Vegan pastries are made without any animal-based products such as milk, eggs, or butter. Instead, vegan bakers use plant-based substitutes, such as bananas, flaxseeds, or non-trans margarine. Gluten-free pastries, on the other hand, use non-wheat flour to avoid the complex gluten protein found in regular wheat flour. While vegan cakes are free of animal products, they can still be heavily processed. Many vegan chocolate cake recipes call for flax or chia seeds, which contain protein to provide a structure that allows cakes to rise, just like eggs.
These vegan cakes may not be as light and spongy as a good win, a fat-free whipped cake or an Italian lemon and olive oil cake. To assemble the cake, place one of the cooled cakes on a platter, Lazy Susan, or a cake stand and spread half of the icing on the top and sides. Different types of flour can be used to make vegan cakes; cake flour, all-purpose flour, or even homemade cake flour can be used. However, these cakes may not have that spongy texture. White chocolate chips or a combination of white chocolate and dark chocolate are a great substitute for chocolate chips in this vegan chocolate cake.
Maple syrup is another option, but if you use it in your own vegan cake, be sure to reduce the liquids in the recipe to balance things out. Making your own vegan cake also has the added benefit of knowing exactly what ingredients you're using, which helps reduce any unhealthy or unpleasant ingredients. Vinegar works a little differently than flaxseed and chia; it reacts with the baking soda in the recipe to create an extra effect, resulting in the lightest and fluffiest vegan chocolate cake you've ever tasted. In my previous life, before becoming a vegan food blogger, I had my own bakery company and that means that I have baked more chocolate cakes than I can count over the years. To store this vegan chocolate cake properly, place it in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To assemble the second layer of the cake, carefully place the other cake face down on top of the first cake layer and spread the rest of the icing on the top and sides, mixing the top and bottom layers as you go. For decoration, we glazed an egg-free and dairy-free cake with vegan vanilla frosting and dairy-free Belgian chocolate, and then we added mini donuts, cones, cupcakes and vegan sprinkles for a total show.
