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Ultimate Chocolate Birthday Cake (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, vegan) | In Johnna's Kitchen

The Ultimate Chocolate Birthday Cake (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, nut-free)

Author Johnna

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 1 cup Johnna's Favorite Gluten-Free Flour Blend
  • 1 cup almond meal , sunflower meal or sesame meal (photos show with sesame meal, see notes)
  • 2 cups coconut sugar
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder (indulge, buy a good one like Askinosie)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon guar gum
  • 2 Tablespoons chia powder (finely ground chia seeds in high speed blender or spice grinder) in 6 Tablespoons hot water (this is an alternative to two eggs)
  • 6 ounces dairy-free yogurt (soy, almond and coconut were all tested in this recipe)
  • 1 1/4 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk (almond and hemp were tested in this recipe)
  • 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Bean Paste or vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee (optional but enhances chocolate flavor)
  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries , thinly sliced and patted dry, plus additional whole berries for the top and sides.

For the Frosting:

  • 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I use Guittard)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 8 Tablespoons vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
  • 4 Tablespoons shortening (I use Earth Balance or Spectrum palm shortening)
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk (almond and hemp both work well)
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste or vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line three 8" cake pans with parchment paper. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray or oil of your choice.
  3. In a small bowl, combine chia seed powder and 6 Tablespoons of hot water. Allow to sit and form a gel-like substance while you mix other ingredients. (This is often referred to as a chia slurry. It is an egg alternative.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, almond/sunflower/sesame meal, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and guar gum. Stir to combine.
  5. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together yogurt, milk, oil, vanilla bean paste and instant coffee powder. Once well combined, add in chia seed gel. Stir well.
  6. Add wet mixture to dry, stirring well to combine.
  7. Once batter is mixed, pour 2 cups of batter into each of the three cake pans. You will have batter remaining. Split it evenly between the three cake pans. (It will be between 1/3 and 1/2 cup for each pan.)
  8. Bake cake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean when the cake is done. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely (this is important) before removing the cakes from the pan and assembling.

For the Frosting:

  1. Melt the unsweetened chocolate either in a double boiler OR in the microwave. Once chocolate is completely melted, allow to cool to room temperature.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine powdered sugar, vegan butter alternative, shortening, 1/3 cup of the milk and vanilla bean paste.
  3. Turn mixer on low for one minute, allow ingredients to combine. Once well combined, you may wish to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then turn mixer onto medium and mix for two more minutes.
  4. Turn mixer to low and slowly drizzle in the melted chocolate. Once the chocolate is incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium and mix for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. If the frosting is too thick, add the remaining milk a couple of teaspoons at a time until it is the perfect consistency for you.

To Assemble:

  1. Choose a cake stand or plate for your cake. Cover the edges with parchment paper strips that will fit just under the edge of the cake. These will keep your plate clean while you frost the cake and can be easily removed when you are finished.
  2. PLEASE make sure your cakes are completely cooled before assembling. You may even prefer to refrigerate them before assembling. Frosting will hold better on a cool cake and it is easier to remove the cakes from the pan in once piece if they are completely cool.
  3. Gently invert the first cake pan onto the cake plate or stand. Carefully pull the parchment paper off.
  4. Top with 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the frosting. Spread gently with an offset spatula.
  5. Top the frosting with a layer of sliced strawberries. It is important to pat dry the strawberries so there is no excess moisture between the layers of your cake.
  6. Repeat this process with the second layer cake.
  7. Now add the third layer.
  8. At this point, frost the entire cake with a very thin layer of frosting, similar to a "crumb coat" of frosting.
  9. Choose to frost the cake however suits your fancy. I used a large tip to pipe loose roses or swirls around the top edge. I sliced strawberries in half and pressed them along the bottom edge and topped the cake with whole strawberries.
  10. Pull parchment strips away from cake when done frosting. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This would easily serve 10-12 people, as it is so rich a narrow sliver of cake will satisfy most.

Recipe Notes

The sesame meal used in this recipe was created by placing sesame seeds in a spice grinder or high speed blender and processing until a smooth flour was created. This is not the same as bennecake flour, which is made with a different variety of sesame seeds than those typically found in the grocery store.