Chocolate Espresso Cake

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This Chocolate Espresso Cake combines decadent and moist chocolate cake layers and light and fluffy espresso frosting for a delicious layer cake that no one will ever guess is completely dairy-free and vegan.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Cooling Time2

Total Time3

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: Servings

Calories: 554kcal

Author: Megan Calipari

Cost: $5

Equipment

1 Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer with paddle attachment
2 8" Round Cake Pans
Various Bowls
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Parchment Paper

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake Layers

2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 ¾ Cups Granulated Sugar
¾ Cup Cocoa Powder, sifted
2 ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Cups Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
⅔ Cup Canola Oil
1 tablespoon Instant Espresso
1 tablespoon White Vinegar
2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For the Espresso Frosting

3 tablespoon Instant Espresso Powder
3 tablespoon Water
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 ½ Cups Non-Dairy Butter, room temperature
6 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted

Instructions

Bake the Cake Layers

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and insert a parchment circle into the bottom of each pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
2 Cup All-Purpose Flour, 1 ¾ Cups Granulated Sugar, ¾ Cup Cocoa Powder, sifted, 2 ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder, ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda, ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
In a medium bowl, combine non-dairy milk, canola oil, instant espresso, and white vinegar. Whisk well until the espresso powder is completely dissolved. Then, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk to form the batter. It will look on the runny side, and that is okay!
2 Cups Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk, ⅔ Cup Canola Oil, 1 tablespoon Instant Espresso, 1 tablespoon White Vinegar, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Divide the batter between two prepared 8-inch round cake pans. Bake the cakes in a 350*F oven for 31-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool completely.

Make the Frosting

In a small bowl, combine instant espresso powder, water, and vanilla. Mix well to dissolve the espresso. Set aside.
3 tablespoon Instant Espresso Powder, 3 tablespoon Water, 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the non-dairy butter until completely smooth. Then, add powdered sugar and mix on low until combined.
1 ½ Cups Non-Dairy Butter, room temperature, 6 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
Add the espresso mixture and mix on low until combined, then turn the speed up to medium and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Stack the Cake

Place one cake layer upside down onto a cake plate or cake board that is on a turntable. Top the layer with about ¾ cup of espresso frosting and use an offset spatula to spread the frosting to the edge.
Top with the remaining cake layer, upside down again. From here, you can frost however you like. If you want to replicate my design, frost the cake with a thin layer of buttercream. Then, scoop the remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
Pipe evenly spaced, round balls of frosting around the exterior of the cake, then use a spoon to press into the center of each frosting ball and drag it towards the center of the cake.
Repeat with another circle of frosting balls about an inch closer to the center of the cake, then finish with one frosting ball in the very center. Dust with cocoa powder if desired and serve.

Notes

Be sure that the cakes are completely cool before stacking and decorating the cake. Frosting melts very easily!

If the way I decorated this cake feels too advanced, decorate however you like! But the fun part about decorating cakes is that if you mess up, you can just scrape the frosting off and try again.

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