Rich in chocolate flavour with a tender-moist crumb, and fluffy with the perfect amount of sweetness. Lathered in homemade vegan chocolate buttercream frosting, this is what chocolate layer cake recipe dreams are made of!
Make the cake: Make your buttermilk by combining the non dairy milk with the vinegar. Set aside to let thicken.
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 8 inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, beat the vegan butter with a hand or stand mixer. Cream in the white sugar and continue beating. Then add in eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, sift together gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Pour in hot water and mix together. The batter will be thin - this will create a moist cake.
Pour batter evenly into each pan. Will be just under 2 3/4 cup batter in each pan. Bake for 30-34 minutes, watching the cake carefully so it doesn't over bake.
To check if it's fully cooked, quickly open the oven door and insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done.
Allow cake to FULLY cool before frosting.
Make the frosting: In a large bowl cream the vegan butter using a hand or stand mixer. Add in 1/4 cup dairy free milk, the icing sugar one cup at a time and the vanilla slowly. Then add the cocoa powder. If icing is too thick, add the remaining 1/8 cup milk. I used all the milk in my frosting.
Place the first cake down on a cake stand or plate and frost the top. This will be the middle layer of frosting - be generous!
Place the second cake on top of the first cake, ensuring it's completely centered. Apply a very thin layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake (this will be your "crumb coat"). This acts as a glue so the cake crumbs do not come off while you are applying the thick layer of frosting. Place in fridge for 20 minutes.
Remove from refrigerator and continue icing the cake as you normally would and count on your trusty crumb coat to keep your cake surface from getting into your frosting. It’s a beautiful crumb-free thing. ENJOY!