Simple Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease two 20cm sandwich tins with a little dairy-free sunflower spread, then line the bases with baking parchment.
• Put 1 large avocado and 300g light muscovado sugar in a food processor and whizz until smooth.
• Add 350g gluten-free plain flour, 50g cocoa powder, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder, 400ml unsweetened soya milk, 150ml vegetable oil and 2 tsp vanilla extract to the bowl with ½ tsp fine salt and process again to a velvety, liquid batter.
• Divide between the tins and bake for 25 mins or until fully risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
• Cool in the tins for 5 mins, then turn the cakes onto a rack to cool completely.
• While you wait, start preparing the frosting. Beat together 85g ripe avocado flesh and 85g dairy-free sunflower spread with electric beaters until creamy and smooth. Pass through a sieve and set aside.
• Melt 200g dairy-free chocolate, either over a bowl of water or in the microwave, then let it cool for a few mins.
• Sift 25g cocoa powder into a large bowl. Bring 125ml unsweetened soya milk to a simmer, then gradually beat into the cocoa until smooth. Cool for a few mins.
• Tip in the avocado mix, 200g sifted icing sugar, melted chocolate and 1 tsp vanilla, and keep mixing to make a shiny, thick frosting. Use this to sandwich and top the cake.
• Cover with sprinkles or your own decoration, then leave to set for 10 mins before slicing. Can be made 2 days ahead.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Mix dry ingredients first. Once the mixture is even, mix in wet ingredients. Continue mixing until you obtain an even batter (no lumps).
• Pour into a cake pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes.

Steps:

• Mix or sift all dry ingredients together well.
• Make three wells in dry ingredients.
• Pour oil into one well, vinegar into another, and vanilla into the last hole.
• Pour the water over the whole thing.
• Mix with a wooden spoon till blended.
• Pour into greased and floured 8x8 baking dish (double recipe for 9x13).
• Bake at 350F for approximately 30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Sift dry ingredients into 8" square or 9" round baking pan.
• Mix liquids (except vinegar) and whisk into dry.
• When batter is smooth, add vinegar and stir quickly, until it is evenly distributed.
• Put it in the oven, don't let it stand around (that has something to do with the vinegar) Bake for 25-30 minutes or longer until done.
• This cake is great served with soya cream or vegan ice cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix together until smooth.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and margarine.
• Add the boiling water and mix for 1 minute.
• Combine the egg substitute powder and 4 tablespoons water and mix for 1 minute.
• Add the vanilla and mix 1 minute more.
• Pour into a 10x13" glass baking pan.
• Bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with oil or non-stick spray. Set aside.
• Make the cake. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Into the bowl of a stand mixer or in another large bowl (to mix with a hand mixer), add the soy milk, oil, sugar, maple syrup, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for two minutes.
• Add half the dry ingredients and mix to blend. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix at medium speed for 1 minute. The batter will be quite runny. Divide the batter between the two cake pans.
• Bake until the top springs back when you poke it and a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean, 25 - 30 minutes. Remove the cake pans from the oven and place on wire racks to start cooling. After 10 minutes, run a butter knife around the edges of the cakes to loosen them from the side, then invert onto a wire rack, removing the cake pan. Let cake rounds cool completely, 30-45 minutes. To expedite the cooling process, you can place the cakes in the freezer for about 10 minutes for the fridge for 20.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the clean stand mixer bowl affixed with a beater blade (or in a medium mixing bowl if you are using a hand mixer), add the vegan butter. If you're using the recommended brand (Melt) and it's room temperature, it should be very very soft. Add 3 tablespoons of the soy milk and beat until as incorporated as possible. Add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined and glossy. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Once all the powdered sugar has been added, beat frosting at medium speed for about 1 minute until it has lightened up a bit and is a bit fluffier. If the frosting seems too soft to spread on the cake, add more powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. If it's too stiff, add more soy milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is perfectly spreadable.
• Once the layers are cool, place the first layer on your cake plate. Add about 1/3 of the frosting to the top of the first layer and with a butter knife or offset spatula, smooth to the edges. Top with the second layer. Smooth a thin layer of frosting around the sides of the cake, then add another, thicker layer (the thinner layer first will help hold the crumbs in). Add the remaining frosting to the top of the cake and smooth with the knife or spatula, adding swoops and swirls how you see fit (or smoothing it all out - however you want, it's your cake!)
• Cut into slices, serve, and enjoy!

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly brush two 8-inch round cake pans with oil; set aside.
• Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar into a large bowl. In a small bowl, dissolve espresso powder in 2 cups warm water; whisk in oil and vanilla. Whisk wet ingredients into dry mixture until well incorporated. Quickly whisk in vinegar. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Icing: in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat margarine on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, espresso powder, soy creamer, and vanilla; beat until smooth, 30 seconds more. Beat in cooled chocolate; set aside.
• Trim tops of cakes flat. Place a cake layer on a cake plate. Spread 1 1/2 cups icing evenly over it (reserve remaining icing for another use). Top with second cake layer, cut-side down.
• Ganache: Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring golden syrup and soy creamer to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Pour ganache over cake, allowing it to drip down sides. Let stand at room temperature until set, at least 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.
• Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, whisking until smooth. Cut in buttery spread using a pastry cutter or 2 knives until it is the size of small peas and flour mixture is evenly coated.
• Pour soy milk, coffee, vinegar, and vanilla extract into the bowl. Blend with an electric mixer until smooth; beat for 2 minutes more. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack or serving plate.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Grease the base and sides of 2 x 20cm sandwich tins with dairy-free spread, then line the bases with baking parchment.
• Put the dairy-free milk in a jug and add the vinegar - it will split but don't worry. Put all of the other cake ingredients into a large bowl, pour over the milk mixture and beat well until smooth. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out cleanly. Leave to cool in the tins for 10mins then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
• To make the buttercream, put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 minutes. Beat the dairy-free spread and icing sugar together with a wooden spoon then sift in the cocoa powder with a pinch of salt. Pour in the melted chocolate and dairy-free milk and keep mixing until smooth.
• Sandwich the two cooled sponges together with half of the buttercream then pile the rest on top and down the sides. Decorate with the fresh fruit.

Steps:

• CAKE:.
• Position one rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Oil the sides and bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit.
• Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Add the pastry flour, white flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the strainer. Tap the strainer against the palm of your hand to sift the ingredients. Stir with a wire whisk to distribute the ingredients.
• Whisk the oil, maple syrup, soy milk, vanilla and almond extracts and vinegar in a separate medium bowl until well blended.
• Pour into the dry mixture and stir with a wire whisk until the batter is smooth. This batter is meant to be thin; don't worry.
• Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Tap the pans lightly on the counter to eliminate air bubbles.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are set, the sides have started to pull away from the pan, and a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
• Cool the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife between the cake and inside of the pan, and invert each layer onto a rack. Remove the pans and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Invert again topside up on a rack to cool completely.
• To protect the layers from cracking or breaking, slide a cardboard circle (or another flat surface) under each one. Wrap the layers with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold before filling and frosting.
• FILLING/FROSTING:.
• Unless you have a food processor with at least an 8-cup bowl, make the cream in two batches. The tofu will have to drain for 24 hours and the prepared cream may have to chill 1 to 6 hours to thicken, so this is a recipe to make ahead.
• If you are using the 16-ounce packages of tofu, set a wire mesh strainer over a bowl. Put the tofu in the strainer, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours. It is important to choose a bowl that allows the strainer to sit above the liquid that will accumulate. (Draining the excess liquid helps reduce any bean flavor and creates a thicker cream.) If you are using tofu in the 12.3-ounce aseptic boxes, just drain the liquid from the boxes and proceed with the recipe.
• Combine the tofu, oil, and salt in a food processor, and process about 1 minute until pureed. Use a rubber spatula to clean the sides of the bowl and add the sugar, cocoa, and vanilla. Process 1 to 2 minutes, until the tofu mixture is smooth.
• Add the melted chocolate and pulse the processor three or four times to incorporate. Process 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is very creamy. Give it a little taste; if it is not sweet enough for you, gradually add up to 1/2 cup powdered sugar, adding soymilk in tablespoons if it gets too thick, until it reaches desired sweetness. Refrigerate in the processor for 20 minutes. If you used the aseptic boxes of tofu, the cream may need to chill for 1 to 6 hours in order for it to become firm enough to spread.
• The degree of firmness will determine the amount of soymilk needed to create the final texture. It should be thick but easy to spread. Dip an icing spatula into the cream to test to the texture. If the cream is too stiff to use, add 3 tablespoons of the soymilk and process 1 minute. Add more soymilk, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed. When the cream is ready to use, spoon it into a bowl and begin to assemble the cake.
• ASSEMBLING CAKE:.
• While a cake-decorating turntable is nice to have, it is not essential for this cake.
• To assemble the cake, place one of the layers bottom-side up on a serving plate. Tuck strips of parchment or waxed paper under the outside edge of the cake to catch any frosting that drips.
• Use an icing spatula to spread about 1 1/2 cups of the cream frosting on the layer. (If the layer is uneven, spread more cream on the thinner areas.).
• Set the second layer on it topside up, and press down lightly.
• Spread about 1 1/2 cups of the frosting on top of the cake covering one section at a time. Push excess frosting off the top onto the sides adding more frosting as needed to cover the sides. Smooth or swirl the frosting as you like.
• The cake is ready to serve immediately, but can be refrigerated up to 2 days. Use a long, sharp knife to cut the cake, wiping the blade as needed after each slice.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, or place liners in 2 muffin pans for 24 cupcakes. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix the vanilla extract, oil, vinegar, and cold water.
• Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix. The mixture will be quite wet, but this is okay.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. For cupcakes, the baking time is 24 to 26 minutes.
• Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Use a little of the Flora Plant Unsalted to butter the base and sides of a deep 23cm cake tin, then line with baking parchment.
• Put the plant milk in a jug and mix in the zest and juice of one orange and the cider vinegar. Leave to thicken slightly for 5 mins.
• Beat 150g of the Flora Plant Unsalted with the caster sugar using an electric whisk for 1 min until creamy, then add the milk mixture, vanilla extract and a small pinch of salt. Sieve in the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Beat again until combined, and scrape into the prepared tin. Bake for 35 mins - 40 mins until risen and firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool for 10 mins in the tin, then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the icing, melt the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, stirring well between each burst, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water), until smooth. Leave to cool for 5 mins. Whisk the remaining Flora Plant Unsalted (just under 100g) with the icing sugar and zest of the remaining orange for a few mins until creamy, then mix in the cooled chocolate until smooth.
• Put the cooled chocolate cake on a cake stand or plate, and smooth the frosting over the top, spreading it to the sides. Will keep for up to three days in an airtight cake tin. Decorate with more orange zest and chocolate shavings, if you like.