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Mocha Coffee Cake With Dalgona Frosting (vegan)

This vegan mocha coffee cake combines a soft chocolate sponge, fluffy dalgona frosting, and crunchy cacao nibs into an easy but elegant sheet cake. Perfect for gatherings, make-ahead desserts, or people who love a chocolate-coffee flavor combination.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Chilling Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours
Course: Dessert
Servings: 6 pieces (or 9 if cut smaller)

Equipment

  • 1 Small rectangular or square baking pan or springform (mine measures about 7x11 inches / 18x28 cm)

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake

  • 180 g all-purpose flour
  • 20 g cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee (you can use caffeine-free instant coffee)
  • 25 g cocoa powder
  • 170 g sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground vanilla (powder)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 180 ml soy milk (unsweetened)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 100 g neutral oil

For the Dalgona Coffee Cream

  • 2 tablespoons instant coffee (you can use caffeine-free instant coffee)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ tablespoon water (add up to ½ tablespoon only if the mix is too thick and you can't mix)

For the Cream Layer

  • 200 g vegan whipping cream (a good quality one with a high fat content; I like using Rama vegan whipping cream)
  • 6 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cashew butter or white almond butter

For Decoration

  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (optional, for marbling)
  • 1-2 tablespoons cacao nibs

Instructions

Make the chocolate cake.

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • Mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes to create a vegan buttermilk.
  • In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
  • Add the buttermilk and oil. Stir until smooth with no lumps.
  • Pour into a small rectangular pan lined only on the bottom (this helps the cake rise evenly).
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes - poke a skewer in the middle to see if it comes out clean.
  • Let cool completely and gently remove from the springform, also removing the parchment paper. Transfer the cake to a cake stand.

Make the dalgona coffee cream.

  • Mix instant coffee, sugar, and a tiny amount of water (about half a tablespoon).
  • Whisk by hand with a teaspoon until lighter in color, thick, and creamy. This can take up to 10 minutes.
    Tip: If the dalgona stays runny after a few minutes of whisking, you likely added too much water. Try adding more coffee and sugar (and start with less water the next time).
  • Set aside 1 teaspoon for decoration.

Make the cream layer.

  • Whip the vegan cream with sugar until stiff.
  • Add the nut butter and whip briefly again. (This step matters as it stabilizes the cream beautifully.)

Combine and assemble.

  • Gently fold the dalgona cream into the whipped cream.
  • Spread onto the cooled cake.

Decorate the cake.

  • Mix 2 tablespoons of the whipped cream with cocoa powder. Swirl it into the top - I like using a teaspoon to make a couple of large swirls.
  • Add the reserved dalgona cream for extra pattern. I put another layer of swirls on the first darker cocoa swirl layer.
  • Finish with plenty of cacao nibs.

Chill the cake.

  • Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, so the cream can firm up. Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days, it honestly tastes just as delicious on days 2 to 4.