Go Back
Print
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

MAKES 1 (7-INCH) 3-LAYER CAKE 
Author Michelle Heston

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk, plus more as needed to thin the batter
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup canola oil, plus more for greasing
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 5 tablespoons each water and almond liqueur or 10 tablespoons water
  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons agave syrup
  • 1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup almond meal
  • 2 cups gluten-free baking flour blend, (we like Bob’s Red Mill 1–1)
  • 1 recipe Coconut Whipped Cream (below)
  • 1 cup fresh fruit and toasted nuts of choice for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine the milk with the vinegar. Stir, then let sit for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 3 (7-inch) round cake pans with oil. Line the pans with parchment paper and lightly coat the parchment with oil.
  2. Stir the baking soda into the milk mixture and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the water, almond liqueur, canola oil, sugar, maple syrup, and agave syrup. Add the applesauce, almond extract, and salt and whisk to combine. Add the milk mixture and whisk again. Whisk in the baking powder, cocoa powder, almond meal, and flour to form a semi-thick, pourable batter with no large clumps, adding more almond milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thin the batter to cake-batter consistency, if needed.
  4. Divide the batter evenly among the 3 prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean and the edges appear dry, 30 to 40 minutes.
  5. Let the cakes rest in the pans for 15 minutes, then carefully run a knife along the edges and invert onto cooling racks. Let cool completely.
  6. Frost and assemble the cakes with the coconut whipped cream and garnish with the berries.