Description
This Vegan Devil’s Food Cake is a rich, moist, and decadent chocolate cake made without any animal products. Featuring Dutch-processed cacao, muscovado sugar, and aquafaba as an egg substitute, it offers a deliciously deep chocolate flavor with a smooth texture. Perfect for vegan celebrations or any chocolate lover looking for a plant-based indulgence, this cake pairs beautifully with vegan chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream for a luscious finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- ¾ cup cacao powder (Dutch processed)
- ½ cup muscovado sugar
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour (sifted)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (sifted)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda (sifted)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ cups caster sugar (superfine)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup soya milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup olive oil (or neutral tasting oil)
- 4 tablespoons aquafaba
- 4 tablespoons vegan yoghurt (Greek style recommended)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup boiled water
Frosting & Garnish
- 1.5x batches vegan chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream
- 7 oz vegan dark chocolate (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). Line the base of three 7″ cake tins with parchment paper and spray the sides lightly with oil spray. If using 6″ cake tins, prepare four pans instead.
- Make Cocoa Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine the cacao powder, muscovado sugar, instant coffee granules, and vanilla extract. Pour in ½ cup of boiled water and whisk until smooth. Set this mixture aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Create Vegan Buttermilk: In a small bowl, stir the soy milk with the apple cider vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes until it curdles slightly, mimicking buttermilk.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil and caster sugar for about a minute. Add the aquafaba and continue whisking, then add the vegan yogurt and whisk again. Pour in the vegan buttermilk and mix well. Finally, add the cooled cocoa mixture and combine thoroughly.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt to ensure even distribution.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently fold with a spatula until you achieve a smooth batter, being careful not to overmix.
- Divide and Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a skewer, which should come out clean when the cakes are done.
- Cool the Cakes: Let the cakes cool in their tins for 15-20 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Once completely cool, refrigerate in an airtight container for a few hours to firm up for frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: Make 1.5 times the quantity of vegan chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream as per your preferred recipe or package instructions.
- Assemble and Decorate: Layer the cooled cakes with the vegan buttercream between layers and on top. Optionally, melt vegan dark chocolate and drizzle over the frosted cake for an extra indulgent touch.
Notes
- Aquafaba is the liquid from canned chickpeas and works as an egg substitute providing structure and moisture.
- Using apple cider vinegar in soy milk creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’ that helps tenderize the crumb.
- Chilling the cakes before frosting prevents crumbs from mixing into the buttercream and makes decorating easier.
- If vegan meringue buttercream is unavailable, use any vegan-friendly frosting or whipped coconut cream as an alternative.
- Instant coffee enhances the chocolate flavor but can be omitted if desired.
