If you’re looking for a simple yet rich and satisfying vegan chocolate snack cake, look no further! I love this cake because I can make it in a flash with ingredients from home, but it always feels like a special treat. The cake is topped with a rich vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.

This cake is moist, fluffy, chocolaty, and sweet, emphasizing the moist and fluffy parts.

I made a cake for my neighbor’s birthday last week. When I brought it in, she had a friend staying with her, and we both got ourselves in pieces late in the afternoon.

“This is… Fluffy! “They both exclaimed.

I love to hear this because I like fluffy crumb cakes best. That includes the chocolate cake, which can sometimes be denser and softer than I want.

The cake is undeniably chocolate-flavored but light enough to be a refreshing snack.

What’s a dessert cake?

What makes a cake a dessert cake?

It may be one of those culinary questions that do need a clear answer.

In my opinion, dim sum cake is simple to prepare and eat, and it doesn’t need to be labeled a “dessert.”

Of course, a dessert cake can also be dessert. But it could also be a casual afternoon pick-me-up.

Another way of saying it might be “simple cake.” In fact, Odette Williams’s great cookbook is called that.

In the previous post, Williams wrote: “These recipes are used regularly in my busy home. They are simple enough to survive family chaos. Let’s agree that confusion is one ingredient.”

Williams also explained her deep and abiding love for cake: “The fewer ingredients a cake has, the more I want it.”

I agree.

Cake is my favorite dessert; it’s as simple as that; there aren’t many cakes I can’t say no to. Sometimes, I like to eat a festive layered cake.

My cake recipes are simple at the end of the day. They are snack cakes, and my favorite time of day to enjoy them is late afternoon, perhaps with a cup of decaf coffee or some tea.

How to make vegetarian chocolate cake

There’s nothing like a foolproof cake recipe.

I’ve often made this vegan chocolate dessert cake and feel comfortable doing so.

You can make it into one of those “pocket” recipes you can rely on repeatedly. You have all the necessary materials to make it at any given time.

Here are the steps.

Step 1: Stir the dry ingredients together

The dry ingredients include flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch.

Is it the cornstarch? Cornstarch gives the cake a lighter, fluffier texture. Adding cornstarch to plain flour can quickly get a similar cake mix without buying a box.

If you don’t have cornstarch, add another two tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the recipe.

But if you love cake, try a cornstarch + flour combination. You will be pleasantly surprised at the exquisite breadcrumbs it makes!

Step 2: Mix wet ingredients

Next, whisk together sugar, avocado oil, vanilla extract, water, and a teaspoon of acid.

The acid can be lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Even though this snack cake recipe doesn’t call for plant-based milk, the reason for adding acid is the same reason I often use homemade vegan buttermilk in cakes and quick breads.

The acid reacts with the baking powder and causes the cake to swell. This is called chemical fermentation, and it’s a vital part of achieving a fluffy cake!

Step 3: Add the wet to the dry

In the third step, mix the wet and dry ingredients until they are evenly mixed.

It’s perfectly fine if there are some small clumps of flour in the batter, but there shouldn’t be much. This is a wet batter, as far as cake batter goes, so be prepared to make it look easy to pour out.

Step 4: Bake

You will bake the cake for 40 minutes until the top is domed and firm.

It’s better to over-bake than under-bake, at least if we’re talking about extra minutes.

Removing cakes from the oven too early will tarnish them. Be sure to give the cake enough time to form a dome in the oven; You’ll be glad you’ve retained its lift.

Step 5: Cool

Before icing the cake, it must be allowed to cool completely for a few hours. Skimping on the cooling time can cause the chocolate buttercream frosting to melt.

I usually bake vegan chocolate snack cakes in the morning and then freeze them in the middle of the day or late afternoon.

Step 6: Decorate!

Technically, you don’t need icing on the cake. It can be eaten straight away. It tastes good.

But the cake becomes even more festive when topped with a delightful chocolate buttercream frosting.

When I make a cake, I cut the icing recipe in half so I don’t have any leftover icing.

But if you want to give homemade frosting to your future self as a gift, you can certainly prepare the whole frosting recipe, use the chocolate snack cake you need, and freeze the rest.

When you’re ready to decorate another cake or batch of cupcakes, defrost the icing overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 7: Slice and enjoy

Of course, that’s the fun part.

Stock up on vegan chocolate snack cakes.

Sliced pastry cakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I recommend keeping them in the fridge rather than room temperature so you don’t risk the frost getting too hot and melting.

If you plan to store the cakes for more than 3 days, then I recommend freezing them until you are ready to enjoy them. This will ensure that they are kept well and moist.

Ingredients

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (120g)

2 tablespoons cornstarch (15g; Replace additional all-purpose flour)

1/2 cup sifted Dutch-made cocoa powder (40g)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup avocado oil (80ml); Replace with another neutral vegetable oil)

3/4 cup cane sugar (150g)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup of water (240ml)

1 teaspoon lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or distilled white vinegar

1/2 batch vegan chocolate frosting (Cut the recipe in half, or freeze half of the chocolate frosting for future cake making!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Line the bottom of an 8 “/20 cm square baking pan with parchment paper. If the pan is non-stick, lightly grease the sides of the pan.
2. Mix the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together the oil, sugar, vanilla, water, and apple cider vinegar in a separate bowl until the wet ingredients are thoroughly combined.
4. Add wet material to dry material. Mix the batter well. Some small blobs of flour are fine, but no large blobs or strips of flour should be in the batter. This is a relatively loose/wet batter cake – that’s how it should be!
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake the cake for 40 minutes or until the top is rounded and set.
6. Allow the cake to cool on a cooling rack for at least an hour before removing the cake from the pan. Cool the cake for 2-3 hours or until completely cooled.
7. Before icing the cake, prepare half a batch of chocolate buttercream icing. Use an inverted spatula to spread the icing evenly over the square cake. Sprinkle with sprinkles if you like. Cut the cake into 9 pieces and serve.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, it’s crucial to find small ways to express your love for yourself and others. Remember, self-love is just as important as love for others. It’s all about empowerment and confidence.

If the expression of love between now and bedtime includes eating a slice or two of homemade chocolate dessert cake, so much the better.