There really shouldn't ever be a special reason for making a delicious chocolate cake, but if there is, even better. Seven layers of rich fudge cake and delicious buttercream, topped with chocolate truffles, and more chocolate. The best way of celebrating anything, really. One other thing that is great about this cake is that it is completely egg-free and dairy-free.
As with all vegan baking, make sure that all of the ingredients, as well as the process used to make them, are actually vegan. And by this I predominantly mean sugars and cocoa powder. Also, some dark chocolates can still contain dairy products, so check for those, too. Finally, if you wish to use any other type of plant-based milk, feel free to do so.
Ingredients
For the cake layers
200 grams plain flour
200 grams unrefined sugar
100 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
200 grams dark chocolate
350 grams soya yoghurt
200 ml cold water
For the fudge filling
250 grams vegan butter, at room temperature
350 grams vegan icing sugar
50 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
100 grams dark chocolate
2 tablespoons dark rum
6 tablespoons soya milk
Preparation
For the cake layers, start by sifting together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda into a large bowl. Add in the sugar, and whisk everything well. Melt the chocolate over low heat (or in the microwave), and set it aside to cool down a bit. Add the soya yoghurt and water to the dry ingredients, and lightly mix. By then, the chocolate should be cool enough to add, so pour it in the batter, and mix it through.
Once the batter is smooth, pour it evenly in four 15 cm round cake pans, lined with baking paper. Bake them in a preheated oven, at 180°C (350°F), for about 15 minutes. When the cake layers are baked and ready, let them cool almost completely in the cake tins, then remove them carefully and let them finish cooling on a wire rack.
While the cakes are cooling, make the filling. Melt the chocolate over low heat, and let it cool down almost completely, but it needs to stay pourable. Place the butter in a large bowl, and cream with an electric mixer on high until it becomes smooth and lighter in colour, about 5 minutes. Sift in the cocoa powder, and continue mixing until it is completely smooth. Check if the chocolate has cooled enough, then pour it in the buttercream, and blend well.
At this point, the filling will become softer, but that is fine. Sift in half of the icing sugar, and continue beating with an electric mixer on high until all the sugar is incorporated. Pour in the rum and milk, and blend it again. Finally, sift in the rest of the icing sugar, and let the mixer run for at least 5 minutes, so the filling becomes light and airy.
To assemble, place one of the cake layers on the serving platter, and spread a portion of the filling, then top with another cake layer, and continue stacking until you’ve used up all of the cake. Spread the of the filling over the whole cake, and place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, so the filling can firm up. Once the cake has chilled, decorate it as desired, and return it to the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
Baker's note: If your vegan butter has a higher water content, increase the amount of icing sugar or cocoa powder, depending on your sweetness preference, until you reach the desired consistency.
