Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake

This is a cake that's good without a caveat. It's not good 'for a vegan cake'. It's not 'good for being dairy-free'. It's a good cake.

This is a recipe from the Tasty collection (originally found here: https://tasty.co/recipe/fudgiest-dairy-free-chocolate-cake). This cake is a 2 day project that requires constant never ceasing vigilance with regard to refrigeration. It makes a 3 layer cake with 8" pans.

The icing should ideally be made 2 days in advance so that it is thoroughly chilled.

Ingredients:

Icing:

2 cans (2 x 400-440ml) full-fat coconut milk

I cannot stress full-fat enough

3 cups/510g dairy free dark chocolate chunks

1/4 cup/60g coconut oil, melted

2 cups/240g icing sugar (confectioners sugar)

Cake:

3 cups/390g whole wheat flour

1 3/4 cups/175g cocoa powder

1 cup/200g granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 pinch salt

3 cups/710g almond milk at room temperature

1 cup/240g coconut oil, melted

1 1/2 cups/380g apple sauce

look near the Branston Pickle for Bramley Apple Sauce if in UK, because for some reason there's no goddamn Motts around here

1 1/2 cups/505g maple syrup

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Icing:

*You will need to make this 1-2 days in advance*

In a double boiler, heat the coconut milk until very hot but not boiling

As it heats, the fat from the top of the milk will melt and it will smooth out

While the coconut milk is heating, melt the coconut oil

Chop the chocolate if using bars

This is the chocolate I used: 3 x 100g dark chocolate bars, 2 x 100g milk chocolate bars, and 1 snack pack of dairy free chocolate to make up that extra 10g, and snacks

Combine the hot coconut milk with the chopped chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth

Add the coconut oil and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth

Cover and refrigerate AT LEAST 24 hours, but for best results 48 hours

Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F/180˚C

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and whisk to combine

In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients

Combine the two mixtures, and mix with a spatula until combined

The mixture will be lumpy

You can set up a sifter over a scale and weigh all the dry ingredients together

Prepare the pans by greasing (with vegan spread such as vitalite) and flouring them

This is a bit of a faff, but if you've got pan liners, USE THEM. I used three 8" pans for this, but you could probably make two 10" cakes or some tasty cupcakes (I have no idea how many)

1. Butter the pan

2. Press in the liner - if it is a little bit bigger than the pan that's ok, mine were

3. Re-butter over the liner

4. Knock around 1-2 Tbsp flour to coat the pan

Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into each comes out nearly clean

Key word nearly

Mine measured c.800g each

Let cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes in the pan before inverting to cool completely

Carefully remove the liner when you have turned out the cake

Allow these cakes to cool completely, completely

Assembly:

Place the cake-board or plate you intend to use on a turntable and smear a thin layer of icing on it to make the cake stay in place.

Place the first layer in the centre of the plate and spread a layer of icing over the top

Place the second layer on top and spread a layer of icing over it

Place the third layer on top and spread a thin layer of icing over the whole cake

Put the cake and icing into the refrigerator immediately, IMMEDIATELY, for at least 4 hours

Spread a second thicker layer of icing over the cake and refrigerate again for at least 4 hours

This cake should be kept in the refrigerator because the icing will get runny very quickly

Decorate with fresh fruit just before serving