This allergen friendly cake mix is a great substitute if you are looking for a vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free recipe. Replace the nut topping, milk and flour and it can be nut-free as well. Using unrefined sugar, which is a much better alternative, gives it a nice rich taste. The texture is moist and the flavor is divine making it hard to believe that this is a gluten-free cake!

Can you guess what my next post was going to be about? After making such a healthy, nutritious Vegan Buttercream Chocolate Frosting, I had to come up with a gluten-free cake to go with it. No… I did not do anything crazy like throw some swiss chard into the mixture. I figured the frosting was healthy enough… not to say the cake isn’t healthy! As you gluten-free chefs know, it’s not easy coming up with the right combination to make the batter turn out rich, moist, and flavorful yet still keeping it healthy. So that was my mission!

If you had a chance to read my About page you can see the challenges I am undergoing with my older son. My goal is to make sure he never feels different or left out when it comes to eating. So I was determined to make a vegan, soy-free, and gluten-free cake that he could enjoy. I’m not a big believer in dairy since it is for a calf anyway. Why are we the only species that drinks another animals milk?! Substituting soy was not a problem, but eggs are a necessity because they provide structure that holds the cake together. That is where the flaxseed meal egg comes into play. It aids in binding the cake and gives it a nutty flavor as an added bonus; not to mention the health benefits flaxseeds offer. They are a rich source of micronutrients, omega-3 (ALA) fatty acids, dietary fibers, manganese, and vitamin B1. When substituting gluten, my Gluten-free All-purpose Flour Mix worked great!

Try this recipe next time you are making a birthday cake. I am sure it will be a big hit at the party.

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Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake with Buttercream Chocolate Frosting

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The texture and flavor of this gluten-free cake is so moist and delicious you will never think it is made with substitutions. Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free options make it a much healthier choice. Replace the nut topping, milk and flour and it could be nut-free as well!

 

Author: Gabrielle Panepinto Reiser
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan
Serves: 12

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. baking soda
• 4 flax meal eggs (4 tbsp. flaxseed meal and 8 tbsp. water)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 1/2 cup apple butter
• 3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 1/2 cup Gluten-free All-purpose Flour Mix
• 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1 cup raw cacao powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder

Topping

• see my Vegan Buttercream Chocolate Frosting recipe (you may need to make double if you want to make the frosting thicker). I like it thick😉
• sliced almonds, roasted
• vegan chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter two 9 inch springform pans with coconut oil or Earth Balance Soy-Free Butter. If you do not have two pans cook one batch and then cook the over afterwards.
3. Combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar into a bowl. Then add the baking soda and set aside.
4. To make the flax meal egg add flax meal and water together in a large bowl until it becomes a yolk-like consistency. Let sit for a few minutes.
5. Add the olive oil, sea salt, apple butter, coconut palm sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to the flax meal egg until combined. Then add the almond milk mixture and stir.
6. Beat in the almond meal, Gluten-free All-purpose Flour Mix, gluten-free oats, cacao powder, baking powder and combine until it is a smooth consistency.
7. Pour half the batter into the springform pan and bake for about 45 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clear.
8. Allow the cake to cool. Remove it and add the second batch if you do not have 2 pans and follow the same directions.
9. When the cake is cool layer it with Vegan Buttercream Chocolate Frosting. Top it with the sliced almonds and vegan chocolate chips. Enjoy!

What is your favorite type of cake?

What substitutions have you made lately?

What did you do on your birthday?