When you hear the term “World’s Best Cake” about Norwegian cakes, one often thinks of Kvæfjordkake, a decadent concoction of meringue, almonds, whipped cream, and vanilla custard. I have yet to veganize this delectable pastry but will definitely be sharing a recipe once I have mastered it.

Luckily, baking using vegan ingredients is easier than ever before, as we have succeeded in creating fabulous egg substitutes, vegan sour creams, butters, yogurts, and yes…Even whipped cream and “egg whites”.

When experimenting with chocolate cakes, I mostly tried out sheet cakes, as that is what is commonly seen in Norway. While they can have amazing flavors and textures, I wanted something that would be a bit more photogenic and fancier to present.

After many trials I landed on what I now so confidently have named “The World’s Best Chocolate Cake” and I’m so eager for you to try it out to see if you agree with me!

Whether you are Norwegian or American or any other nationality, I think for the most part we can agree on that chocolate in any form rocks. A chocolate cake is probably one of the few cakes I actually enjoy eating (I prefer making them), and when paired with a strong cup of black coffee, well, that’s a perfect dessert to me.

A few things:

This recipe is meant for 2 x 9-inch pans, but if you have 8-inch pans it can work as well. You might get a bit more height on it, that’s all.

Making vegan ‘buttermilk’ is super easy, you basically just add some fresh lemon juice to plant-based milk and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. I do have to say the only type of plant-based milk I’ve seen really curdle is soy milk. I like Silk’s soy milk, it’s organic and acts much like cow’s milk as it has a higher protein content than nut-based milks. Buttermilk adds a nice tanginess and richness to the batter.

If you can’t find vegan sour cream, you can substitute with applesauce. Sour cream is more decadent and a lot of classic Norwegian cakes use this ingredient

White vinegar is a “secret” ingredient in vegan baking as it helps cakes rise. If you don’t have white distilled vinegar, you can substitute apple cider vinegar, it will work the same.

Although I highly recommend making this buttercream, you can leave it out for a more plain version. Either sprinkle with a little confectioner’s sugar and perhaps garnish with a few fresh, sliced berries or you could also serve it with vanilla ice cream or some coconut whipped cream.

If you get intimidated at the thought of baking a cake, you can master this cake, I promise! It’s really not hard at all as you will see in the directions below.

Happy baking and set aside a few thousand calories for when you make it—it’s well worth it! 🙂 

WORLD’S BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE

For the cake:

1 ½ cups (375 mL) non-dairy milk (I suggest soy)
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
2 ¼ cup (280 g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (65 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated white organic sugar
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1 ½ tbsp white distilled vinegar
⅓ cup (80 mL) vegan sour cream (or sub applesauce)
½ cup (125 mL) vegetable oil (or refined coconut oil)

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

2 ½ sticks (280 g) vegan butter like Earth Balance
3 ½- cups (420 g) organic confectioner’s sugar
¾ cups (65 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit (180° Celsius).

Grease 2 x 9-inch cake pans and line them with parchment paper, set aside.

Pour the soy milk to a large bowl, and add 1 tbsp lemon juice and let sit for about 10 minutes to let it curdle.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Add the vanilla extract/paste, vinegar, vegan sour cream, and oil to the soy milk mixture and whisk together lightly. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and carefully combine until no more traces of flour or lumps (don’t over mix!).

Pour the batter into equal parts between the two prepared cake pans.

Bake in the oven on the middle rack for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool off the cakes on a rack completely while you make the buttercream. (It’s important the cakes are completely cool before frosting!).

To make the buttercream:

Add all the ingredients and half of the soy milk to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Beat until the frosting is smooth and shiny. If needed, add the remaining soy milk.

Frost the cakes with the chocolate buttercream and shave some chocolate on top for garnish.

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