This Vegan Chocolate Espresso Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting is so rich, decadent, and perfectly moist! No eggs or dairy are needed to make this delicious espresso-infused cake.
I've been dreaming of a penuche-like brown sugar frosting for a while and figured the perfect combo had to be a rich and chocolately cake. Trust me, it's a show-stopper dessert that is perfectly sweet, decadent, and so darn delicious!
Ingredients:
Ingredient & substitution notes:
- Dark Brown Sugar: I like the color and flavor dark brown sugar gives both the frosting and cake.
- You can substitute light brown sugar, but keep in mind the color will be a lot lighter if using light brown sugar.
- Cocoa Powder: You will want to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe, NOT Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Oat Milk: Substitute 1:1 with any other dairy-free milks such as soy milk or almond milk.
- Applesauce: This gives a subtle sweetness and extra moisture to the cake. It can be substituted 1:1 with plain yogurt, but your chocolate cake will be slightly less sweet.
- Olive Oil: This is usually my preferred oil to bake cakes with as it gives the cake such a tender crumb. However, you can substitute 1:1 with any other liquid oils.
- The only oil I don't recommend using is coconut oil as I find it gives a greasy texture to cakes.
How to make vegan chocolate cake:
Sift dry ingredients together
The only time I ever recommend sifting dry ingredients is when cocoa powder is involved. This helps to remove any clumps of cocoa powder in the batter and really does make a difference!
Mix in wet ingredients
Next, mix together the remaining wet ingredients, including the oat milk, sugar, applesauce, olive oil, brown sugar, espresso, and vanilla. I use freshly made espresso in this cake, which gives it a truly unique flavor!
Then, add in the bowl of sifted dry ingredients and mix until you have a thick and smooth chocolate cake batter.
Add batter to the pan & bake
Add the batter to a parchment-lined 8-by-8-inch loaf pan. Then, bake for 28-30 minutes until the top is shiny and crackly and the cake is cooked through.
How to make brown sugar frosting
This brown sugar frosting honestly tastes almost fudge like is is truly SO decadent.
Start by melting your dark brown sugar and vegan butter in a saucepan. Once melted, stir together and bring to a boil for about 1 minute.
Reduce the heat and stir in the oat milk. Then, turn the heat back up and cook for another minute.
Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste and salt. Then, transfer the brown sugar mixture to a container or large bowl to cool.
Once the frosting has cooled, add in the powdered sugar. Use an electric mixer to whip together until you have a thick and silky smooth frosting.
The frosting will firm up quite a bit as it cools.
If it ever firms up too much (or if you store it in the fridge), just whip it again so it can be easily spread or piped onto the cake.
Assemble the cake
Now that the chocolate cake has cooled and the brown sugar frosting is ready, assemble the cake!
Very carefully add the frosting to the cake and spread it out. Since the frosting is very thick, you need to be extra careful when spreading it on the cake so it doesn't remove the top layer fo crumb.
Then, top with chocolate shavings, slice, & enjoy!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I make the chocolate cake gluten-free?
Definitely! Just make sure to use a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix like this one from Bob's Red Mill.
Please keep in mind that flour alternatives like coconut flour or almond flour will not work in this recipe as it's not a 1:1 substitution.
Can I use a different frosting on this cake?
Definitely! I think the sweeter brown sugar frosting complements the chocolate cake perfectly; however, I totally understand that it's a frosting that requires a bit more time and effort than others!
This cake would also taste amazing with the cookie butter frosting I used on my Vegan Banana Cake, the peanut butter frosting used on my Vegan Peanut Butter Cake, or the simple vanilla buttercream used in my Vegan Vanilla Cake recipe!
Can I bake this cake in a different-sized pan?
You can bake this cake in a circular 9-inch pan for similar results.
This recipe can also be doubled and baked in a 9-by-13-inch pan if you want to make more cake. Please keep in mind that baking time may vary slightly in a different pan, so I recommend checking on your cake at the 25-minute mark.
How do I store this chocolate cake?
If unfrosted, the cooled cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 24 hours.
If frosted, you can cover the cake and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
You can also slice it and store it in a closed container in the freezer for up to 1 month and defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour before enjoying.
Please keep in mind the brown sugar frosting will firm up a LOT in the fridge or freezer, but it still tastes great.
I can't wait for you to try this Vegan Chocolate Espresso Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting. It's so rich, decadent, and the perfect treat for a loved one on Valentine's Day. Enjoy!
-TSG
More chocolatey vegan cake & cupcake recipes you will love:
If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review in the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest or sign up for our newsletter!
Vegan Chocolate Espresso Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting
Ingredients
Chocolate Espresso Cake
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup oat milk
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons espresso
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Frosting
- ½ cup vegan butter
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons oat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- chocolate shavings optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8*8 inch square pan with parchment paper or grease the pan lightly. Set aside for later.
Make the chocolate espresso cake batter:
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a small mixing bowl and sift together to remove any large clumps of cocoa powder. Set aside for later.
- Next, add the oat milk, cane sugar, unsweetened applesauce, olive oil, dark brown sugar, espresso, and vanilla bean paste to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the large mixing bowl of wet ingredients and mix into a thick batter. I recommend starting with a whisk and then switching to a spatula so the batter does not get over-mixed.
Bake the cake:
- Pour the batter into the pan and add it to the oven. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until cooked through.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully move to a wire rack to finish cooling completely while you make the brown sugar frosting.
Make the brown sugar frosting:
- Add the vegan butter and dark brown sugar to a small saucepan and mix together until melted.
- Bring the brown sugar and butter mixture to a low boil, reduce the heat, and slowly pour in the oat milk. Then, bring the heat back to a rolling boil and continue cooking for about 1 minute.
- Remove the saucepan from the burner and stir in the vaniall bean paste and salt. Pour the brown sugar mixture into a seperate bowl to continue cooling.
- Once the mixture has cooled completely, add in in the powdered sugar and use an electric mixer to whip into a thick and glossy frosting.
Frost the cake:
- Once the frosting is ready and the cake has cooled, add the frosting to the cake and gently spread it out with a cake spatula.
- Top with shaved chocolate if desired and enjoy!
Notes
- If unfrosted, the cooled cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 24 hours.
- If frosted, you can cover the cake and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- You can also slice it and store it in a closed container in the freezer for up to 1 month and defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour before enjoying.
- Please keep in mind the brown sugar frosting will firm up a LOT in the fridge or freezer, but it still tastes great. If you store it in the fridge, you will need to use an electric mixer to re-whip the frosting so that it is spreadable.
Leave a Reply