Chocolate & Coconut Cake

A moist chocolate cake, covered in a sweet cream cheese frosting, and topped with shredded coconut, this is a deliciously sweet cake that looks pretty too! 

I'm not too lucky when it comes to making cakes.  Until just recently, I'd only made 3, and all 3 of them cracked.  So, this time, making a birthday cake for my Mami, I was extra careful, and it ended up being the best cake that I've ever made!  The cake itself was moist and tasty...

...and the frosting was sweet but not overwhelmingly so!  And, even better, it didn't crack!  It was my first time successfully baking and decorating a cake!  The only thing that I would have changed is that I would have preferred shredded coconut rather than coconut flakes. 

Recipe

IngrediENTS

For the cake:
1 cup oat milk*
1 tbsp. vinegar**
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups cane sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 melted vegan butter
2/3 cup applesauce
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

For the cream cheese frosting:
8 oz. Violife cream cheese
1/2 cup vegan butter (slightly softened but not melted)
3 - 4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
1 cup shredded coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. To make the cake, start by combining the oat milk and vinegar in a small cup or bowl and set aside for a few minutes to make a buttermilk. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Pour in the vegan butter, applesauce, vanilla, and "buttermilk".  Using a hand mixer, mix on medium speed until there are no lumps left.  
5. As you continue to mix, lower the speed and slowly add in the hot water.  The batter should appear to be too runny.  
6. Pour the batter into two greased 9" cake pans and bake in the preheated over for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes.  Then carefully remove and allow to cool thoroughly before frosting. 
8. While the cake cools, make the frosting by placing the cream cheese, vegan butter, 3 cups of powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl.
9. Starting on low speed and slowly increasing to high speed, beat the ingredients until smooth.  If it is too runny, add another cup of powdered sugar. 
10. Once the cake has thoroughly cooled, frost and top with the shredded coconut.
11. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

*Any plant-based milk should work.  Oat milk is just my personal favorite. 
**Either apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar works. 

Like this recipe?

Make sure to check out Vegan Empire's coconut cream cake too!  The frosting is the same, but it's a version where the cake itself is coconut too!