Vegan Halloween cake (gluten-free, dairy-free)
Halloween is just around the corner. But what is a Halloween without a spooky cake? This vegan Halloween cake is a perfect cake to celebrate Halloween. This is quite a simple chocolate cake with some Halloween chocolate decorations. So easy but so good!
Allergy-friendly Halloween recipes can be so good too! This cake is made out of a chocolate cake batter decorated with dairy-free vanilla buttercream frosting and extra chocolate Halloween treats.
It is time for a creepy Halloween cake recipe. You won't even realize that you are eating dairy-free flourless chocolate cake! Psst, this cake is also egg-free.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS SPOOKY VEGAN HALLOWEEN CAKE
- Vegan – This cake is perfect for your vegan friends or family members! But this vegan Halloween cake is suitable for everyone, not only for vegans/vegetarians.
- Gluten-free – This Halloween cake is naturally gluten-free.
- Dairy-free - This recipe is also dairy-free.
- Easy to make – The full recipe is so easy and simple.
- Chocolate - Chocolate makes everything better, right? To make rich chocolate cake make sure you are using high-quality cacao powder.
- Vanilla buttercream frosting - Simple vanilla chocolate layer cake is always so delicious. This combination never goes wrong.
- Halloween - This cake is simple chocolate vanilla cake but with these spooky decorations on top is perfect for Halloween.
What are some good ways to decorate a cake for Halloween?
Halloween cakes are so much fun. You can create spooky cakes with ghosts or cemetery cakes with fake dirt or even make your own version of Dracula cake. There are endless options. The main point is to have some fun while making a cake.
But what if you are in a hurry and need a delicious Halloween-themed cake? This one is just for you.
I'm sure you can bake a chocolate cake and frost it with vanilla buttercream frosting, but the main part is now - decorations. In this recipe, I created scary bones, ghosts, and spooky pumpkins only with melted chocolate.
It sounds more complicated than it is. These are such easy shapes to make with melted chocolate. Use a spoon or a brush to make these spooky shapes and put them into the fridge for about 15-20 minutes and you will have your own homemade Halloween cake decoration. You can also use sprinkles or sparkles to make your decorations even more fun.
Ps. Don't forget to use a parchment paper when making these chocolate decorations, because otherwise you won't be able to remove them from the surface.
INGREDIENTS
- rice flour
- sorghum flour
- tapioca flour
- brown sugar
- baking powder
- cacao powder
- xanthan gum
- soy milk
- oil - don't use coconut oil
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- rice flour
- soy milk
- brown sugar
- vegan margarine or vegan butter
- powdered sugar
HALLOWEEN CHOCOLATE DECORATIONS
- dark chocolate or any vegan chocolate
POSSIBLE INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
This recipe is easily customizable. Here are some ideas:
- You can replace soy milk with any plant-based milk.
- Brown sugar can be replaced with any powdered sweetener of your choice.
- You can also use gluten-free flour instead of these individual flours.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Let's start with chocolate cake. In a large bowl combine rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, and cacao powder. Mix and add soy milk and oil. Combine all of these ingredients and create a smooth batter.
If you want your cake extra fluffy just add 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar.
Pour the batter into the square baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake for about 35 minutes.
Step 2: Meanwhile, prepare a dairy-free vanilla buttercream frosting. This frosting is so easy to make. In a medium-sized saucepan add rice flour, soy milk, and sugar. Bring it to a boil and cook until the mixture thickens.
Set it aside and wait until the mixture is cooled down, preferably cold.
Next, in a large bowl whisk margarine and sugar until fluffy. Slowly add the rice flour mixture and whisk until combined. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
Step 3: Now, it's time to decorate the cake. Onto the chocolate cake spread the vanilla frosting and put it into the fridge for about 1 hour. This way you will have a perfect cake with thick frosting.
Step 4: The last step is to make chocolate Halloween decorations. Simply melt the chocolate and use a spoon to create spooky shapes. You can create bones, pumpkins, or even ghosts. Create these shapes on parchment paper so they are easy to peel off.
If you don't have time to make these, simply buy chocolate Halloween decorations and use them as cake toppings.
Step 5: Arrange this beautiful cake with chocolate decorations and enjoy this Halloween ghost cake!
SERVING
Serve this gluten-free chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and chocolate Halloween decorations. This sheet cake is perfect for a Halloween party.
STORING
Store this vegan Halloween cake in the fridge for up to 4 days. But the cake is best eaten within the first few days. You can also freeze it in a freezer for up to 1 month.
FAQ
How do you keep a gluten-free cake moist?
To keep a gluten-free cake moist you have 2 options. You can make the cake with oil instead of butter or margarine and you can also use enough liquid to make the cake moist. The ingredient that makes the gluten-free cake moist is xanthan gum. It makes the cake fluffy, light, and moist.
What helps gluten-free cakes rise?
Baking powder is the perfect ingredient that makes a gluten-free cake rise. However, gluten-free recipes need more than 1 tsp of baking powder. I just use double the amount and it makes such a huge difference.
If you feel like it's still not enough, simply add 1/3 tsp of baking soda.
Can I use storebought decoration to decorate this Halloween cake?
Yes, of course. Sometimes it is easier to buy decorations for a cake in the regular store and it is totally fine!
More Halloween recipes:
WITCHES BREW COCKTAIL
SOFT SPOOKY HALLOWEEN COOKIES - GLUTEN-FREE AND VEGAN RECIPE
DRACULA'S BLOOD HALLOWEEN COCKTAIL
Gluten-free chocolate cake - vegan Halloween cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1/3 cup sorghum flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1/3 cup oil
Vanilla buttercream frosting
- 4 tbsp rice flour
- 1 cup soy milk
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup vegan margarine *room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Halloween chocolate decorations
- 4 oz dark chocolate
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, and cacao powder.
- Next, add soy milk, oil and combine. The batter should be creamy.
- Pour the batter into 8 inches square baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400F (200°C) For about 35-40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, let's make the vanilla frosting.
- In a medium-sized saucepan cook rice flour with milk and 2 tbsp of brown sugar. Bring it to a boil and cook until the mixture is thick.
- Let this mixture cool completely before moving on to the next step.
- In a large bowl whisk margarine with powdered sugar until soft and airy. Slowly add the rice flour mixture and vanilla, and whisk until everything is combined.
- When the cake is baked and cooled down to room temperature we can now decorate the cake. Just spread the vanilla frosting on top and put the cake in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Now it's time for chocolate decorations. Simply melt the dark chocolate and use a small spoon to create bones, ghosts, and pumpkins. The shapes are quite easy and simple. Draw the shapes onto parchment paper so they are easy to peel off. When the shapes are done, put them in a fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Serve the cake with spooky chocolate decorations and enjoy!
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