Chocolate cake - but hold the dairy

[silverbrow]

I need a bit of help with a non-dairy chocolate cake. I've looked through the best chocolate cake thread but to no avail.

I'm making the cake for people who don't eat any dairy products and I really would like to make a rich chocolate cake. My preference is not to use substitutes, especially for cream, although I accept I may have to use margarine as a sub for butter.

Any recipes are gratefully received.

[Moopheus]

I don't have it at hand right at the moment, but there is such a recipe in the Angelika Kitchen cookbook, The Angelica Home Kitchen.

[bkeith]

I need a bit of help with a non-dairy chocolate cake.  I've looked through the best chocolate cake thread but to no avail.

I'm making the cake for people who don't eat any dairy products and I really would like to make a rich chocolate cake.  My preference is not to use substitutes, especially for cream, although I accept I may have to use margarine as a sub for butter.

Any recipes are gratefully received.

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If you're going to substitute for butter in a chocolate cake recipe, I'd personally go with plain shortening rather than margarine. I'm not a big fan of shortening in baked goods per se, but I really, really HATE artificial butter flavor. I even have to hold my breath as I walk by the concessions stand at the movie theater.

[vinelady]

Here is webpage that has a wonderful vegan chocolate cake that was designed by America's Test Kitchen. It is one of my favorite cakes.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/149861_...&searchdiff=476

[Pam R]

My preference is not to use substitutes, especially for cream, although I accept I may have to use margarine as a sub for butter.

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I feel like we've been here before!

I know and understand that you would rather not use substitutes, but I have had great success with that certain liquid coffee creamer substitue. And quite honestly, with the quantities you would use in the cake, and all the flavour from the cooca and vanilla and other ingredients... you won't get a strong flavour from it.

Another thing I will be experimenting with shortly - that I meantioned on the Shabbos thread is the potato milk. I don't know if it's available outside of Canada yet but it's the best parve sub for milk that I have found.

[mira]

I have an excellent recipe for a vegan chocolate cake which uses oil instead of butter or margarine and it is incredible and supermoist. I make it all the time and everyone loves it-no one ever knows it's vegan. The recipe is at home and I am (sadly) at work but I'll post it later

[mkfradin]

Instead of substituting margarine for butter, why not use a chocolate cake with oil as the shortening? I submitted my chocolate cake in the chocolate cake thread, and instead of buttermilk or buttermilk powder, just use a tablespoon of vinegar and enough water to make a cup per cup of buttermilk. Also, Hersheys has some recipes for cakes with oil and vinegar--go to their web site and see if they are posted.

For your frosting, you can use a simple buttercream with shortening. If you want a chocolate frosting, use either cocoa powder dissolved in enough hot water to make a paste, or melted chocolate (unsweetened or bittersweet, depending on the sweetness of your buttercream).

It won't taste as good as a butter-based frosting, but for people who can't eat dairy, it's a fine substitute.

Marjorie

[Swisskaese]

Here is an eggless, dairyless chocolate cake from Giorgio Locatelli. You can leave off the whip cream decoration and make a chocolate glaze with margarine.

Torta di Cioccolata alla Margherita

[McDuff]

I have to make a dairy free cake for Friday and they're getting a chiffon genoise with soy milk ganache. If it had to be chocolate, I'd make chocolate chiffon genoise or chocolate angel food cake.

[bloviatrix]

Do you want to make a "cake" cake meaning it has a crumb, or would a mousse cake do? Alice Medrich has a cake called Chocolate Deception which is very rich and has no dairy. It also is very low in fat.

[halloweencat]

make sure to read the ingredients on anything labelled "non-dairy."

a common ingredient is casein, which will not be in keeping with your vegan aspirations.

also, just to say, i regularly substitute a vegan margerine (i forget the name, it comes in a yellow tub) for butter. i myself do not like the heavy, cloying taste of butter. this spread does not taste "funny" the way most margerines do, and i bake with it. i'm not saying it tastes exactly the same as butter, mind, only that it has a pleasant, light sweetness and that i've used it as a substitute, to my satisfaction.

i'll look in my fridge and get the name.

cheers :)

hc