Best dairy free chocolate cake

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It was Jamie’s birthday earlier this month and usually his go-to cake request is strawberry cake and we’re usually just grabbing a boxed mix off the shelf at the grocery store. He said he was in the mood for chocolate cake this year. I had some free time, so rather than another boxed mix, we decided to bake from scratch. It definitely didn’t disappoint. I scoured the internet for the best cake recipe and discovered that if one is going to make a chocolate cake, it should be Ina Garten’s recipe. And I can tell you from experience that it is in fact one of the best chocolate cakes we’ve ever had. Keep reading for the recipe and for my tips on how to make it dairy free!

The cake was so moist, rich with flavor and just the right amount of chocolate. The secret ingredient? Coffee! You’d never guess that it was in there, but it really brings out the flavor of the chocolate. I also paired it with our favorite dairy-free buttercream frosting!

Preparing your cake

I never knew much about decorating cakes until I married Jamie. His mom and sister are the experts when it comes to frosting and decorating. Let your cakes cool slightly when they come out of the oven and then overturn them onto cooling racks. Once the cakes are completely cool, cut off the top of each cake to make them flat and even. The cake tops can be set aside for the taste testers in your house. My husband says that this is his favorite part of the cake.

Best Dairy Free Chocolate Cake (adapted from Ina Garten’s Chocolate Cake recipe)

Ingredients

1 3/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour
2 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk or half and half
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. hot coffee
chocolate buttercream frosting (see recipe below)

Make it dairy-free

In order to make this chocolate cake recipe dairy free, simply substitute the buttermilk for a non-dairy milk of your choice or vegan buttermilk. To make vegan buttermilk, take 1 c. of non-dairy milk (I prefer almond or oat, but any kind is fine) and add 1 Tbsp. white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and set aside for about 10 minutes.

1. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and line with circles of parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients except for the coffee.
4. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing on low the entire time. While still mixing, add the coffee until just combined. Make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
5. Pour batter evenly into both cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted at the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in pans for 20 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Dairy-free chocolate buttercream frosting

1/2 c. dairy-free butter sticks, softened
2-2.5 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-3 Tbsp. non-dairy milk
1/8 tsp. salt

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Carefully add the other ingredients and beat for 5-7 minutes until light and airy.
2. If your frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk.

*Just a note that dairy-free butter is a lot softer than regular butter. If you’re making this frosting during warmer months, you’ll want to refrigerate this cake after frosting it and until you’re ready to serve it.

I don’t know about you, but this dairy free chocolate cake will definitely make more appearances in our home in the future.