because this is a long blog. I have not used shortening, because I try not to and I have not used vegan butter because it has other stabilizers that some can’t have, like soy, but it would probably work. It is best to use it right away.

*Note!

One of the problems with coconut oil is, it gets lumpy, grainy from heating a cooling and it doesn’t take much to change as you may have noticed if you have had a jar.

If it seems grainy, it would be worth it to take the time to heat it until it is liquid, just 10 seconds or so in the microwave, then chill it completely, then let it come back to room temperature so it is useable.

Here are the basic instructions.

1. Combine the flour, sugar, salt and cocoa in a small saucepan. Mix well.

2. Add the coconut milk and cook over medium heat stirring until thick like a pudding. This will take about 5-7 minutes.

Stir constantly because you don’t want any lumps. 

3. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla.

If you find it is lumpy you can strain it.

4. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture as you would a pudding.

Cool completely.

5. Beat the coconut oil until smooth.  Scrape the bowl and beat again.

6. Gradually mix in the icing sugar until smooth. About a quarter at a time.

7. Add a scoop of the icing sugar mixture to the pudding mixture and mix it in well, then blend everything together just until combined. Try not to overmix.

If it seems runny or split, refrigerate it, but bring it out and beat it every 5 minutes for about half an hour. You could also add a tablespoon or two of more icing sugar.

To Assemble

Place one layer on a serving plate and spread about a third of the frosting over.

If you find it may be too soft, refrigerate the first frosted layer for about 15 minutes.

Place the second layer on and frost the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting, a crumb coat on. Then refrigerate, not freeze, the cake again for about 15 minutes, then frost again. This will allow you to put a smooth final layer of frosting overall. 

Do not put it in the freezer because it may form condensation and the frosting will slide around as you try to spread.

Keep this cake cool, the frosting melts more easily with coconut oil than with butter, shortening or vegan butter.