Vegan peppermint mocha mousse cake

I know what you’re thinking. Peppermint mocha? In spring? What is this, Christmas? The fuck you thinking, June?

Well, I’ll have you know it snowed all day this past Saturday and it is still consistently below freezing in the morning and it damn well doesn’t feel like spring. I hate to bitch about the weather, but there you have it. 

Snow on the ground? How 'bout that global warming, amirite? source

Not to mention, I had a little bag of candy canes still sitting in the cabinet, growing staler by the day. So why not break out one of my favorite cookbooks, Vegan Desserts, and make that peppermint mocha trifle I’d been eyeing for, like, the past few months?

Except I didn’t make a trifle.

Yeah because who eats trifles anyway.

The original recipe called for baking a coffee-flavored cake, breaking it into pieces, and layering it with peppermint chocolate tofu mousse. Which is nice and all, but I strongly prefer cake that you can slice and dice and serve on a place...not that mushy trifle stuff you glop out into bowls at picnics.

*shudders* We won’t speak of such things here.

Instead, I baked the cake in a square 9 x 9 pan and poured the mousse on the cooled cake like frosting. The resulting cake is a bit messy, as you can see, but the resulting contrast of textures between soft cake and creamy mousse is worth it.

Who needs spring when you can have stuff like this?

I suppose I’m done talking for today, if all I’m going to talk about is the weather and my distaste for trifles. Here’s the recipe.

__________

Vegan peppermint mocha mousse cake

Adapted from Vegan Desserts

Ingredients

Coffee cake

184 grams • strong brewed coffee, cooled • ¾ cup

62 grams • nondairy milk • ¼ cup

2 grams • apple cider vinegar • ½ teaspoon

3 grams • instant coffee granules • 1 teaspoon

4 grams • vanilla extract • 1 teaspoon

66 grams • vegetable oil • ¼ cup

168 grams • granulated sugar • 2/3 cup

136 grams • all-purpose flour • 1 cup

65 grams • whole wheat pastry flour • ½ cup

3 grams • baking power • ¾ teaspoon

1 gram • baking soda • ¼ teaspoon

1 gram • salt • 1/8 teaspoon

Pinch cinnamon

Mint chocolate mousse

340 grams • silken tofu • 12 ounces

68 grams • granulated sugar • 1/3 cup

4 grams • vanilla extract • 1 teaspoon

1 gram • peppermint extract • ¼ teaspoon

140 grams • semisweet chocolate, finely chopped • 5 ounces

122 grams • nondairy milk • ½ cup

168 grams • candy canes, crushed • 12 standard size

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment.

To make cake, start by whisking together coffee, milk, vinegar, instant coffee, vanilla, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Fold dry ingredients into the wet and stir until fully combined.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 28 to 34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely in pan.

To make mousse, start by blending tofu, sugar, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract together in a food processor. In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and nondairy milk; heat over medium-low heat, stirring consistently, until melted together. Pour chocolate in tofu mixture and blend until smooth. Let chill until thick and mousse-like.

Spread mousse over cooled cake like frosting. Sprinkle candy canes on top. Cut into bars and eat.

_______

Now that's a nice little slice of cake if I do say so myself.

I dunno about you, but I can’t get enough of peppermint mocha-flavored things. To tide you over to your next hit, here are some related recipes.

Peppermint mocha pancakes. Taking it back to Christmas morning.

Peppermint Oreo-stuffed mug cake. Easy and almost a little too healthy.

Mint chocolate chip macarons. Speaking of macarons...I really ought to whip up some more, now that vegan macarons are trendy.

Thin mint cake. It’s pretty fucking ugly but I honestly don’t care...it’s delicious.