HealthyHappyLife.com

  • recipes
  • cookbooks
  • about
  • subscribe
  • mom life
  • travel
  • blogging
  • videos
  • free gift!
  • shop
menu icon
go to homepage
  • recipes
  • cookbooks
  • about
  • subscribe
  • mom life
  • travel
  • blogging
  • videos
  • free gift!
  • shop
search icon
Homepage link
  • recipes
  • cookbooks
  • about
  • subscribe
  • mom life
  • travel
  • blogging
  • videos
  • free gift!
  • shop
×
  • Plant-Based Recipes for Hot Summer Days
  • Simple Vegan Cacio e Pepe Pasta - One-Pot Meal
  • Summer Dress Try-On: My Favorite Twirl-Tested, Celebration-Worthy Picks
  • Face: What Our Skincare Routines Say About Modern Motherhood
  • Still Obsessed: My Rothy’s Code + Review (2025)
  • My Pandemic Baby Is Graduating Preschool
  • 5 Comfy-Cute, One Piece Swimsuits - Long Torso Edit
  • Spring Fling: Best Garden & Outdoor Finds for Your Home & Kids
  • Plant-Based Protein Sources: The Ultimate Guide // Back to Basics Series
  • Overthinking Won't Save You — But This Might
  • Creative Mom Working From Home: Glitter, Chaos, & On-Brand Post-its
  • The Ultimate Copenhagen with Kids Guide: Where to Stay, Eat & Play
Home » recipes » dessert

Mocha Layer Cake.

by Kathy Patalsky · updated: Mar 23, 2020 · published: Sep 3, 2012 · About 5 minutes to read this article. 1 Comment


My Vegan Mocha Layer Cake layers moist, coffee-infused, pecan-cinnamon cake with creamy, dreamy coconut-vanilla frosting and a messy black and white zig-zag ripple of melted dark chocolate. Call it the "mocha latte" you can slice and devour with a fork. Crave this bite - and make it for yourself!..

The funny thing about baking a brand new cake recipe is that usually I will make it, frost it, photoshoot it and THEN after all has been done .. taste test it. Dead last. So I run the risk of well-what-if-this-tastes-yucky-and-I-have-to-start-all-over?

Well thank goodness, the flavors and texture lived up to my expectations. YUM.

This cake is a mocha-inspired dessert. Coffee-infused cake, complete with foamy-latte inspired white frosting. Vanilla, chocolate, coffee + warm cinnamon, a breeze of tropical coconut and nutty pecans for texture.

The coconut oil frosting melts in your mouth as a burst of rich chocolate mingles with bitter coffee and sweet cinnamon and coconut.

Mocha. Cake. Photoshoot..

Coconut-frosting slathered pecan-coffee cake..

Pretty, creamy white swirls of frosting..

Dark chocolate sauce - all melty - ready to be poured over the chilled frosted cake..

Drizzle it..

More chocolate. Chocolate chips on top too..

Slice and serve..

Choco-coffee .. mocha dreaminess!..

Yes this is 100% vegan..

Coffee Cake. I loved this cake - it definitely brings new meaning to the recipe phrase "coffee cake." This is a chocolate, coffee, coconut, pecan, cinnamon, vanilla kind of cake..

I'm (finally) Instagram-ing! It was so pretty I decided to make it my very first Instagram photo.

A little MORE chocolate sauce please..

Vegan Mocha Layer Cake
vegan, makes one 9" layer cake

dry:
2 ¼ cups white whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cups organic sugar
¼ cup instant coffee
1 ½ tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

wet:
¼ cup vegetable oil (canola, coconut or safflower work)
6oz. plain soy yogurt
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
¾ cup almond or soy milk, plain

fold in: 1 cup chopped pecans, raw

vanilla coconut frosting:
10oz. virgin coconut oil
3 ½ cups powdered sugar, organic
½ cup vegan cream cheese (optional - makes extra creamy)
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 tablespoon almond or soy milk or soy creamer

Chocolate drizzle:
½ cup dark chocolate chips, vegan
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
pinch salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Blend dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Fold in the wet ingredients. Blend well - lightly beat with hand mixer if desired. Fold in the pecans. This batter is on the wet side - the pecans and chia seeds soak up much moisture during the bake.

3. For the pans you have two options. You can either do what I did - which was to bake one thick cake in a 9" round glass cake dish, then once the cooked cake chills (in the fridge) slice it into two layers. Or, option #2: you can use two cake pans and bake thinner layers separately. However, I actually liked just cooking one cake because it kept the layers very moist. Plus less clean-up.

4. Grease your cake dish with veggie oil and pour in the batter.

5. Bake cake until cooked through. My one thick cake took about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Two thinner cakes will only need around 25 minutes.

6. Allow cake to fully cool - then place in the fridge to chill. I did this the night before I frosted my cake - two day process to make this cake. If doing same day, the cake should chill in a few hours.

7. When you are ready to frost and serve your cake, whip up the frosting with a hand mixer. You want your coconut oil to be room temperature - but not melted. Silky enough to scoop out of the container with a spoon. Allow your vegan cream cheese (if using) to warm to room temp too so that it doesn't harden the coconut oil while blending. Blend the coconut oil with the sugar and slowly add in the non-dairy milk + vegan cream cheese + salt + vanilla. Blend until silky smooth and fluffy. But DO NOT over beat the frosting or you will start to melt the frosting.

8. Pull your chilled cake from the fridge - if you baked one cake like me, slice into two thin layers (I used a bread knife.) Start frosting. As the frosting hits the chilled cake it will firm up a bit so frost with care. Don't move it around too much. Lightly frost the bottom layer - top with second cake layer and frost the rest of the cake.

9. Set the frosted cake in the fridge for just a few minutes while you prepare your chocolate drizzle. You want your cake to be chilled when the warm chocolate hits the frosting so that it hardens the chocolate upon contact. Think of it as a sort of "magic shell" drizzle.

10. Sauce: Add the dark chocolate chips + coconut oil to a microwave safe dish and heat for about 30 seconds. Stir briskly until the chocolate melts and is smooth.

11. Drizzle the wet chocolate sauce over top the slightly chilled cake. The drizzle should harden in a few minutes.

12. Allow the cake to come back to room temperature before serving - usually take about 15-20 minutes. This will soften the cake and the frosting.

Slice and serve! If eating the entire cake in one day (say for an event or party) you can leave covered on the countertop at room temperature to prevent the frosting from hardening. But if storing overnight, store in the fridge. Note: the frosting gets very hard in the fridge so you will need to let the chilled cake thaw for about 20 minutes before serving.

And because I simply cannot help myself (more photos...)

More All Posts

  • Back to Basics: The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Egg Replacers
  • kathy patalsky hbd 44 joy
    I Bought Myself a Cameo for My Birthday - And No, I Haven't Watched it Yet
  • Easy English Muffin Pizzas for Kids (Vegan & Kid-Approved!)
  • 44. birthday post.

About Kathy Patalsky

Hey there! I'm Kathy, lover of kitty cats, weekend baking, 90's movies, travel, beach fog and foamy lattes. Since 2007, I have been sharing my vegan recipes and photos. My goal is to make your cooking life a little easier, delicious - and plant-loaded - while sharing some LIFE and conversation along the way.

Hi, I'm Kathy! I'm so glad you are here! I've been sharing my vegan life and recipes here on the blog since 2007...

More about me →

my cookbooks
my books

Latest Posts

  • 7 Foods for Lung Health During Wildfire Pollution
  • Letter from the Editor: Embracing the Holiday Time Glow
  • Vegan Holiday Recipe Quicklist
  • Holiday Gift Guide for 4-5-Year-Olds: Top Picks for Magic and Fun!

Trending

  • All Posts
  • appetizer
  • Mom Life
  • recipes
  • personal
  • dessert
  • holiday
  • Smoothies
  • snacks
  • kid recipes
  • kid crafts
  • salad
  • Sandwiches
  • entree
  • 101 Things I Love. Happiness Reflection.
  • 5-Minute Skillet Chickpeas
  • Vegan Dining at Disneyland - 2023 - Complete List!
  • 7 Tips for Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
  • avocado toast with mushrooms
    Mushroom Avocado Toast
  • peanut butter chickpeas
    Easy Peanut Butter Curry Chickpeas

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • about kathy
  • press
  • © 2024 polished dc, llc
  • Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

Newsletter

  • sign up..
  • subscriber gift: vegan cheat sheets!

Contact

  • work with me

Goodies

  • shop
  • cookbooks
  • finding vegan
  • videos