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chocolate cake

Chocolate Birthday Cake (dairy-free)

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This classic, two-layer Chocolate Birthday Cake is just like mom used to make! Okay, not quite, because we do use plant-based butter for the frosting. But I’m telling you, this cake is delicious, and no one will be able to tell it’s dairy-free!

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Chocolate cake is the quintessential American birthday cake: two layers, loads of buttercream frosting, and chocolate on chocolate. If you’re anything like me, you grew up on boxed cake mix with homemade American buttercream frosting. And to this day, I think boxed cake mix just can’t be beat. Yeah, I said it. Actually, when my mom volunteered to bake my wedding cakes, I requested none other than simple, two-layer cakes made with boxed mix and topped with homemade frosting. Nathan and I had a picnic wedding at Golden Gate Park, and the cakes were perfect. Truthfully, I will never not defend box cake mix!

But if you’re looking for something a little less…processed, then I’ve totally got you covered! This chocolate cake is not only perfectly moist, it’s sweetened with low glycemic index coconut sugar and unsweetened applesauce! Yeah, and you can’t taste the apple! Though my love for boxed cake hasn’t waned, I don’t believe I’ve personally baked a cake from a box since marrying Nathan five years ago. This exact chocolate cake has been my go-to for quite some time. It’s simple and just as delightful as the chocolate cakes I grew up eating.

Some of the Ingredients You’ll Need + Possible Substitutes:

  • All-purpose flour is the bulk of the cake. For an extra fluffy cake, try whole wheat pastry flour.
  • Natural cocoa powder gives both the cake and frosting their chocolate flavors. For a deeper, darker chocolate, you can use Dutched cocoa powder.
  • Coconut sugar is an unrefined, low GI sugar. And it doesn’t taste a thing like coconut! You can definitely use raw cane sugar or white granulated sugar in its place.
  • Instant coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor of the cake. This is totally optional but recommend. Espresso powder is a great substitute.
  • Oil adds moisture to the cake. I recommend a neutral oil (one with little to no flavor) like avocado, light olive oil, or melted coconut oil. Vegetable oil can also be used.
  • Eggs act as a binder for the cake. I haven’t tried this recipe with any egg replacements, but if you’re looking for an egg-less cake, you can try flax eggs: 1 flax egg = 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp warm water (mix and allow to thicken for five minutes).
  • Applesauce helps sweeten this cake and lends a hand to its moistness – I don’t recommend any substitutes. Unless you like banana and you want to mash some for a banana chocolate cake!
  • Vegetable shortening adds structure to the vegan buttercream. You can use more vegan butter in its place, but I highly recommend the shortening.
  • Powdered sugar is necessary for the correct texture and flavor of the classic American buttercream frosting. I don’t recommend any substitutes.
Yield: 10-12 Slices

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Classic chocolate birthday cake made dairy-free! This two-layer cake is moist, fluffy, and topped with a traditional chocolate buttercream frosting - the perfect landscape for a birthday candle or two!

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

  • 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, warm
  • 1 heaping tsp instant coffee granules
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil (like avocado or extra light olive oil)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 heaping cup unsweetened applesauce

Chocolate Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups vegan butter (stick form), softened
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (or more vegan butter)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup natural cocoa powder
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 Tbsp plant-based milk

Instructions

Make the Cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare two 8" cake pans with non-stick spray and parchment paper circles. I like to spray the pans, lay the parchment circles in the bottoms, and then spray the parchment.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt until totally combined; set aside.
  4. Mix together the warm almond milk and instant coffee granules. Then, in a large bowl, beat together the milk/coffee mixture, coconut sugar, oil, vanilla, eggs, and applesauce until combined.
  5. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet until batter is well combined, about 1 minute on medium speed. Divide batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans (it's best to use a kitchen scale here for precision). Tap the pans on your counter to bring air bubbles to the surface.
  6. Bake cakes at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then turn each cake out onto a cooling rack and remove and toss out the parchment paper circles. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting + Build the Cake

  1. Once the cakes are totally cooled, you can make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the vegan butter and shortening. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  2. Sift in the cocoa powder and half of the powdered sugar and beat. Sift in the remaining powdered sugar and add 2 Tbsp of milk. Beat until combined, adding a bit more milk if needed. You want the frosting to be smooth and spreadable but also thick enough to hold its shape.
  3. Frost the cake by placing one cake, right-side up, on a cake stand or plate. Add roughly 12 Tbsp or 3/4 cup of frosting to the top of the cake and spread evenly across the cake surface, leaving 1/4" of cake around the edge.
  4. Place the second cake layer on top, right-side down so that the flat, smooth bottom is facing up. Begin adding frosting to the side of the cake where the two layers meet, generously filling in the gap. Then continue frosting the cake all the way around and on top, swirling as you go along (or smoothing with a bench scraper).
  5. Decorate the cake however you'd like, or simply swirl the frosting for that classic, home-baked look.
  6. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

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Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Brown Sugar Icing (DF)

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These Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes have to be one of my favorite recipes. The cake batter is so easy to get together, and it comes out perfectly moist and tender every time! And the Brown Sugar Icing on these cakes is the perfect compliment to the chocolate flavor! I don’t eat all of most of the sweets that I bake, but I’ve been snacking on these the past couple of days, keeping them all to myself. They’re good. And I just can’t resist the convenient, “grab-and-go” size of the mini bundts!

For this recipe, getting the icing drizzle/drip just right can be a bit tricky. The Brown Sugar Icing will begin to set pretty quickly, so you’ll have to move fast and spoon a liberal amount of the icing around the tops and sides of each cake. If you try to go back over a spot, it won’t blend in with any previous drizzle, so I recommend spooning too much than too little. For the chocolate curls on top of my cakes, I tempered some dark chocolate and followed this video tutorial. If you’ve never tempered chocolate before, feel free to check out the post I made recently: Tempered Chocolate Bark.

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Olive oil makes for a delicious and moist cake! Feel free to use your favorite vegetable oil. If you choose to use melted coconut oil, you’ll need to make sure your other ingredients are room temperature (including your eggs).

Eggs add fluffiness to these mini cakes. I haven’t tried any vegan egg replacements for this specific recipe, so I can’t vouch for how the texture would turn out.

Instant coffee granules help deepen the chocolate flavor in these cakes. You don’t taste the coffee at all, and if you keep a jar of the granules on hand, you can use them in future chocolate recipes (muffins, brownies, etc)!

Brown sugar makes the brown sugar icing! I don’t recommend any substitutes. 

Powdered sugar thickens up the icing and gives it that classic icing texture.

Yield: 6 Mini Bundt Cakes

Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Brown Sugar Icing

Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Brown Sugar Icing

Perfectly moist and tender mini chocolate bundt cakes topped with a simple brown sugar icing. Totally dairy-free and delicious, these decadent little cakes are the perfect mini dessert!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)
  • 2 large eggs (or 2 flax eggs if vegan)
  • 1/4 cup plant-based milk
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup regular cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Brown Sugar Icing

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup plant-based milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously spray six mini bundt pans with non-stick spray (I used olive oil spray).
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and instant coffee granules. Whisk in the applesauce and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt until mixture is well combined. Add in the wet ingredients and use a large utensil to mix until batter is totally combined and lump-free.
  4. Divide cake batter evenly amongst the prepared bundt pans. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into a cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn each cake over onto a cooling rack, banging the pan once it's flipped - your cakes should pop right out. Allow cakes to totally cool.
  5. Once your cakes are cool, you can make the icing. In a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar and milk. Whisk together and bring just to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Allow mixture to cool for 5 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and whisk until icing is smooth and no sugar lumps remain.
  6. Your icing should be thin enough to drizzle, but it will set quickly. Use a spoon to generously drip icing over the tops and down the sides of each bundt. The icing will begin to harden right away, so you only have once chance to get the perfect drip! If your icing starts to set before you get all of your cakes iced, hold the pan over a hot burner and whisk until the mixture is thin/warm again.
  7. Allow your cakes to totally set before enjoying!
  8. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • If vegan, 2 flax eggs = 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp warm water, allowed to thicken for five minutes
  • The bake time of 15-20 minutes is based on mini bundt pans 4" in diameter. You may need to adjust the bake time depending on the size of your mini pans.
  • For homemade chocolate curls, check out this video tutorial that I followed. To temper your dark chocolate, follow the steps in my post about tempering.
  • You may or may not use all the icing, which is why I don't provide generated nutrition information for this recipe.

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© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Other cake recipes you might like:

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting (DF)
Mulled Apple Cider Cake with Penuche (brown sugar) Frosting (DF)
Banana Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting (DF)
Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting (DF)

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I’m an absolute sucker for good cake. I grew up eating cakes made from a box, which is probably why I have such an affinity for soft, fluffy cakes with thick, sweet-as-can-be American buttercream. Anyone else usually disappointed in the professional cakes found at weddings? (Maybe I’m the odd woman out here.) Well, this cake is everything I love about cake. Fluffy, moist and topped with a decadent buttercream made with lots of dark cocoa powder, which helps even out the sweetness of the powdered sugar. And it’s easy!

I was always intimidated by homemade cakes. Even confused. Why would one go to all that trouble? Enter: the sheet cake. No more difficult than a batch of cookies, in my opinion. You beat the wet ingredients, whisk the dry ingredients, mix them all together, and, once baked and cooled, top it off with a super simple vegan (or non-vegan) buttercream! And the results? They’ll blow you and everyone who eats a slice away!

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Whole wheat pastry flour brings all the delicious fluff to this cake! If you like your cake fluffy, then you don’t want to skip out on this flour! Plus, you’ll definitely want to use it in the future to make fluffy muffins or quick bread loaves.

Coconut sugar is an unrefined, low GI sugar that won’t spike our blood sugar the same way that a higher GI sugar (like white sugar, honey, or maple syrup) will. And it doesn’t taste a thing like coconut.

Instant coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor of the cake, and you won’t taste the coffee!

Applesauce helps sweeten this cake and lends a hand to its moistness.

Vegetable shortening adds structure to the vegan buttercream. You can use more vegan butter in its place, but I highly recommend the shortening!

Dutch process cocoa powder gives the frosting a deeper, richer flavor and darker color.

Yield: 15 Slices

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting

A fluffy and moist Chocolate Cake topped with a decadent, dairy-free Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

  • 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, warm
  • 1 heaping tsp instant coffee granules
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil (avocado, extra light olive oil, refined coconut oil, etc)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 heaping cup unsweetened applesauce

Dark Chocolate Frosting

  • 3/4 cup vegan butter (stick form), softened
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (or more vegan butter)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • ~5 tsp plant-based milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x13" cake pan with non-stick spray. If you plan to remove the whole cake from the pan to frost and serve (like I did), cut a piece of parchment paper the size of the inside bottom of your cake pan, and place it on top of the non-stick spray.
  2. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift the flours and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt until totally combined.
  4. Mix together the warm almond milk and instant coffee granules. Then, in a large bowl, beat together the coconut sugar, milk/coffee mixture, oil, vanilla, eggs, and applesauce until combined.
  5. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet until batter is well combined, about 1 minute on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Tap the pan on your counter to bring air bubbles to the surface - feel free to use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles that haven't popped on their own.
  6. Bake cake at 350°F for 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs. Allow cake to cool in the pan on top of a cooling rack. Alternatively, if you'd like to remove the whole baked cake, allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then place another cooling rack (or baking sheet) on top of the pan and flip the cake over. Your cake should fall right out. Peel off the parchment paper and then use a cooling rack to flip the cake right side up. Allow to cool completely.
  7. Once your cake is totally cool, make your frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the softened vegan butter and vegetable shortening until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla. Sift in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and then beat until combined. Beat in milk 1 tsp at a time until you've got a creamy, spreadable buttercream.
  8. Scoop all of the frosting onto the top of your cooled cake. Use a spatula to spread evenly over the surface, creating deep swirls. Top with your favorite sprinkles, shaved chocolate, or coconut flakes!
  9. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

A neutral oil is any oil with a neutral taste. These include oils such as avocado, extra light olive oil, and refined coconut oil.

For the dark chocolate frosting, you will need a dutch process cocoa powder - check next to the natural cocoa powder (most widely available) in the baking aisle.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

15

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 464Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 344mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 3gSugar: 34gProtein: 6g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Other chocolate recipes you might like:

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cake Donuts
Banana Chocolate Cake (DF)
Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread (DF)
Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies (DF)

Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes (dairy-free!)

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Is there anything better than a classic, ultra fluffy chocolate cake? A buttercream slathered cake is something I cannot resist – even since I’ve gone diary-free. I will totally cheat (and risk a break out) for a slice of buttercream-topped cake, especially when the cake itself is dairy-free and the buttercream is milk free! Basically, I love cake. And this Chocolate Cake is moist, delicious, and super customizable – I’ve baked this recipe as a layer cake, as a banana chocolate sheet cake, and even as a banana bourbon cake without cocoa powder. Seriously, use this is a base and go wild.

These mini bundt cakes are perfectly cute one or two-serving cakes. I covered them with a simple chocolate ganache (made with coconut milk) to keep them on the better-for-you side – I wanted to avoid adding refined white sugar. But if you’d prefer a chocolate glaze (a simple mix of cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and nut milk) then do that! I’m telling you, make these cakes your own and enjoy this dairy-free version of classic chocolate cake! Happy baking!

Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes
Makes three 4″ bundt cakes or one 6″ cake

Cake
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg
2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Heaping 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
Chocolate Ganache
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
1/4-1/2 cup full fat coconut milk

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your mini bundt pans – spray them with olive oil or other non-stick spray + lightly dust them with cocoa powder. I sprinkled a small spoonful of cocoa powder into each pan, covered it with a plate, and shook it around.

2.) In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar and egg. Add in the almond milk, olive oil, and vanilla extract and mix. Stir in the applesauce; set aside.

3.) In a medium/large bowl, sift the flours and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt until all ingredients are well combined. Add the wet ingredients and mix until no flour pockets remain.

4.) Evenly distribute the batter into your mini bundt pans until they’re nearly full (mine were somewhere between 75% and 100% full). Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes*.

5.) Allow cakes to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Flip over each bundt pan and gently shake the cake out. Allow cakes to cool completely. Set cooled cakes on a cooling rack over a piece of parchment paper (I like to sit mine in a baking sheet) before preparing the chocolate ganache.

6.) Place a medium pot with about an inch of water over medium heat. Add the chopped chocolate and 1/4 cup of the coconut milk to a heatproof bowl that can sit on top of your medium pot (without touching the water). Stir frequently until chocolate has melted, adding more coconut milk until the mixture is thin enough to pour/drizzle. I tested mine by seeing if it would easily run off of the spoon in a steady stream. You want it to be thin enough to pour over your cakes but thick enough to hold onto your cakes.

8.) Spoon or pour chocolate ganache over each bundt until the cakes are totally covered. If desired, sprinkle with toppings – cocoa powder, powdered sugar, cacao nibs, sprinkles, rose petals, etc. Ganache will solidify at room temperature, depending on your current climate. Store cakes in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if ganache doesn’t set. Enjoy!

*if baking a 6″ cake, bake for 20-30 minutes