Black Velvet Halloween Cake- Gluten Free and Vegan

Hi Guys!!! Here we are, with just a few days to Halloween and all of the festivities are under way. In fact, I made these brownies to take to school today because Coco was the farmer in the first grade rendition of “The Little Pumpkin.” Pete and I were all excited to go and see her and I was in charge of bringing treats and juice. But after sitting in traffic in the middle of the day for 35 minutes to get the three miles to school and then parking and hauling all the stuff in, we were 6 minutes late. And the play was already over. Waaahhhhh!!! I seriously could have cried. Apparently the first grade is incredibly punctual and the play is incredibly short (turns out it is 3 minutes long). Coco said- “Really mom? Really???” Parent Fail. Thank goodness the treats helped make up for it and lots of parents generously shared their video footage with me. Gahhh…..

So, ripe with parental guilt, I baked my kids this cake today.

I have a Black Velvet Cake on the site that I made years ago and that I have had many requests for in a reformed version- So here you go: Black Velvet Halloween Cake made with no gluten, dairy, eggs, soy or nuts!! It also happens to be vegan. Pretty cool huh?! Especially when you taste it and realize that it is completely delicious and no one would know the difference. (Oh! Just like the brownies that I brought today- no parents and no kids noticed for a split second that they were the same- totally allergen free.)

I did have to use some black food coloring to get the cake this dark, but the dark cocoa powder made for a really dark cake to begin with, so I didn’t need some crazy amount of food coloring. Just use your best judgment on the color/food coloring situation.

And more food coloring (sorry!!! It is Halloween) in the frosting. I love the purple color, but you could go for bright green or orange and I think that would be cool too. The ganache is SO rich and silky and amazing and is the perfect glue for the riot of sprinkles and candy eye-balls and bones that the kids and I harvested from the sprinkle drawer. That is really what makes the cake so charming, but I bet you would be surprised how many great sprinkles they are carrying at your grocery store this time of year. Have fun with this cake and enjoy it this weekend or on Monday for ultimate parent or friend points!

Black Velvet Halloween Cake- Gluten Free and Vegan

Author: Heather Christo

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

Black Velvet Cake:
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 ½ cups All purpose gluten free flour (I use bobs red mill brand)
1 cup Unsweetened Dark Cocoa powder
2 cups Sugar (I use organic Beet Sugar)
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 tablespoon Xanthum Gum
1 teaspoon kosher salt
⅔ cup melted coconut oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ ounce black food coloring
“Buttercream” Vanilla Frosting:
1 cup vegan butter at room temperature (I used soy free)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons of unsweetened coconut milk
purple food coloring ( I used the neon purple variety found at every grocery store)
Ganache:
½ cup canned unsweetened coconut cream (I use Trader Joes Brand)
6 ounces vegan chocolate chips
Any kind of Halloween candies or sprinkles

Instructions

For the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 8” round cake pans with
Baking spray and a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.
Combine the coconut milk and the vinegar and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and then pour in the oil, coconut milk mixture, vanilla and black food coloring. Beat together over medium speed until really well combined and black in color.
Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and gently smooth the batter to the edges of the pan with a spatula. Bake the cake layers for 25-28 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and then set aside to cool completely.
For the Ganache:
In a medium saucepan heat the coconut milk until simmering. Remove the milk from the burner and add the chocolate chips. Set aside for a few minutes then whisk until the ganache is smooth and creamy and the chocolate has completely melted into the milk. Then set aside to cool to room temperature while the cake is cooling.
For the Frosting:
In the bowl of a standing mixer whip together the vegan butter and the powdered sugar with the vanilla extract and the tablespoon or two of coconut milk. When the frosting is light and fluffy and smooth, add the food coloring until you get to the color that you like (I used like 30 drops!)
When the cake is completely cool place one layer on a cake plate and frost it well with the frosting. Add the second layer and cover the entire cak ei frosting.
Drip the ganache around the edges of the cake, and they will naturally drip over the edges. Sprinkle the sprinkles and candies around the edges of the cake. Slice and serve!