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Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
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Chocolate Oreo Layer Cake

By Chef Linda

I'm pretty sure most of our problems could be solved if we ate more chocolate cake. From the first tender-sweet mouthful, troubles seem to melt away. Done right, chocolate cake is rich, dark, decadent – and vegan. That's right, there's no need for butter or eggs when you can bake a Chocolate Oreo Layer Cake like this one.

I owe the inspiration, with a few changes, for the recipe both to Minimalist Baker and a guest who stayed at The Homestead at Catskill Animal Sanctuary. Minimalist Baker's One Bowl Vegan Chocolate Cake is perfect every time; and no one can ever believe it's vegan. A guest who stayed at The Homestead recently brought his daughter to the sanctuary for her birthday. To make the day even more special, dad brought a cake that he was kind enough to share with our staff. His version used Oreo crumbs in between the layers of vanilla buttercream frosting. (Though not particularly healthy, Oreos are accidentally vegan.) That cake was one of the best I've ever eaten and I finally took the time to recreate it. I suggest you do the same.

Ingredients

 2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
 2 tsp light flavored vinegar (like rice or apple cider)
 1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
 2 tsp instant coffee or instant espresso
 ½ cup melted coconut oil
 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
 1 ⅓ cups organic cane sugar
 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 2 tsp baking soda
 1 tsp baking powder
 ¾ tsp salt
 1 cup vegan butter, softened (I used Earth Balance)
 3 cups powdered sugar
 2 tsp vanilla
 2 tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk
 1 cup ground Oreos (I used Oreo minis, which worked well for garnishing cake)
 Extra Oreos for garnish

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans with coconut oil. Dust with cocoa powder. Shake out the excess and set aside.

Whisk together the non-dairy milk and vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add melted coconut oil, instant coffee, vanilla, and applesauce. Whisk to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pour over the wet ingredients and stir to combine, being careful not to over mix. Divide batter evenly between two cake pans.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the vegan butter till light and creamy. Sift powdered sugar into bowl, 1 cup at a time, and beat again. Add vanilla. Add non-dairy milk, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is achieved. If it becomes to thin, add more sifted powdered sugar.

Invert cake pans to remove cake. Spread a dab of frosting onto the cake plate. Place one layer of cake topside down onto the dab of frosting, which will keep it from sliding. Add a few heaping spoons of frosting onto the first layer. Spread then sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of Oreo crumbs. Invert the second cake layer, and place on top of the first. Scoop put remaining frosting and spread evenly over top and then down the sides. Sprinkle more Oreo crumbs on the top and press into the sides of the cake. Garnish with Oreo cookies around the perimeter of the cake. Slice and serve.

Chocolate Oreo Layer Cake
IngredientsDirections

Chocolate Oreo Layer Cake

DifficultyEasyCook Time30 mins
YIELDS
10 to 14 slices

INGREDIENTS

 2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
 2 tsp light flavored vinegar (like rice or apple cider)
 1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
 2 tsp instant coffee or instant espresso
 ½ cup melted coconut oil
 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
 1 ⅓ cups organic cane sugar
 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 2 tsp baking soda
 1 tsp baking powder
 ¾ tsp salt
 1 cup vegan butter, softened (I used Earth Balance)
 3 cups powdered sugar
 2 tsp vanilla
 2 tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk
 1 cup ground Oreos (I used Oreo minis, which worked well for garnishing cake)
 Extra Oreos for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans with coconut oil. Dust with cocoa powder. Shake out the excess and set aside.

Whisk together the non-dairy milk and vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add melted coconut oil, instant coffee, vanilla, and applesauce. Whisk to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pour over the wet ingredients and stir to combine, being careful not to over mix. Divide batter evenly between two cake pans.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the vegan butter till light and creamy. Sift powdered sugar into bowl, 1 cup at a time, and beat again. Add vanilla. Add non-dairy milk, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is achieved. If it becomes to thin, add more sifted powdered sugar.

Invert cake pans to remove cake. Spread a dab of frosting onto the cake plate. Place one layer of cake topside down onto the dab of frosting, which will keep it from sliding. Add a few heaping spoons of frosting onto the first layer. Spread then sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of Oreo crumbs. Invert the second cake layer, and place on top of the first. Scoop put remaining frosting and spread evenly over top and then down the sides. Sprinkle more Oreo crumbs on the top and press into the sides of the cake. Garnish with Oreo cookies around the perimeter of the cake. Slice and serve.

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