Chocolate Cake Recipe from Cafe Indigo: A Family Tradition Reinvented

After the popular release of Café Indigo's vegan carrot cake, baker Patti Dann graces us with another beloved recipe: her ultra-moist vegan chocolate cake. This delightful dessert stems from a rich family heritage, and as Dann transitions from wholesale baked goods to focus on her cookbook journey, this recipe emerges from nearly two decades of cherished culinary history.

Having closed the Café Indigo line to devote more time to her grandchildren and writing, Dann now shares her recipes, including this chocolate cake, which hasn’t been available online. Fans of Café Indigo will find this cake's roots in her two cookbooks—Simple Vegan Comfort Food and Vegan Kids in the Kitchen.

From Family Tradition to Modern Celebration

When the Dann family opted for a vegan lifestyle, prompted by her daughters, Patti wore multiple hats as baker and innovator. Many of her family’s favorite recipes went through adjustments to fit a plant-based palate—except for her grandmother's chocolate cake, which fortuitously required no changes. This "accidentally vegan" cake, often referred to as Wacky Cake, arose during the Great Depression, framed by resourcefulness amidst ingredient shortages.

“Back in the day, coffee was a luxury, and Grandma wouldn’t brew a new pot just for cake; she’d use whatever leftovers she had,” Dann recounts, highlighting the simplicity and creativity behind traditional baking.

This recipe, true to its origins, maintains a faithful rendition of her grandmother's method with only slight modifications. Dann incorporated a hint of extra vanilla and opted for decaf coffee, ensuring the cake's essence shines through. Sharing that she never had the chance to bake with her grandmother, Dann reflects on the emotional connection that this cake evokes: it symbolized love and care within her family.

Mastering Baking Techniques

Baking, while deceptively simple, blends elements of science and creativity. Dann emphasizes that following a recipe is key to success, noting, “Reading the entire recipe beforehand helps prevent missed steps that could derail the results.” Common errors like omitting baking soda can lead to unexpected outcomes, but as Dann points out, sometimes mistakes lead to the best discoveries.

Understanding how cocoa powder interacts with baking ingredients is essential for crafting an exceptional chocolate cake. There are two prevalent types found in stores: Dutch process and natural. Dutch process, darker and smoother with a pH level of 7 or higher, doesn’t react with alkaline leaveners, while natural cocoa’s bitterness and acidity promote better reactions with baking soda. For this recipe, Dann prefers natural cocoa powder, citing Lake Champlain’s Organic Unsweetened Cocoa Powder as her top pick.

Frosting with Flair

In America, classic chocolate cakes often feature an American buttercream frosting, yet Dann’s creation stands out with a vegan chocolate cream cheese frosting. “One day I had leftover cream cheese frosting and simply mixed in cocoa powder. The result was divine, and I’ve preferred it ever since,” she explains. This adaptability extends to her personal preferences: she prefers a light approach to frosting, contrasting with her husband’s penchant for generous layers.

For those seeking creative variations, Dann suggests adding fresh raspberries or strawberries between the layers instead of rich frosting. She even imagines a holiday twist on this cake by swapping the cream cheese frosting for a peppermint version topped with crushed candy canes, evoking the cozy warmth of hot chocolate during the festive season.

Ready to create your own masterpiece? Here’s how to replicate Café Indigo’s cherished chocolate cake:

Café Indigo’s Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 3 cups flour
• ⅔ cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 cups cold coffee
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup white vinegar

• For the cream cheese frosting:
• 1 (8-ounce) container vegan cream cheese
• ½ cup vegan butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• ¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. For the cake: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Then add canola oil, cold coffee, and vanilla, mixing until smooth—about 5 minutes. Incorporate the vinegar and mix well.
3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes, or until a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.
4. For the frosting: In a stand mixer, beat the vegan cream cheese and butter until soft. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until smooth, then blend in the cocoa powder and vanilla for an additional 5 minutes until creamy.
5. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread ⅓ of the frosting on top before adding the second layer. Frost the remainder of the cake with the remaining frosting.

With this recipe, you're not just baking a cake—you're sharing a slice of history interwoven with family love. Get baking!