There is nothing like a good piece of chocolate cake. I love this recipe -it  has a  soft and fudgy texture, and most importantly an intense chocolate taste. The peanut butter frosting is silky and smooth. Perfect for a birthday or special occasion. From my family to yours – happy cooking!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder preferably dutch processed
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 60 grams vegan dark chocolate
• 2 cups soy or almond milk
• 2 teaspoons vinegar (not balsamic, preferably plain or cider)
• 230 g unsalted vegan ghee (or margarine but ghee produces a softer texture)
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting

• 160 g creamy peanut butter
• 120 g cup vegan butter, room temperature
• 2 cup icing (powdered)  sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tbsp non-dairy milk (soy, almond)

Method

For the cake:

1. pre-Heat the oven to 180°C not fan forced and arrange a rack in the middle. Spray 2 (9-inch) round cake pans generously oil. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of baking paper, then spray the paper. Dust the pans all over with flour, tapping any excess out; set aside.
2. Sift the measured flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl; set aside to cool slightly. In a another non-reactive bowl combine the soy or rice milk and vinegar; set aside.
4. Beat the ghee/margarine and sugars in an electric mixer medium-high speed until fluffy and well combined, about 7 minutes, stopping as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the melted chocolate and vanilla and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce the speed to low, add a third of the flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated. Add a third of the soy milk mixture and mix until just incorporated. Continue with the remaining flour and soy milk mixtures, alternating between each and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until all ingredients are just incorporated.
5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread the tops evenly with a spoon or spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in their pans on a rack for 10 minutes. Slide a thin paring knife around the edges, invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the bottom round of paper, and cool completely.

For the frostng

To make frosting, blend all ingredients together with mixer on medium speed until fluffy and smooth. Pipe onto the top of one cake, then place the second cake on top and cover the surface area with the rest of the frosting.

Enjoy!