This chocolate strawberry mousse cake is my first time baking something vegan on purpose. I wanted to see what it was like in comparison to my usual chocolate cakes, whether flourless or not.
Whatever name you give to this chocolate strawberry mousse cake, one thing is for sure, it’s really delicious and you don’t have to be vegan to make it again. It’s an awesome choice any way you look at it.
It has none of the traditional ingredients we are used to finding in a cake like butter, eggs, and milk.
So this is just a vegan cake. From a book that is not vegan at all. The one that gave me that fantastic recipe for homemade vanilla marshmallows and the killer brownies.
I’m participating in Roxana’s Chocolate Party, though I’m late for it of course, fashionably late I want to believe. The party started on monday, but hell, it’s always a good time for chocolate and strawberries, don’t you think?
When you read the list of ingredients in this cake, it feels like some non-foodie editor forgot a piece of the recipe. But though it’s common to replace butter for oil, the idea of replacing eggs with vinegar is mind-blowing. For me, eggs make up so much of a cake, not only in taste but in volume. Here they are omitted and not missed at all.
My cake sunk in the middle, because I have a habit of using only one pan. I lost all of my oven racks except for one, I suppose from all those moves, so one cake pan is the easiest way. The recipe called for two, and I guess that would’ve made it possible to have a layer cake. Filled and frosted with the chocolate mousse and fresh strawberries.
Well, you get the same here, just in a different order. The order of things doesn’t alter the product.
Chocolate mousse is a wonderful thing, but it can be time-consuming to make and you end up with a pile of dirty bowls, and who wants those right? That is, on top of the ones you used for the cake. So this method of making a chocolate mousse I had seen a year ago. Just two ingredients, chocolate, and hot water. Chocolate is ruined if you add a few drops of water, but not if you add a lot.
It does work, so well and so simple. Melt chocolate, add hot water and beat the heck out of it over a bowl of ice water. It will suddenly start getting cold and stiff, like a mousse. Nothing will appear to happen for the first few minutes.
But just wait and see. Chocolate mousse in no time. And perfect for filling. If it gets too hard you add a few teaspoons of hot water. And the chocolate flavor is absolute. So use a chocolate you love straight from the packet. In my case, it’s very dark and very semi-sweet.
Perfect for the chocolate cake and the tanginess of the strawberries, because it’s fall here and let’s just say that these little red fruits are not in their sweetest mood.
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Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups 280g all purpose flour
- ¾ cup 100g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 ¾ cups 450cc soy milk
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 2/3 cups 320g sugar
- 1 ¼ cups 315cc sunflower oil
- 2 Tbs vanilla extract
For the chocolate mousse:
- 10 oz. 280g dark semi sweet chocolate, chopped
- ¾ cup 190cc hot water
- Ice
- 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries (hulled and sliced)
- Powdered sugar (for sprinkling)
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Butter or grease a 8-inch springform cake pan.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, and salt. Mix a little to combine and make a well in the center.
- Add soy milk, vinegar, sugar, oil and vanilla. Beat or whisk until very well combined. The batter will be quite runny.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for for about 50 minutes or until a tester comes out with almost no crumbs attached. It will feel springy to the touch.
- Let cool on a wire rack and then unmold onto the serving platter.
- Cover the top with the chocolate mousse and decorate with sliced fresh strawberries. Sprinkle with sugar and serve.
For the chocolate mousse:
- Begin making the mousse right after the cake is cooled and unmolded. Have ready a large bowl with ice and some cold water, enough so that the bottom of the bowl where you melt the chocolate fits comfortably.
- Melt chocolate over hot water or in the microwave. Transfer to a large bowl (or use a large glass bowl to melt the chocolate and mix) and add the hot water all at once. Put the bowl over the one with the ice water.
- With an electric mixer beat at high speed. For a few minutes it will not thicken much, but it will start to do so unexpectedly. And it will thicken stiffly just after that.
- If the mousse is too thick to spread, add a few teaspoons very hot tap water and beat until smooth. Use immediately.
from Tea with Bea, by Bea’s of Bloomsbury
Today’s 5 related recipes that are worth looking at:
Mexican Chocolate Cake (vegan) from Taste
Red Velvet Strawberry Chocolate Cake from Heather Cristo Cooks
Six layer Chocolate and Strawberry Buttercream Cake from Sweetapolita
Sticky Orange Cake with Marmalade glaze (vegan) from The Kitchn
Chocolate Dutch Baby with Strawberries from Two Peas and their Pod
Natividad Robles says
September 20, 2015 at 17:05How many calories brings a portion of 100g, is there any other substitute for the flour?
wp_vknotes_admin says
September 20, 2015 at 18:46Hi Natividad! You might try substituting the flour for a gluten free blend. I haven't tried it though.
Regarding calories, I don't know. But less than with regular recipes with butter.
Natividad Robles says
September 21, 2015 at 03:00Thank you very much I will try with a gluten free blend and share with you!
Laura@bakinginpyjamas says
May 27, 2013 at 13:22This looks delicious. I came across your blog through this month's chocolate party link up. Such a beautiful looking cake.
Grandbabycakes says
May 21, 2013 at 03:34That cake looks so unreal! And the fact that it is vegan is making me smile as wide as can be! I definitely need to try this!
yummychunklet says
May 14, 2013 at 17:04How decadent yet fresh! Yum!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
May 13, 2013 at 19:04Gah! I want a piece of this cake so badly right now! Your desserts and dishes always turn out looking like beautiful masterpieces, Paula. I made a vegan chocolate cake this past summer and I absolutely loved it I couldn't believe it tasted so good so I don't doubt for a minute that this is mindblowingly delicious.
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
May 13, 2013 at 13:12I know of plenty of vegan chocolate cake recipes that are touted as being as good/better than non-vegan ones and I actually have one on my radar screen I want to trial! It's for cupcakes, not cake, but same difference.
Your cake is gorgeous, vegan or otherwise!
e / dig in says
May 13, 2013 at 01:24paula i am like you – no eggs, no butter?? oil i can understand but vinegar? i too have been intrigued by vegan recipes, but also dubious, because i see weird substitution ingredients. but this cake is proof it can be done – and paula, i would of course trust you! it's a delicious looking cake no matter what label it has. thank you!