Wakanda Cake with Strawberry Mint Salad
Chocolate cake is my comfort zone but vegan desserts are out of my comfort zone. I created this recipe with inspiration from Chef Bryant Terry. I got an amazing opportunity to cook for Niecy Nash’s birthday brunch. I wanted to leave a lasting impression, when I mentioned Wakanda Cake was for dessert, her eyes got big!
What’s wakanda cake?
Wakanda cake is a red velvet, chocolate cake, with chocolate chips, cayenne, cinnamon, non-dairy cream cheese icing and a refreshing strawberry mint salad. The salad balances and brings the dish together, so please do not leave the ingredients at the grocery store.
Making the vibranium icing is optional, you can leave out the plant based dyes and just make the cream cheese icing. It’s a nice addition to tie in the theme of the cake. I hope you enjoy making this vegan dessert.
Wakanda Forever!
Wakanda Cake Cooking Tips:
Buy a good dark coco powder, there’s several available on the market. I like Hershey’s but a friend recently introduced me to a black cocoa powder that’s amazing! Red dye, you can use 12 drops in the cake instead of using a traditional red dye.
Can you make ahead?
Freezer: After you cut the cake, individually wrap with plastic wrap. Then store in a freezer storage bag. Keep in the freezer for 5 months max. Thaw 48 hours before using.
Fridge: After you cut the cake, individually wrap with plastic wrap. Then store in a freezer storage bag. Keep in the fridge for 7 days max.
Recipe Video:
Substitution Options:
Regular cocoa powder is a good substitute for dark cocoa powder.
The recipe calls for vegetable oil but you can use any oil you have on hand.
To make a 9 x 13 cake double the recipe.
2020 black history month virtual potluck links:
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Recipe:
Wakanda Cake with Strawberry Mint Salad
Ingredients
Wakanda Cake
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon organic sugar
- 6 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 oz. vegan chocolate chips
- ¼ cup vegetable oil plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 oz. red dye
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons almond milk or nut milk
- 1 medium avocado mashed
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Vibranium Icing:
- ½ lb. powder sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 oz. non-dairy cream cheese room temperature
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons almond milk or nut milk
- 6 drops red plant based food coloring
- 6 drops blue plant based food coloring
- Strawberry Salad:
- 16 oz. strawberries washed, tops removed, quartered
- juice of 1 lemon
- 7 mint leaves chopped
- pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon organic sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven, in a bowl mix together the flour, organic sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cayenne, cinnamon and vegan chocolate chips. In a blender add ¼ cup vegetable oil, red dye, white vinegar, almond milk, avocado and vanilla extract, blitz for 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour in bowl with dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil grease an 8 x 8 pan, pour batter in pan, drop on table lightly to knock out any air bubbles and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 1 hour.
- In another bowl add the powder sugar, salt and cream cheese. In another bowl mix together the vanilla, almond milk, red dye and blue dye, then pour into bowl with powder sugar. With a hand mixer mix until smooth. Pour on the cake and spread evenly over cake. Cover and pop in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
- In a small bowl mix together the strawberries, lemon juice, mint leaves, salt and sugar. Serve slice of cake on individual plates with a heaping tablespoon of strawberry salad.
