Chocolate Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8″x11″ baking pan (or similar sized baking pan, such as a 9″/10″-square or springform or loaf pan *read my blogpost for details). Then line with parchment paper, cut to fit if needed (*as pictured in the step-by-step pics).
In a jar, stir the apple cider vinegar into the non-dairy milk and set aside for about 5-10 minutes to create vegan buttermilk.
Using a sifter (or a fine sieve), sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
Melt the coconut oil and 1/2 cup of the chopped chocolate over a water bath (or microwave). Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Pour the vegan buttermilk and melted chocolate mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined and no large lumps remain (please do not overmix or the cake will get dense). Then, fold in the remaining chopped chocolate. (Taste and add more sugar if desired).
Fill the batter into your prepared baking pan and bake for approx. 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out almost clean with a few crumbs attached (*see recipe notes). Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Chocolate Frosting (make this ahead, so it can cool):
In a pot, heat the non-dairy cream until just boiling. Add chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl and pour over the hot non-dairy cream. Stir with a whisk until the chocolate has melted and it gets a smooth ganache.
Fill the chocolate ganache into a measuring jar and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours until well chilled.
When the ganache is completely cold, beat with an electric hand mixer on high speed until whipped and a fluffy, spreadable frosting forms. (Optionally, add 1 sachet cream stabilizer during mixing).
Assembling the Cake
Grab the overhanging parchment paper and carefully lift out the cooled chocolate cake from the baking pan.
Spread over the whipped chocolate frosting. Decorate with cherries, blackberries or other toppings you like.
Enjoy!
Notes
To make this cake gluten-free, I recommend using a gluten-free flour blend 1:1.
I prefer using this non-dairy whipping cream because it can be whipped up perfectly like regular heavy cream and gets super fluffy. Alternatively, you can use another non-dairy whipping cream or coconut cream or make this frosting recipe with coconut milk.
The baking time may vary, depending on the cake pan you use and your oven temperature. So please make sure to do a cake test!
Please read my blogpost for additional information about this recipe, such as which baking pans you can use + baking time suggestions.
