Vegan Peppermint Mocha Cake – With a moist, peppermint and coffee infused chocolate cake, to die for peppermint frosting and crushed candy canes! The perfect cake for Christmas.
This Vegan Peppermint Mocha Cake tastes like a peppermint mocha in cake form! If you’ve made my Best Vegan Chocolate Cake, you will be happy to hear this cake is very similar.
Instead of adding hot water, I subbed hot coffee plus a little peppermint extract. The incredibly delicious frosting is a version of my Vegan Vanilla Frosting recipe, with peppermint extract added.
Sprinkle some crushed candy canes on top and you are ready to celebrate!
Want more vegan cake recipes?
- Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Strawberry Cake
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Vegan Peppermint Mocha Cake
Vegan Peppermint Mocha Cake - With a moist, peppermint and coffee infused chocolate cake, to die for peppermint frosting and crushed candy canes! The perfect cake for Christmas.
Ingredients
The Cake
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or soy)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup hot coffee
Peppermint Frosting
- 1 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons almond or soy milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/4-1/2 cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 8-inch cake pans. I also line them with parchment rounds for easy removal of the cakes later.
- Measure 1 cup unsweetened almond milk and add the tablespoon of vinegar to it. Stir slightly and set aside to curdle.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well to combine.
- Now add the oil, applesauce, vanilla, peppermint and almond milk/vinegar mixture. Mix on medium speed with a hand mixer until well combined.
- Lower the speed and carefully pour in the hot coffee, continuing to mix into the cake batter until combined. The batter will seem very runny at this point; that is how it should be, trust me!
- Divide the batter evenly between your cake pans. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. After 10 minutes of cooling in the pan, carefully remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting & Decorating
- In a large bowl, beat the vegan butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until all the powdered sugar is mixed in.
- With the mixer on low-medium speed, add the non-dairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the vanilla and peppermint as well, and increase the speed to high. Beat for about 30 seconds, until light and fluffy.
- If the frosting seems too thick, you can add more non-dairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the frosting is too thin and runny, simply add more powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Frost the cake and decorate with crushed candy canes as desired. I like to put a sprinkle of crushed candy canes in the middle layer of the cake as well. Enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend using dark cocoa powder, such as Hershey's Special Dark if you can, it makes the cake darker and so pretty. But regular cocoa powder will work as well, your cake will just be lighter in color.
- I used Earth Balance brand of vegan butter. I prefer the sticks, but the tub will work. You could also use another brand such as Melt, Miyokos or even vegetable shortening if you can't find vegan butter.
- I found crushed candy canes in the bulk section at my local store, but you can crush them yourself using a ziplock bag and something heavy, like a cup. Just pound away until you have little candy cane pieces.
Nutrition
Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 365mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 539IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!
After so many successful recipes of yours, I decided to try this tonight for Christmas Eve. ANOTHER WINNER! : ) The only changes I made were:
1) I forgot to get candy canes, but your frosting was delicious, even without them.
2) I might have tossed some vegan chocolate chips into the batter.
3) Anticipating how awesome this was going to be, I cut the recipe in half and baked it in an 8” pan to reduce the number of leftovers that would be loudly screaming my name.
Hi Jean. I’m glad that the cake was a winner for you! Thank you for sharing your experience and wonderful feedback about the cake! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Hi nora I love your recipes but can you put the cup measurements in gram please. I want to try your recipes but i didn’t know the exact measurements please tell me
Hi Berry. I’m glad that you are enjoying my recipes! If you jump to the recipe, to the right of the ingredients listing, you will see tabs that say ‘US standard’ and also ‘metric.’ If you click on the ‘metric’ tab, it will give you the measurements in grams. Enjoy the cake!
Hi nora I got it thank you so so much dear
Lovely. You are welcome!
Why did you give this recipe 1 star? It brings down the overall rating significantly on a fabulous cake and it sounds like you posted that before making the cake so I suggest you remove it or update it so it helps future bakers decide which cake to bake or not bake based on a revelant review
Hi Nora! Absolutely love all is your recipes! I’m doing instacart and the only “candy canes” sprouts has are these peppermint puffs. Do you think they’d be fine to use crushed up, or should I opt for actual candy canes? Thank you in advance!
Sprouts Naturally Flavored Peppermint Puffs Candy https://www.instacart.com/products/20025865
Hi Christina. I’m thrilled you love my recipes! I’m not sure, but I think these may be the soft peppermint candies. They may melt in the frosting. Using actually candy canes or pre-crushed candy canes would be best. Happy baking!
This is amazing like all of your recipes! You make being a vegan so much easier! A quick question- earth balance is salted and I prefer the taste of miyokos so I have been doing half salted/unsalted. Should I be using all salted butter for the frostings? I love your frostings but curious about your thoughts on salted versus unsalted butter for frosting
I actually love Miyoko’s butter as well! It’s really a matter of preference. If I use unsalted vegan butter I will add a pinch of salt. You can definitely use either, but my recipes were all created using salted because that used to be all that was available. Hope that helps, and I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes. Thank you!
My husband would love this cake for Christmas but I don’t use canola often and don’t have it on hand. Could I substitute another oil or add more applesauce? Also, thank you for all of these delicious recipes! I’m making so many of your cookies for gifting this year as well! 🙂
Hi Kacey. I am glad but you are enjoying my recipes! Thank you! Another neutral flavored oil is fine to use here, like avocado oil, melted coconut oil (refined for no coconut taste) or melted vegan butter. Hope you enjoy it!
This cake looks delicious! I’m going to make it for Christmas.
Is it possible to substitute the almond/soy milk for oatmilk or ricemilk? Or would that completely change the flavour?
No problem, you can use a different milk. I like oat milk better than rice milk for baking. Enjoy!
Perfection in cake form! Will definitely make this every holiday season.
Hi Heather. I’m thrilled that you love the cake! Thank you for sharing your great feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Hi Nora, thanks so much for sharing the recipe with us. I was wondering, how long should I bake this if I’m using a 9″x9″ cake pan?
I don’t think a 9×9 inch pan will work well unless you cut the recipe in half; there will be too much batter I’m afraid.
My granddaughter and I made this together recently. Oh, my- delicious!
Her Daddy and her Poppy have requested that she make it again for Christmas Day.
We made our own Christmas tree stencil and put the crushed peppermint inside and it looked so festive. Our oldest granddaughter is a super baker for 10 years old and she loves when her baking gets rave reviews. 😉😊 Thank you for such a yummy recipe!
I love your story! Sounds like a very fun project! Thank you for sharing your fun and fabulous feedback! I’m so glad everyone is loving the cake!
Hey Nora, this sounds delicious! If I wanted to make it use a peppermint chocolate cake without the mocha part, would I substitute a cup of hot water for the hot coffee, or do you recommend something else?
Yes, just use boiling hot water instead of the hot coffee, it works perfectly. Enjoy!
Hi! This dessert sounds lovely, but I’m hoping to make it gluten free as well. Which flour/or flour combination would you suggest I use in place of the AP flour?
Thanks!
Hi Jenna. I have not tested this gluten free, however, the recipe should work well with a quality gluten free flour. I like Bob’s 1:1 gluten free flour, and have received comments that it has worked well for them. Enjoy the cake!
Hi! Thanks for this wonderful and unique recipe!
Just baked this yesterday, cooled it and popped in the fridge overnight. I need to serve this tomorrow afternoon. Should I
– frost it today and freeze or
– frost today and continue to refrigerate?
Thank you!!
You are very welcome! I would frost it today and continue to refrigerate. But let it come to room temperature for a few hours before serving if possible. The cake will taste more moist and soft than when it’s very cold straight from the refrigerator. Hope everyone enjoys!
This is amazing!
Never tried it So But it was good
I’m glad you liked it. Thank you for sharing!
This looks like a wonderful option to share with my omni family! Would it work as a sheet cake? If so, what changes if any should I make to the instructions? Thanks!
Yes, it would work as a sheet cake! Pour into an 11×17 inch sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until done in the middle.
I was just thinking of what I’m going to make for the holidays this year and I remembered that I made this cake last year! It was the best cake I’ve ever made, and I’ve made a lot of cakes! It was so delicious that we were even eating it for dessert after lunch in that hazy period between Christmas and New Year’s. 🙂 I am going to make it again this year, but as cupcakes, for a holiday party. Thanks for this recipe and all of the others you’ve shared. You are one of my most favorite vegan cooking sites. <3
Michelle, your kind words really mean a lot to me! I agree this is a great holiday cake! I’m glad you LOVE it, and will be using the recipe again! Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful feedback! Enjoy those cupcakes!
Hey, Nora! I LOOOVE this cake and want to make it into cupcakes. Do you have a timeframe for them to be in the oven that way?
Thank you for ALL your recipes. They are stellar!!!
Hi! I’m so glad you love the cake! For cupcakes, bake them for 20-24 minutes, until done in the middle. Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback!
This cake is nothing short of spectacular. I have made it twice and both times it was moist and delicious. It is chocolatey with just the right amount of peppermint. This is a real crowd pleaser. Thank you for such a great recipe!
You are welcome! I am so happy to hear that you loved this cake! Thank you for taking time to share your fantastic feedback and review!
We made these into cupcakes and they turned out very well. Super moist, light, and fluffy. Another incredible recipe, thank you, Nora!
Ooh! Can you share how long the cupcakes took to bake? 🙂
AMAZING! The one thing I always do is bake, frost and freeze overnight, only covered with frosting. Remove the next day and you have one amazing moist cake. If you leave it in the freezer do cover it the next day. Vegan butter makes a very silky, fluffy frosting.
Was hit at my work. Love that it was moist. Thank you for sharing! Making a batch right now, this time trying it without the peppermint flavor. ☺️
I’m thrilled the cake was a hit! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and comments! Happy cooking!
Just put the final flourish on this cake that is going to a women’s homeless shelter that a dear friend and I do monthly. This the second time I made it and no one would suspect that it is vegan. Actually better tasting and s.a.d. desserts
Those positive comments are all correct. This cake was amazing. My family loved it, and was surprised when I told them it was vegan. It had the perfect amount of sweetness. It was super moist. I followed your recipe exactly except for the cake pan, I used one 10” round and cut it in half when it came out of the oven cause I only had one cake pan. I have one of those level cake cutters.
Thank you so much for all you do, I’ve tried so many of your recipes and not one has failed me.
Your wonderful comments mean so much to me! I am so glad the cake was a hit with your family! Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful review and comments!
This cake was amazing! I normally don’t like chocolate cakes but this is not your ordinary cake! The flavors of chocolate and peppermint blend beautifully together. I used Mikoyos butter for the icing it took it over the top! ( I’m normally not a fan of icing)
Thank you for a great cake!
I’m glad you loved the cake! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi Nora! Merry Christmas!! I have been eyeing this cake for a month because I was going to make it for Christmas. We’ll I made it today and let me just say it was AMAZING!! First it was so moist and tasty, you would never know it was vegan. Second, it was the perfect amount of mint, very subtle and not overpowering. The icing was very good too! My family LOVED this cake and I will be making it again and I can adapt this beautiful chocolate cake in so many ways using other flavours! Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Hi Nicole! Happy holidays to you! I am glad you and your family loved the cake! Thank you for sharing your great review and comments! Happy holiday cooking!
Can you freeze the vegan peppermint mocha cake?
Yes, it freezes very well.
Freezing causes something wonderful to happen to this cake. I recommend it.
Oh, I agree! Love it cold or frozen! Thank you!
Are you able to make this cake a day or two in advance and keep in the fridge?
Yes, that works just fine.
Can I make this with cacao powder? I don’t have dark cocoa powder, but I would assume they would come out the same
Hi Heather. That should work!