Vegan Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

This cake was requested by my toddler for his 4th birthday so that's what he got! I haven't really baked with regular flour much these last 3 years so it's always a little scary getting into it again. But really it is SO MUCH easier than GF baking and it has been a great experience so far! I made this gluten version for the celebration because really I'm the only person who is GF (or trying to be!) and I wanted to bake a really amazing cake for the whole fam to show vegans can do everything! This cake was an absolute HIT for my entire family and will definitely be in the cake rotation from here on out. If you want a GLUTEN FREE cake I got you covered! I will add that recipe at the bottom too so you can enjoy all the chocolate goodness as well!

Also one note, you can either make a homemade refined sugar free frosting that I'll give you here OR just use your favorite store bought vanilla frosting with 1-2 cups peanut butter whipped in! Both ways produce an amazing frosting!

You can also sub out the peanut butter if you have allergies for SUN BUTTER! It really is a great replacement I use most of the time since my oldest has a peanut allergy. Any nut butter will work however.

Let me know if you make this and how it goes!


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup dairy free milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp non-alcoholic vanilla extract
• 1 cup black coffee
• 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 2 cups organic all purpose flour
• 2 cups coconut sugar
• ¾ cup cacao powder or cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp pink salt
• ½ cup vegan butter or coconut oil, melted

Frosting:

• 1.5 cups unsweetened peanut butter
• 1 cup vegan butter
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp non-alcoholic vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 Degrees
2. In a small bowl, whisk together almond milk and apple cider vinegar.
3. Add in the melted butter or oil, vanilla, coffee, and flax. Mix to combine and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix together flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa until incorporated fully.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spoon until combined well.
6. Oil your pan on all sides. You could divide evenly between TWO spring form pans for 2 layers. I only have one 9 inch pan so I just pour 1/2 in a time or if you have two pans pour in each evenly.
7. Gently tap on counter to release any air bubbles.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes if making 2 layers or about 50 if only making one cake. Check with a toothpick placed in center and it's done when it comes out clean.
9. Let cool on a cooling rack until you can safely remove from the pan.
10. If you are making your own frosting, use a handheld electric mixer to whip peanut butter, vegan butter, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth. If you bought your frosting just spoon it into a mixing bowl with 1-2 cups peanut butter and whip with your mixer until smooth.
11. WHEN IT IS COOL, spread a decent amount of the frosting on top of the first layer.
12. Add the second layer on top of the frosting and add all the remaining frosting. You don't have to frost the sides really, it looks really cool as a chocolate frosting sandwich too! But if you want to reserve enough to do so.
13. I topped mine with chocolate chips but you can also drizzle chocolate sauce, add peanut butter drizzle or chips or even shaved chocolate! ENJOY!

GLUTEN FREE CAKE VERSION:

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups gluten free oat flour
• 1 1/3 cups cacao or cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 1/4 cup non-dairy milk, warmed
• 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP melted vegan butter or coconut oil
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp non-alcoholic vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add all your dry ingredients : oat flour, caco powder, coconut sugar, baking soda, salt and then set aside.
3. In another bowl, add in your wet ingredients : warmed milk (pop in microwave for 10 seconds if you use one or warm on the stove), melted butter/oil, maple syrup and vanilla.
4. Whisk until well combined and add the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix until it is incorporated well.
5. Oil your pan(s) on all sides. You could divide evenly between TWO spring form pans for 2 layers. I only have one 9 inch pan so I just pour 1/2 in a time and bake. If you have two pans pour in each evenly and bake side by side.
6. Gently tap on counter to release any air bubbles.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes if making 2 layers or about 40ish minutes if only making one cake. Check with a toothpick placed in center and it's done when it comes out clean.
8. Let cool on a cooling rack until you can safely remove from the pan.
9. FOLLOW REST OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR FROSTING UP TOP IN NUMBER 10!