Description
A rich and moist vegan Easter egg cake featuring layers of chocolate sponge infused with hot coffee, filled and coated with vegan strawberry Italian meringue buttercream, topped with a luscious vegan chocolate ganache drip, and decorated with vegan chocolate Easter eggs and mini eggs. Perfectly dairy-free and egg-free, this cake is a festive treat suitable for vegans and chocolate lovers alike.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 280 g plain flour
- 250 g soft brown sugar
- 80 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder (or unsweetened dark cocoa powder)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 236 ml soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 100 ml sunflower oil (or light olive oil or rapeseed oil)
- 200 ml hot strong coffee
Buttercream and Decoration
- 1 batch vegan strawberry Italian meringue buttercream
- 100 g chilled full-fat canned coconut milk
- 50 g vegan dark chocolate
- 1 medium or large vegan Easter egg of choice
- 75 g vegan mini eggs
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). Line the base of three 6-inch cake tins with parchment paper circles and lightly spray the sides with oil spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, soft brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt until well combined.
- Make Vegan Buttermilk: In a jug, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir and let it sit for 10 minutes to curdle gently and create vegan buttermilk.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the vegan buttermilk, sunflower oil, vanilla extract, and hot strong coffee to the dry ingredients. Whisk carefully to combine all elements into a smooth batter, being careful not to overmix to ensure the cake remains tender.
- Bake the Cakes: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake tins. Bake for 30-35 minutes, testing doneness by inserting a skewer into the center; it should emerge clean. Let the cakes cool in the tins for 15-20 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack. Once cooled, refrigerate the cakes in an airtight container. Chilling helps the cake layers become firmer and easier to work with during decorating.
- Prepare Buttercream: Make the vegan strawberry Italian meringue buttercream as per your recipe or instructions, preparing enough to frost the cake and coat the exterior.
- Make Ganache Drip: Chop the vegan dark chocolate and place it in a heat-resistant bowl. Gently heat the canned coconut milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers. Pour the hot coconut milk over the chopped chocolate, let sit for 2-3 minutes to melt, then stir until smooth. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature (about 20-30 minutes) to thicken slightly.
- Trim Cake Layers: Using a serrated knife, level the tops of the cakes by cutting off any domes to achieve even layers, facilitating neat stacking.
- Assemble the Cake: Place a small dollop of frosting on a cake turntable and secure the first cake layer on top. Spread a layer of frosting over this layer using an offset spatula. Continue layering with the remaining cakes and frosting, finishing with the final cake layer on top.
- Coat the Cake: Reserve half of your buttercream to frost the outside of the cake. Use the buttercream to coat the top and sides smoothly, employing a cake scraper for an even finish.
- Apply Ganache Drip: Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, using a spatula to gently coax it down the edges creating a decorative drip effect around the sides.
- Decorate with Easter Eggs: Cut or break the vegan Easter egg into 3-4 pieces. Arrange the pieces on top of the cake and fill the chocolate egg pieces with vegan mini eggs for a festive appearance.
- Storage: Keep the cake at room temperature on the day you serve it. If storing for later, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will keep well for 4-5 days.
Notes
- Using hot strong coffee enhances the chocolate flavor in the cake layers.
- Chilling the cakes before decorating helps with clean, neat frosting application.
- Ensure the coconut milk is full-fat and chilled for a smooth ganache.
- The cake can be customized with different non-dairy milks according to preference.
- All decorations and ingredients used are vegan-friendly.
