Description
This ultra moist and soft dark chocolate espresso cake features a one bowl easy chocolate cake batter infused with espresso powder and topped with a silky espresso ‘cream cheese’ frosting and hefty dusting of cocoa powder!! Absolutely no eggs, dairy free, and you’d never know!
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate espresso cake:
- 1 1/4 cup (300 mL) Forager Project Cinnamon Creamer, room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour, sifted
- 1 cup (95 g) black cocoa powder, sifted
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (113 g) neutral oil
- 1 cup (220 g) Forager Project Sour Cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp espresso powder, decaf if desired
- 1 cup (240 mL) hot water + 1 tsp dissolvable espresso powder (yes an additional tsp of espresso powder! or 1 cup (240 mL) brewed coffee, decaf if desired)
Espresso cream cheese frosting:
- 1 cup (226 g) vegan butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp espresso powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Be sure to read all instructions before beginning. Measure out all ingredients for the cake.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper (or if doing a layer cake, three 8″ cake pans with parchment paper).
- Whisk the wet ingredients: Add the sugar, brown sugar, melted vegan butter, Forager Project sour cream, vanilla extract, espresso powder, and coffee to a large bowl. Whisk until combined. Then add in the cocoa powder, and whisk until there are no clumps of cocoa powder in the mixture. Then add in the baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt, and whisk to evenly distribute the leavening ingredients throughout the batter.
- Finish the batter: Add in the flour and Forager Project cinnamon creamer, and whisk just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the chocolate cake batter.
- Bake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, and place into the oven to bake for 50-55 minutes. If you’re baking as a layer cake, the layers will only need 30-35 minutes. As a sheet cake in a 9×13 pan, about 35-40 minutes.
- Cool: Remove the cake from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Do not frost until the cake is fully cooled.
- Make the espresso cream cheese frosting: In a medium bowl with hand mixer, cream together the vegan butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then add in the espresso, and cream again until combined. Add in the powdered sugar in 1 cup increments, mixing between each cup to integrate until fluffy. Finally, finish with the vanilla extract and sea salt, mixing until incorporated.
•8.Frost and serve! Top the cooled tiramisu chocolate cake with the espresso cream cheese frosting and spread to the edges of the cake. Dust with cocoa powder, and top with shaved chocolate or vegan chocolate covered espresso beans. Enjoy!
Notes
See blog post for all tips & tricks!