This vegan Texas sheet cake pairs a moist chocolate cake with warm, rich chocolate icing. It is an easy crowd dessert for parties, birthdays, potlucks, and family gatherings.
Ingredients
CAKE
- Nonstick spray for pan
- ½ cup (120 ml) soy milk at room temperature
- 1½ tsp (7 ml) lemon juice, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup (2 sticks [227 g]) vegan butter (see Sister Tips) (nut-free if needed)
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- ⅓ cup (35 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (spooned and leveled or weighed)
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled or weighed)
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240 g) vegan sour cream, plain nondairy yogurt or Cashew Cream at room temperature (nut-free if needed)
- 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
ICING
- ½ cup (1 stick [113 g]) vegan butter (see Sister Tips) (nut-free if needed)
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) soy milk or nondairy milk of choice (nut-free if needed)
- ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (spooned and leveled or weighed)
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 13 x 18–inch (33 x 46–cm) baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside (see Sister Tips). In a small bowl, whisk together the soy milk and lemon juice. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes, until curdled.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the butter until melted. Add the water and cocoa powder. Whisk to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Once it reaches a boil, remove the mixture from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt. Pour the slightly cooled butter mixture into the flour mixture. Beat with a hand mixer or the stand mixer until just combined. Add the sour cream, vanilla and milk mixture and beat until just combined, scraping the sides as needed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just crumbs, no raw batter.
- When the cake has about 10 minutes left in the oven, prepare the icing: In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the butter, milk and cocoa powder. Whisk constantly until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Lower the heat to low and add the powdered sugar. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Whisk until completely mixed and smooth.
- Remove the cake from the oven, allow it to cool for 3 to 5 minutes, then pour the warm icing on top and spread it evenly over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely, 1 to 2 hours, then slice into 24 pieces and serve.
For this recipe, we recommend using vegan buttery sticks, rather than from the tub.You can bake a half batch of this cake in a 9 x 13–inch (23 x 33–cm) baking pan, keeping the baking time the same.