Vegan Chocolate Cake with Fluffy White Frosting

By: Robin Asbell

Recipe Information

Total Time: Cake: 1 hour; 25 minutes active. Frosting: 3 1/2 hours, 30 minutes active

Servings: 12

Looking for an epic chocolate cake for a special occasion? This egg-free, dairy-free chocolate wonder will do the trick for chocolate lovers, with a moist, tender crumb that is sure to please. The frosting is a rich, lofty spread that holds up amazingly well, as long as you keep the cake in the refrigerator. (For a simpler cake, skip the frosting and top with powdered sugar or non-dairy whipped cream).

Ingredients

Cake

• 1/2 cup aquafaba
• 1 cup organic sugar
• 1/2 cup mashed banana
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Vegan Swiss buttercream frosting

• 1/2 cup aquafaba
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 sticks vegan margarine (not soft spread)
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Preparation

Cake

1. Heat oven to 350°F, and grease two 8-inch round cake pans, then dust with cocoa powder.
2. In a stand mixer or a bowl with an electric mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat the aquafaba. Set a timer for 15 minutes, and sprinkle in 2-3 tablespoons of the sugar every minute or so. The mixture will become light and glossy. Keep beating for the whole 15 minutes, even if the mixture seems has achieved a lightness and glossiness.
3. Put the mashed banana in a medium bowl, stir in the milk, canola oil and vanilla.
4. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture (it will be very stiff), once the aquafaba is fully whipped. Stir in about a third of the aquafaba mixture. When it is well mixed, fold in the aquafaba mixture gently, to keep from deflating the bubbles. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a layer comes out with no wet batter attached. Cool on racks.
6. If topping with frosting, transfer one layer to a cake plate just before making the frosting. If skipping the frosting, serve warm from the oven with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a dollop of non-dairy whipped cream or Aquafaba Whipped Topping.

Frosting

1. In a small pot, combine the aquafaba and sugar and stir over medium high heat until the sugar dissolves. Then transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until completely chilled (at least three hours).
2. Cut the vegan margarine and shortening into small cubes and place them on a plate to warm slightly. Use an instant read thermometer to skewer several cubes. When the temperature reaches 55-60°F, it will be ready to use. This may take an hour or two, depending on the temperature of the room.
3. When the aquafaba mixture is cold, pour it into the bowl of the stand mixer and use the balloon whisk attachment, or use an electric mixer. Add the cream of tartar and beat on low for a couple of minutes to mix, then raise the speed to medium high. Beat for 15 minutes. When the mixture is fluffy and glossy and holds stiff peaks, start adding a cube of vegan margarine and shortening every five seconds, until it is completely incorporated. It will seem to break apart but it will come together again. Keep beating for an additional five minutes. Drizzle in the vanilla and mix just until incorporated.
4. Frost the cake immediately by dolloping 1/3 of the frosting on the bottom layer, then topping with the second layer and spreading the frosting on the top and sides. Refrigerate the cake until serving. The frosting keeps for a week, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. The frosted cake will too, but if left out at room temperature the frosting will start to melt.

Nutritional Information

430 calories, 25 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 400 mg. sodium, 50 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. fiber, 2 g. protein

Source: https://www.grocery.coop/recipes/vegan-chocolate-cake-fluffy-white-frosting