Mocha Layer Cake

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 Cakevegan, makes one 9" layer cakedry:2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour1 1/4 cups organic sugar1/4 cup instant coffee1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder1/2 tsp cinnamon1 tsp saltwet:1/4 cup vegetable oil (canola, coconut or safflower work)6oz. plain soy yogurt1 tsp chia seeds1 tsp apple cider vinegar1 tsp real vanilla extract3/4 cup almond or soy milk, plainfold in: 1 cup chopped pecans, rawvanilla coconut frosting:10oz. virgin coconut oil3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, organic1/2 cup vegan cream cheese (optional - makes extra creamy)1 tsp real vanilla extractpinch of salt2 Tbsp almond or soy milk or soy creamer

Chocolate drizzle:1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, vegan1 Tbsp virgin coconut oilpinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.1

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.1

Drizzle the wet chocolate sauce over top the slightly chilled cake. The drizzle should harden in a few minutes.1

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...)