Vegan Chocolate Cake - Eat Well Recipe - NZ Herald (2024)

FAQs

Why is my vegan cake not fluffy? ›

CAKE NOT RISING

This can be caused by a few things already mentioned such as using the wrong egg replacer or over mixing. I always recommend using fresh raising agents. Generally, baking soda and baking powder only stay active for 3 months after opening.

To prevent your vegan cake from crumbling apart, use binding ingredients like flax eggs or applesauce, measure your ingredients accurately, avoid overmixing the batter, and bake at the correct temperature for the recommended amount of time.

Vegan cakes are made without dairy products like milk, eggs, or butter. Instead, vegan bakers use plant-based substitutes such as bananas, flax seeds, or dairy-free butters. Gluten-Free cakes, on the other hand, use non-wheat flour to avoid the complex gluten protein present in regular wheat flour.

To put it simply, a vegan cake is a cake that doesn't contain any animal-derived ingredients, most notably eggs, milk, and other dairy products. In 'regular' cakes, eggs and dairy products are among the key ingredients used to create the sponge and icing, and often decorations, too.

Most cakes begin with creaming butter and sugar together. Butter is capable of holding air and the creaming process is when butter traps that air. While baking, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy cake. No properly creamed butter = no air = no fluffiness.

The reason that you'll see apple cider vinegar or vinegar in a lot of vegan baked goods is because it helps with the leavening. It's an acid and it helps the cakes to rise.

Dairy, whether it's milk or yogurt or sour cream, helps keep baked goods moist. It's also unfortunately not vegan. But don't skimp on the creamy stuff—it really helps to make a dense and luscious-textured pastry. Experiment with alt-milks, like almond milk.

YOUR CAKE IS SINKING IN THE MIDDLE OR NOT RISING

You may not have used enough raising agents. I do recommend experimenting with double action baking powders. Otherwise try using 25 percent more chemical raising agents (baking soda or baking powder) if you're converting a recipe to gluten free. b.

You used the wrong egg substitute

This is especially true if you're trying to veganize a non-vegan recipe. Things like dairy-free yoghurt, bananas or chia 'eggs' can make your cake turn out dense and gummy if the other ingredients are not also adjusted.

Is vegan chocolate cake healthier? ›

In truth, vegan cakes might not even contain fewer calories than non-vegan ones. While they lack butter and other dairy products, it is not a given that they contain less saturated fats. In fact, some vegan substitutes for butter, like cocoa butter or coconut oil, can have similar amounts of saturated fats.

This chocolate cake will last for 4 days at room temperature IF wrapped properly: I allow the cake layers to FULLY cool before wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap. Then store them at room temperature or in the fridge.

Betty Crocker Icing

Betty Crocker frostings are made with dairy-free ingredients, such as vegetable oil and natural sweeteners. Their vegan options include: Classic Coffee. Indulgent Chocolate Fudge.

Using too much butter or oil in a cake will cause it to become wet and heavy, meaning it might collapse or break when you try to cut a slice out. On the other hand, if the level of fat is correct but you've used too much flour, your cake will turn out dry and is more likely to crumble when you cut into it.

If your oven is too cold, you'll see that your cake will not rise enough. If the oven is too hot, your cake will rise too fast and collapse when you bake it. Check the baking time in your recipe – it usually depends on the size of the cake.

Why is my eggless cake not spongy? For a spongy cake use all-purpose flour and avoid wheat flour. Sponge cakes are always made with cake flour but in this recipe all-purpose flour does the job. The bran in the wheat flour won't give you the same sponge as the all-purpose flour or cake flour does in any recipe.

If you end up with a flat cake, there are a few possible causes. Overbeating the flour will overwork its gluten, so fold in dry ingredients with a light hand. Remember to add the raising agent – self-raising flour already contains this, but if you use any other flour you need to mix in baking powder.