The Best Dairy Free Chocolate Cake and Icing

So I've never really worked on alternative cooking if you will but since moving to Monte Porzio I've learned several of our friends are severely lactose intolerant. So for church events, parties,etc. there is usually little dolci or sweets to enjoy. I set out to find some yummy yet doable recipes for them. Below is the chocolate cake I recently made. I think this will be my go to chocolate cake even for non lactose intolerant people. It is super easy, quick and moist. The icing is the same. Enjoy!!

Cake:
This recipe is for 12 cupcakes, a 9x9 cake, and an 8x8 cake. Double ingredients for 24 cupcakes, double layer round cake, or 9x13" cake or I made a 12" round cake.
Heat oven to 350. Grease pan(s) with an allergy safe food if you are making this for someone with food allergies. We have luck with most Pam sprays and Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine Sticks.

• 1.5 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 c cold water

Combine ingredients and pour into greased pan or muffin tin. Bake in oven until done, when cake springs back to the touch or a toothpick comes out clean. Time varies on the pan you use, 15 to 30 minutes possibly. For the 12" round pan it took about 30 mins.

Icing:

Makes about 2 cups

    •    2 cups powdered sugar
    •    ¼ cup (½ stick) dairy-free soy margarine, softened or margarine (read label bc some have milk)
    •    ¼ cup plain unsweetened almond milk or soymilk
    •    ¾ cup unsweetened pure cocoa powder
    •    ½ t. vanilla
 In a medium-large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream the powdered sugar with the soy margarine until mixture is thick but well combined.  Mine wasn't so smooth at first because margarine does not soften like butter. I just beat it longer to break down the margarine. Add the almond milk, cocoa powder and vanilla, and continue to mix until smooth. Spread on the cake.