Mother's Day Cake (Vegan)

So I hear my blog is pretty popular with the moms. And by the moms I mean my mom, Sam's mom and my friends, Kevin's mom and Jay's mom. So yea, it's popular with the moms.

To to all these moms and more Happy Mother's Day!
Mom's are pretty special. This cake is for you. It's two two vanilla cakes & one rich chocolate cake layered with vegan vanilla cream, berries and cream cheese frosting. I will present it to my mom later tonight. She will love it. She loves baking, cooking and desserts just as much as I do. Or rather, I should say I get it from her. Also, she loves everything I do, because she's my mom.

Mom, thanks for loving me so dearly even though I'm such a brat! You're the best!

I'll update this post later with the recipe. (It's here! Keep scrolling)
Right now, I need to clean my wrecked kitchen and myself so I can go see my second mom, Cindy Kay. Sam's mom has loved and cared for me since I was 17. Plus, she raised my best friend. And did an amazing job, because he's amazing. Mama CK, I love you!

Tips: Take the time to line the cake pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease with coconut oil and lightly dust with flour. If you don't,  your cake will fall apart as it comes out. If you have time, make the vanilla cream the night before and keep it in the fridge to set up. Always sift cocoa powder. I don't sift anything else, even when recipes call for it. I don't have time for that. But I do it with cocoa powder. Finally, be prepared- this cake takes me a couple hours. 

Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe (This is my cupcake recipe halved to make just 1 layer of cake. For the best chocolate cupcakes, double this recipe.)

1/2 Cup almond milk
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (white wine vinegar will work in a pinch)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup high quality cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper in the   
  bottom and grease with coconut oil and lightly dust with flour. 
- Whisk together almond milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. 
- In a small bowl sift in cocoa powder and mix dry ingredients.
- In a large bowl mix together oil, sugar, vanilla, almond and milk mixture.
- Add dry ingredients and mix well until no large lumps remain. 
- Pour into the cake pan and spread around evenly. Bake at 350 for 18-25 minutes, until 
   toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

- Cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes, then invert onto the rack. Allow cake to 

  continue to cool outside of the pan. 

Vegan Vanilla Cake Recipe
1 Cup almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1  1/4 Cups white wheat flour
2 Tablespoons corn starch (or potato starch)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance spread
3/4 Cup organic cane sugar
1  1/2 Tablespoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper in the   

  bottom and grease with coconut oil and lightly dust with flour. 

- Whisk together almond milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. 

- In a small bowl, mix together dry ingredients

- In a large bowl, cream together sugar and Earth Balance until light and fluffy, about 2   

  minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times (Us a hand held mixer or your 
  muscles).

- Beat in milk mixture, vanilla and almond until well combined.

- Add dry ingredients and mix until no large lumps remain. (Don't over mix)

- Divide batter evenly into 2 round cake pans and spread evenly. Bake at 350 for 18-25  
  minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

- Cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes, then invert onto a wire cooling rack. Allow cake to 

  continue to cool outside of the pan. 

Vegan Vanilla Cream Recipe (Adapted from Babycakes)

1/2 Cup almond milk

2 Tablespoons vanilla

1/2 Cup soymilk powder

2 Tablespoon coconut flour

1/4 Cup agave nectar

1/4 cup powdered sugar (or more agave, but I think it helps the texture)
3/4 Cup coconut oil, melted

1 - 2 teaspoons lemon juice

- In a food processor process everything except the coconut oil and lemon juice for 2 minutes. 

- With the processor running, slowly add melted coconut oil and lemon juice and process for 1-2 minutes more.

- Store in a sealed container in the freezer for 2 hours, or in the fridge for 8+ hours to set.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

1/2 Cup vegan cream cheese (I prefer Tofutti)

1/2 Cup Earth Balance spread

2 Cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon zest

- Cream together cream cheese and buttery spread until light and fluffy.

- Add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup batches and beat until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

- Add vanilla and lemon and beat 2 minutes more.

- Keep in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. 

Fresh Berries- any combination of strawberries, black berries, raspberries & blueberries

Assembly:

- Layer 1 vanilla cake on the base. Spread 
   liberally with 1/2 of the vanilla cream. 
- Build a little "wall" of vanilla cream around 
  the rim to contain the berries and help hold 
  the cakes together. Gently press a layer of 
  berries into the vanilla cream.

- Top with the chocolate cake and repeat   
  with vanilla cream and berries. 

- Top with the final vanilla cake. 

- Use the cream cheese frosting to frost the   
  top and sides of the cake (A turntable and a good frosting spatula really helps)

- Decorate the top with fresh berries. You could also drizzle with chocolate or dip the  
   strawberries in chocolate. 

- Dont' drop it!

Now share it with your mom! (other people are ok, too)

p.s. In trying to make a Primal version of this cake that same morning, I ended up creating a Paleo caramel cake that I plan on doing something wonderful with later this week. Maybe when I have an opportunity to share with people who'll appreciate some Paleo dessert.