We strive to meet the dietary needs of our many guests. When it comes to a birthday cake or treat for vegans, Esther Grewe, one of our German kitchen interns, has just the recipe.
Ingredients:
CAKE
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 ¼ cups unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana
• ¼ cup coffee + ¼ cup almond milk
• 2/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups sugar (or adjust to taste)
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
FROSTING
• 1 cup vegan butter (softened)
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate (melted and slightly cooled)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ~1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and lightly spray 2 8-inch round cake pans or 1 large rectangular pan with nonstick spray. Dust with cocoa powder, shake out the excess, and set aside.
2. Mix the almond milk and vinegar, and let set for a few minutes to activate. Add the oil+almond milk, coffee, vanilla extract, and applesauce and beat until foamy.
3. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and add to the wet ingredients while mixing. Beat until no large lumps remain.
4. Divide batter evenly between your cake pans or rectangular pan.
5. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
6. While cooling, prepare frosting by beating together all ingredients until light and fluffy, adding the powdered sugar in small amounts until you reach your desired consistency and sweetness. If it becomes too thick, add more almond milk. If it’s too thin, add more cocoa powder or powdered sugar.
