Vegan Gooey Chocolate Skillet Cake

The Vegan Gooey Chocolate Skillet Cake is a decadent dessert that offers a rich, indulgent chocolate experience, perfect for those who crave a deep, cocoa flavor in a moist, tender cake. This skillet cake has a soft and slightly dense texture, achieved by a blend of all-purpose flour, vegan refined sugar, and baking soda. The unsweetened or vanilla soy milk, mixed with distilled white vinegar, creates a vegan buttermilk that contributes to the cake’s moist crumb. The vegan butter substitute and vegetable oil add a buttery richness without the use of dairy, while the cocoa powder imparts a deep chocolate flavor that is both intense and satisfying.

The addition of water helps to create a smooth batter, and the vanilla coconut milk yogurt (or vanilla soy yogurt) adds a subtle creaminess and a hint of vanilla flavor. These elements come together to create a cake that is rich and gooey, with a texture that is somewhere between a traditional cake and a fudgy brownie.

The cake is further enhanced by a velvety chocolate frosting made from vegan butter substitute, more cocoa powder, and vanilla or unsweetened soy milk. This frosting is sweet and creamy, spreading easily over the warm cake to create a glossy, inviting topping. Chopped pecans are stirred into the frosting, adding a delightful crunch and a nutty contrast to the smooth chocolate. Confectioners’ sugar sweetens the frosting and helps to achieve the perfect consistency.

For an extra indulgent touch, optional toppings like a peanut caramel sauce or a scoop of dark chocolate or any flavor ice cream can be added. These additions bring additional layers of flavor and texture, making the Vegan Gooey Chocolate Skillet Cake a luxurious treat that is sure to satisfy any chocolate lover’s cravings. The combination of gooey cake, rich frosting, and optional toppings creates a symphony of flavors and textures that is simply irresistible.

Recipe

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl or cup, stir together the soy milk and vinegar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sugar and salt.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, bring the vegan butter, vegetable oil, cocoa powder and water to a boil.

Remove from the heat immediately and stir in the dry ingredients.

Stir in yogurt and vanilla.

Stir in the milk + vinegar combo.

Bake the cake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed with only a few crumbs.

Make the frosting by placing the vegan butter, cocoa and soy milk in a small sauce pan.

Bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring constantly.

Remove the sauce pan from the heat and stir in the pecans, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. You want the frosting to be thick, but if it seems too thick to spread just add more milk until it smooths out.

Spread the warm frosting over top of the cake.

If you want to go all out, scoop out a portion of the middle of the cake and fill with ice cream. If you are using Kathy’s amazing peanut caramel sauce, go ahead and pour it all over the cake.

I used crunchy peanut butter in mine.

I swirled mine into the frosting after I drizzled it on top of the cake. It just seemed like the logical thing to do.