Dairy Free Chocolate Cake

Total time2 hr

Prep time25 min

Cook time35 min

Rich, deeply chocolatey, and genuinely impressive, this two-layer cake is the kind of showstopper that makes people forget to ask what's in it. The batter comes together with a clever trick: dairy-free milk stirred with a splash of vinegar curdles into a makeshift buttermilk that keeps every slice tender and moist. Melted coconut oil stands in for butter seamlessly, and a cup of hot water thins the batter just enough to bake up into soft, springy layers with serious depth of flavor. The frosting is a silky ganache made by pouring hot full-fat coconut milk over dairy-free chocolate chips — no powdered sugar, no shortening, just a glossy, fudgy finish that sets beautifully in the fridge. It slices cleanly, holds its shape, and tastes like the real deal because, honestly, it is. With 12 generous servings, this is the cake to bring to a birthday, a potluck, or any occasion where you want to quietly prove that skipping dairy costs you absolutely nothing.

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
King Arthur Baking Company Unbleached All-Purpose Flour Gold Medal Flour All-Purpose Unbleached - 5 Lb Bob's Red Mill Organic All Purpose Unbleached White Flour - 5 Lb Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Unbleached White Flour - 5 Lb Pillsbury Best Flour All Purpose - 5 Lb
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¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine salt
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup dairy free milk
1 tbsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
⅔ cup refined coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 cup hot water
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting

1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
10 oz dairy free chocolate chips
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 pinch fine salt

Instructions

1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with coconut oil, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease the parchment.
2
Stir the dairy free milk and vinegar together in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes until slightly curdled. This acts as a dairy-free buttermilk.

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