Delicious Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

Vegetarian Family Recipe Makes Richly Flavored Chocolate Dessert

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Nov 13, 2009 Elizabeth Kelleher

This recipe for chocolate cake is a family tradition from South Dakota and can be served completely vegan or in a variety of delicious ways for omnivores too.

During World War II and immediately afterward as a result of rationing, many families got creative with their sweets-baking. This era is the genesis for a traditional family recipe for chocolate cake that provides a rich chocolate taste and moist consistency without using any eggs, butter or milk. Originating from a great-aunt's recipe book in South Dakota, the cake has come to be known as South Dakota Cake within the family and relies on vegetable oil, vinegar, cocoa powder and left-over coffee to provide some punch to the chocolate flavor.

When served with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar or a vegan frosting this cake is entirely vegan, though you'd never guess that from the flavor! For omnivores, the cake is absolutely delicious with vanilla buttercream frosting, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

South Dakota Cake by Ethel Harvey Lembke

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups of sugar (sugar in the raw may be used instead of standard baking sugar)
  • 1/2 cup of baking cocoa (Dutch process cocoa provides a very rich flavor)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 2 cups coffee (water may also be subsituted)
  • 2/3 of a cup vegetable oil (safflower or another 'light' tasting oil is recommended)
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (red wine vinegar helps punch up the chocolate flavor)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and allow to pre-heat while mixing ingredients
  2. Prepare a 9x13x2 oblong non-stick pan or glass dish or two 9 or 10 inch rounds. Grease with vegetable shortening and coat lightly with flour.
  3. Sift together the dry ingredients into a bowl
  4. Mix well so that the powder takes on a uniform color - pale brown
  5. Make a well in the middle of the mixture
  6. Pour in the wet ingredients one at a time (When adding the vinegar you may notice bubbles or foaming - this is a good sign that the vinegar and the soda are interacting. Lack of bubbles may indicate that your baking soda is too old)
  7. Mix again, making sure to eliminate any lumps in the batter
  8. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan or pans. If using two pans, make sure to distribute batter evenly.
  9. Lift up your pan and whack it gently against the counter to pop some of the rising bubbles and settle the batter.
  10. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Check the cake by lightly pressing on top - fingerprints should 'bounce back' when the cake is done. Otherwise use a toothpick test and gently insert a toothpick through the center. The toothpick should come out clean.
  11. Bake in additional 2-5 minute increments if not done yet when testing.
  12. Remove from oven and allow to cool, then turn out onto racks for further cooling.
  13. The cake freezes well and freezing is recommended for frosting properly.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, the slowly melting ice cream absorbs into the cake and combines contrasting flavors well.
  • Chill and serve with whipping cream. Chilling firms up the consistency of the cake.
  • Freeze overnight and frost with buttercream frosting. Frost cake carefully and decorate as desired. A double batch of frosting may be necessary if using two rounds instead of a sheet cake.
  • Make or buy raspberry sauce and serve each slice on a plate with a little puddle of sauce and powdered sugar on top and some fresh raspberries as a garnish. For this suggestion, try using raspberry-flavored vinegar to infuse the cake with a light raspberry flavor as well. This method is entirely vegan.
  • Try different flavored vinegars as well as different flavored oils mixed into your salad oil. The base should always be a light vegetable or salad oil with very little flavor, but using nut oils such as hazelnut, almond or walnut can lend the cake a light, nutty flavor that contrasts nicely with the chocolate. Reduce the amount of vegetable oil by the same amount of added flavored oil so the amount is always 2/3 of a cup.
  • Use cookie cutters to cut out cake in small, fun shapes and decorate with glaze, frosting, powdered sugar or cocoa. Use different shapes for different holidays. See the picture below for a fun Valentine's Day presentation.

If you make this cake and enjoy the recipe, please comment below with how it turned out!

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The copyright of the article Delicious Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe in Recipes is owned by Elizabeth Kelleher. Permission to republish Delicious Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
South Dakota Cake, Beth Kelleher South Dakota Cake
   
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