Why is my cake dense?

Did you mix the cake batter with care and love or mix it until silky smooth with a whisk? Overmixing the batter is one of the most common cause of dense cake, or not measuring ingredients accurately can lead to a dense texture too. Mix the batter gently with a large wooden spoon or a silicone spatula and always, always use a kitchen scale for the best results.

Can I use regular cocoa powder instead of cacao powder?

Yes, as long as it’s unsweetened cocoa powder it works perfectly for this recipe. If you use cocoa powder with added sugar, it will alter the texture and flavour.

Can I skip the caramel sauce filling?

I highly recommend adding the caramel sauce filling but yes you can skip it if you like!

Vegan Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake - Simple & Moist!

Description

Indulge in this rich and decadent vegan salted caramel chocolate cake! Moist, fluffy, and packed with deep chocolate flavour, this cake is a decadent dessert with a perfect balance of sweet and salty! this easy dairy-free and egg-free chocolate cake is frosted with vegan caramel frosting and topped with silky vegan chocolate sauce, perfect for birthdays, and celebrations, and is sure to wow everyone!

Ingredients

2 & 3/4 cups (300g) plain flour
1 & 1/4 cups (120g) cacao powder
1 & 3/4 cups (380g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (60g) cornflour
3/4 cup + 1 tbsp (200ml) vegetable oil
1 cup + 2 tbsp (280ml) soy milk
3/4 cup (220g) soy yoghurt
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 to 1 batch of vegan caramel sauce for the filling and drizzling, or store-bought vegan caramel sauce (ensure it’s not too runny)
2 batches of vegan caramel buttercream frosting for frosting the cake
Some vegan chocolate sauce for drizzling

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Sift all dry ingredients. Line the bottom and side of three 18cm(7in) cake tins with parchment paper.
Make vegan buttermilk by mixing the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together. Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the plain flour, cacao powder, cornflour, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt until they are thoroughly combined.
In another large bowl, mix the vegetable oil, soy yoghurt, vegan buttermilk, caster sugar, and vanilla extract with a whisk until smooth.
Carefully pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and gently fold until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into your prepared tins evenly and smooth the top with a palette spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 mins until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean with moist crumbs. If it comes out with wet batter though, bake another 5 mins and test again.
Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make your vegan caramel sauce if you are making it from scratch. Alternatively, prepare a store-bought vegan caramel sauce.
Once the cake is completely cool, make vegan caramel buttercream frosting and add a pinch of salt to it to make it salted caramel frosting.
Frost the first layer with the buttercream frosting with a palette knife, and using a piping bag and round star tip, draw a circle on the edge to make a little frosting wall around the cake. See the picture in the How to Make section above for reference.
Fill the well with vegan caramel sauce and sprinkle a pinch of salt on the caramel.
Repeat for the second layer and finish with the third layer with just the caramel buttercream frosting.
Frost the top of the cake using a piping bag and star tip, and drizzle it generously with vegan chocolate sauce.
Slice and enjoy!

Equipment

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Notes

If you are making your vegan caramel sauce from scratch following my recipe, ensure to cook the sauce as instructed in the recipe so that you will get the right consistency for the buttercream and filling.

Let the cake cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting and caramel sauce from melting.

Make sure to sift all of your dry ingredients, as cacao powder and cocoa powder tend to make lumps in the package.

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Category: Cake
Method: Baking