Vegan Mint Chocolate Cake
Rich, deeply chocolatey, and finished with a cool hit of peppermint, this layered cake is the kind of showstopper that makes people genuinely surprised it contains no eggs or dairy. The secret to the ultra-moist crumb is a simple vegan buttermilk made by combining plant-based milk with apple cider vinegar — it curdles just enough to react with the leaveners and give the layers a tender, bakery-worthy texture. Hot water thins the batter and blooms the cocoa, so every slice is intensely fudgy rather than dry or dense. The mint buttercream comes together with vegan butter, peppermint extract, and sifted powdered sugar beaten until light and fluffy, delivering that classic cool-sweet contrast against the dark chocolate layers. Optional vegan chocolate shavings on top take it from weeknight treat to celebration centerpiece in about thirty seconds. With 12 generous servings, it's built for birthdays, holidays, or any occasion where you want to prove that plant-based baking can absolutely hold its own.
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Learn more →Ingredients
12 servings
For the cake
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cups organic cane sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 cup hot water
- ½ cup neutral oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the mint buttercream
- 1 cup vegan butter, softened
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tbsp plant-based milk
- 1 ½ tsp peppermint extract
- ¼ tsp fine salt
For serving
- vegan chocolate shavings or chips, for garnish (optional)
Can be omittedchocolate shavings
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- 2
Stir together the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes until slightly curdled — this is your vegan buttermilk.
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