Insanely delicious vegan coffee cake with kahlua frosting. This isn’t just a cake to eat with your coffee, this is fabulously decadent coffee flavored cake!
I just found out a super surprising (to me anyway!) fact about coffee cake. Apparently, folks in America often call something a coffee cake when it’s meant to be eaten along with coffee. It doesn’t necessarily have any coffee in it.
Whereas in the UK (and South Africa, where I’m from), a coffee cake is a cake flavored with coffee.
So when I made my vegan coffee cupcakes I had no idea about this little factoid!
I found it out when I went hunting for coffee cake recipes to look for inspiration for this recipe and found a whole heap of cakes called ‘coffee cakes’ that had absolutely no coffee in them. I was totally befuddled until wikipedia helped me out!
So this vegan coffee cake, has some coffee in it. Just in case you were thinking it’s one of those ‘eat with my coffee’ kind of cakes not flavored with coffee at all.
This isn’t one of those. But you definitely CAN eat this with your coffee and I think the coffee flavor in this is just fabulous!
The coffee flavor
I was vaguely considering going the route of using filter coffee in this, but decided against it because I’ve tried that before in a cake and the flavor doesn’t come through strongly enough.
So this coffee cake has 3 tablespoons of instant coffee powder, and the flavor is there, it’s sooo there.
And this way you don’t even have to put on a pot of coffee, you just have to spoon it in, it’s too easy.
The frosting!
And then how about that frosting! I first tried a kahlua frosting when I was trying to make a kahlua cake. The frosting was a huge success, the cake was not.
I simply could not get that kahlua cake to hold together, it just broke up. I usually don’t have any problems with my cakes binding, so I had to conclude it was the kahlua that was causing the issue.
The only thing I could find out about it online was that adding alcohol to cakes can change their texture. I couldn’t find a single bit of info about how to solve that issue, as clearly the way it was changing my cakes texture was to make it crumble!
Anyway we had boozy cake crumble which was very tasty, but since I couldn’t figure that one out, that recipe won’t be finding it’s way to the blog, not unless I can find a way to fix it that is (any insights, I’m all ears)!
But the frosting – well it was such a winner – I knew I had to use it for another cake. So here it is!
This kahlua frosting is a perfect pairing with this vegan coffee cake.
And then to decorate, melted chocolate drizzled everywhere and chocolate chips sprinkled on top of that!
The look is decadent and the taste is magnificent!
Serve it with a cup of coffee (or tea) and enjoy the deliciousness of this very coffee flavored vegan cake!
You will love this vegan coffee cake, with kahlua frosting – let’s not forget that super nb part! It is:
- Moist
- Rich
- Decadent
- Coffee Flavored
- Topped with kahlua frosting and chocolate
- Insanely good!
Keep it covered at room temperature where it will stay fresh for a few days or covered in the fridge where it will last for up to a week!
More vegan cakes..
We have so much vegan cake deliciousness going on at this blog, you are so in the right place if cakes are your thing!
- Our classic vegan chocolate sponge cake is also a 7-inch 2 layer cake like this coffee cake. If you’re in the market for an 8 or 9-inch chocolate cake then the best vegan chocolate cake is the one for you. And we were not being arrogant at all when we named it that.
- Our vegan vanilla cake is topped with a vanilla frosting and is a hugely popular recipe on this blog with heaps of 5* reviews. That one is also a 7-inch beauty, if you want an 8-inch vanilla cake, check out our vegan white cake recipe.
- Our vegan lemon cake is pure lemon perfection in two 8-inch layers and our vegan lemon pound cake has just enough lemon drizzle on top to send you to lemon heaven!
- If you’re all about that banana flavor then our vegan banana cake will be right up your street. This is a sheet cake version with a gorgeous lemon frosting and decorated with crushed walnuts.
- Our vegan carrot cake is another hugely popular recipe that never disappoints!
So let us know what you think of this vegan coffee cake! Trying it soon? Let us know! Please also rate the recipe it is so helpful.
Oh, and while you’re here, don’t forget to sign up to our email list, we’ll send you an awesome free recipe book AND you’ll stay updated with all our latest recipes!
Vegan Coffee Cake with Kahlua Frosting
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10
Description
Insanely delicious vegan coffee cake with kahlua frosting. This isn’t just a cake to eat with your coffee, this is fabulously coffee flavored cake! And it’s vegan, and rich and decadent!
Ingredients
For the Coffee Cake:
- 2 cups (250g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup (200g) Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp Instant Coffee Powder
- 2 Tbsp Hot Water
- 1 cup (240ml) Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup (80ml) Canola Oil*
- 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Flax Egg
For the Kahlua Frosting:
- 4 cups (480g) Powdered (Confectioners) Sugar
- 1/4 cup (56g) Vegan Butter
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Kahlua
- 1 Tbsp Instant Coffee Powder
- 1–2 Tbsp Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Prepare your flax egg by mixing 1 Tbsp of ground flaxseed with 3 Tbsp of hot water from the kettle. Allow to sit for a minute and become gloopy.
- Then mix the instant coffee with 2 Tbsp of hot water from the kettle into a thick paste. Mix this with the soy milk and add to the mixing bowl along with the vanilla, oil, apple cider vinegar and flax egg.
- Whisk with a hand whisk briefly till smooth. Don’t overmix.
- Spray two 7 inch cake tins with non-stick spray and then place a circle of parchment paper at the base of each.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the two cake tins.
- Place into the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Place the cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare your frosting by adding the powdered sugar, vegan butter and kahlua into the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix the coffee powder with 1 Tbsp soy milk and the vanilla and form it into a paste before adding it in. Start mixing at low speed, gradually increase speed until it’s thick and smooth. You may or not need the extra Tbsp of soy milk, just use as little as needed so that your frosting is very thick, but still spreadable.
- Frost the cakes when cooled and decorate with melted chocolate drizzle and chocolate chips (optional).
Notes
*For best results always weigh your flour.
*You can use any vegetable oil in this recipe. I have successfully made it with both canola oil and extra virgin olive oil but any vegetable oil should work fine. If you want to use coconut oil then make sure it is melted first.
*Nutritional information is for 1 slice of 10 including frosting but excluding extra chocolate decoration.
*Recipe adapted from our Vegan Coffee Cupcakes.
*For gluten-free you can try using a gluten-free all purpose flour blend to replace the regular flour, and since gluten-free flours tend to absorb more moisture, increase the oil to 1/2 cup (120ml) to compensate. I have not tested this with gluten-free flour, but that is my suggestion based on other recipes I’ve made.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice (of 10)
- Calories: 483
- Sugar: 70.4g
- Sodium: 301mg
- Fat: 10.7g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Carbohydrates: 93g
- Fiber: 1.1g
- Protein: 3.8g
Keywords: vegan coffee cake
I used this recipe as a base for a cardamom cake, halved the ingredients to make a 9-inch layer cake and replaced the 3 tablespoons of instant coffee with 1 tablespoon (or 1/2 tablespoon for the halved recipe) of cardamom. It was very good, and everyone in my family liked it.
I’m not a fan of the icing, but I “diluted” it with cream cheese to get a less sweet one and it turned out great. I will definitely be making more cakes in the future
★★★★★
Finally a vegan cake recipe that uses things that are actually affordable and easy to get. I was thinking about replacing the coffee in the cake with cardamom and the kahlua in the frosting with espresso, do you think it will work?
I think espresso instead of kahlua would work great in the frosting. I’m not sure about the cardamon, I’m sure it would be a good add but likely not in the same quantity as the coffee used, you would have to experiment to find the right amount.
Hi, could I use melted dairy free margarine instead of the oil tia
Hi Jane, I haven’t tested it that way but I think it should work.
Hi there
If I were to totally leave out the flaxegg/apple sauce/egg replacer, would it be fine
It would probably be fine, but if it’s a little dry then you’ll know to add a little extra oil instead.
Hi! I only have a 9” cake pan. Will this work as a single layer cake, maybe slice the cake to make 2 layers once done? Any thoughts on bake time if so? Thank you!
This will work perfectly as a single layer 9-inch cake. No changes needed, baking time will be the same at 30 minutes. It will be a perfect thickness for a single layer, but too thin to cut in half. But as a single layer it will work great!
Help! No flax or apple sauce but I do have egg replacer. Can I use that? If yes, just one “egg”
Really want to make this cake today for my hubby’s birthday!
Yes you can use another egg replacer, it would be one egg yes.
Since your lemon cake was such a hit, when I needed a vegan coffee cake, I knew this would be the place to come!
If I can’t get hold of kahlua, are there any other flavours you’d suggest to go with coffee cake?
(I’m making this as a gift, I personally like coffee but not coffee flavoured things, so I don’t have experience of flavour combos with this cake)
Oh I just spotted you have a non alcoholic coffee buttercream with your cupcakes. Awesome!
Hi Cindy! Yes the buttercream from the cupcakes would work great here too! Hope it goes well!
I forgot the oil what’s gonnna happen now 🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭
It might just be quite dry! You could still possibly serve it with custard or something to make it more moist. 🙂
I love this cake as a sandwich! Thank you 🙂 do you think I could also use a loaf tin? After something a bit more easy in these complicated times 🙂 x
★★★★★
Hi Claire! You probably can! I haven’t tested it that way, and it would likely take in the region of 50 minutes in a loaf pan. All the best! 🙂
I don’t have a 7inch pan and tried order in on both Amazon and EBay no luck. Any idea?
★★★★★
Hi Alicia, what size pans do you have? You can double the recipe for two 9-inch cake pans. 🙂
Hi could you please tell me what I could substitute instead of flax egg?
★★★★★
3 Tbsp of applesauce will work.
Hi Alison – could I use a chia egg instead?
Yes, should be fine!
Hi Alison
Have u ever tried to use pastry flour for any cake recipe?
Do u have any suggestions what to do with this pastry flour
Hello I’d love to try this cake ! But can I use regular coffee instead of instant coffee? thank u in advance !!
Hi Mari, instant coffee definitely works best in this recipe.
Hi Alison, I love your cakes. I am interested in making a spice cake layered with apple compote. Is there any way to adapt this recipe? If I were to take out the coffee and amp up the spices? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Kate, that could definitely work, another option is to look at our gingerbread cake which is already spiced up. All the best! 🙂
Hi there,
This looks amazing, can I replace the canola oil with something else like applesauce?
Hi Leona, I haven’t tried it, but that does usually work fine as a replacement for oil! All the best! 🙂
Hi there 😁 if I wanted to leave out the alcohol would I need to replace this with something else or just omit ? Thanks!
Hi Donna, you would need to replace it with something, extra non-dairy milk would work well. 🙂
Great recipe! I doubled it and added 1/4 cup of dutch cocoa powder and replaced 1/2 cup of the milk, I used Almond, with Kahlua. And added 2 t of baking powder. Then I made a syrup reduction only about 1/2 cup with Kahlua and poured it over the cake prior to inverting it. A little denser than my traditional Kahlua/chocolate cake but very tasty. Was making this for a friend at work who is vegan!
I tried another vegan chocolate cake recipe and it was lacking in flavor so I had to throw it away and then found this! Thanks!
★★★★★
Sounds great Jane, thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful review! 🙂
Well Ashley, we’re sloshed. I brought this cake to my son’s grade six graduation. The other moms loved it. I’m now ranked #1 on the PTA. I’ve also discovered the principal of the school loves Kahlua, WIN. This cake is even better when you eat the icing straight out of the bowl with a spoon. Luvin it…vegan. Also who said vegans can’t have fun? Not me or this cake.
★★★★★
This comment made me laugh out loud! Brilliant! Thanks for the awesome review! 🙂