Cafe Indigo Vegan Goodness Layer Cakes are Dairy-Free Decadence

Lovely tender layers, slathered with sweet frosting – all dairy-free and egg-free, yet impressive enough to dazzle all of your sweets-loving guests? If it sounds too good to be true, then you’ve yet to discover Vegan Goodness Layer Cake from Cafe Indigo.

Granted, it’s hard not to give 5 stars to an indulgent celebration-worthy dessert. Sure, that perfect bakery texture can be a little trickier without eggs and dairy, but once you’ve got the formula down, pretty much all of our tasters are going to love a sweet baked good. And the bakers at Cafe Indigo have definitely managed to accomplish that perfect crumb with their Vegan Goodness Layer Cakes.

Cafe Indigo Vegan Goodness Layer Cakes are Dairy-Free Decadence

We served up slices of the Chocolate Cake and Carrot Cake to close friends, neighbors and even the staff at my doctor’s office. None of which follow a dairy-free, let alone vegan diet, and the positive responses were unanimous. I disclosed to all that the cakes weren’t baked in my kitchen, so there was no need for false praise. But even so, all we heard were gushes of praise! Not a one questioned that they were anything different from “normal” bakery cakes.

Chocolate

The Chocolate Cake was rich and quite moist, yet spot on “cakey” with a mild semi-sweet chocolate flavor to appeal to youthful palates and sophisticated tastes alike. Admittedly (I’ll probably get some hate email for this), I’m not a fan of chocolate cake. I still enjoyed it, but mostly because of the frosting. Milky, super-sweet and with the slight heft of homemade (versus those horrible, bland, airy bakery icings), the addictive frosting served double duty, not only acting as a necessary topper, but also locking in moisture.

Ingredients: batter [unenriched flour, water, sugar, canol oil, vinegar, cocoa powder, vanilla, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), salt, coffee], frosting [sugar, Tofutti (water,
expeller pressed natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit, olive), maltodextrin, soy protein, tofu, non-dairy lactic acid, organic sugar, natural gums (locust bean, guar, cellulose, xanthan, carrageenan), vegetable mono and diglycerides, salt)), vegan
butter (natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit, canola and olive oils), water, salt, natural flavor (derived from corn, no MSG, no alcohol, no gluten, GMO free), soya lecithin – an emulsifier, lactic acid (non-dairy derived from sugar beets), annatto extract) , cocoa powder, vanilla]

Carrot

Okay, if I’m being really honest, I don’t love cake in general – with one exception: Carrot Cake. Like the chocolate, this Vegan Goodness layer cake had a delightful crumb, perhaps just a touch higher in moisture. But it also had that something special known as grated carrots and flavorful spices. And lest you think that dairy-free cream cheese is just too weird – everyone LOVED the frosting.

Ingredients: batter [sugar, unenriched flour, carrots, canola oil apple sauce, unsulphered coconut, pineapple, water, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), vanilla, salt, cinnamon], frosting [sugar, Tofutti (water, expeller pressed natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit, olive), maltodextrin, soy protein, tofu, non-dairy lactic acid, organic sugar, natural gums (locust bean, guar, cellulose, xanthan, carrageenan), vegetable mono and diglycerides, salt)), vegan butter (natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit, canola and olive oils), water, salt, natural flavor (derived from corn, no MSG, no alcohol, no gluten, GMO free), soya lecithin – an emulsifier, lactic acid
(non-dairy derived from sugar beets), annatto extract), vanilla]

Lemon Poppy

We haven’t tried this particular cake, but it looks every bit as delicious as the other two!

Ingredients: batter [unenriched flour, sugar, rice milk (filtered water, brown rice [partially
milled], expeller pressed canola oil and/or safflower oil and/or sunflower oil, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, vitamin B12), vegan butter (natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit, canola and olive oils), water, salt, natural flavor (derived from corn, no MSG, no alcohol, no gluten, GMO free), soya lecithin – an emulsifier, lactic acid (non-dairy derived from sugar beets), annatto extract), water, lemon juice, poppy seeds, lemon zest, vanilla, baking powder (monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate [baking soda], non-GMO corn starch), baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), salt]

Note that Cafe Indigo used to be a full bakery and cafe, but they closed the storefront. They have since partnered with Pearl River Pastry, and are delivering their goodies to other retailers. Vegan Goodness Layer Cakes are sold in stores (like Whole Foods, local bakeries, etc – mostly in the northeast, but expanding!) and can be chilled and frozen – they are packaged very securely and tightly. We actually ate ours from frozen since I didn’t have a good tasting plan lined up when they arrived.

More Facts on Vegan Goodness Layer Cakes

Price: $19.99 per 6-inch two-layer cake

Certifications: We did not note any certifications on the Vegan Goodness Layer Cakes.

Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Vegan Goodness Layer Cakes are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Select varieties are made without nuts.*

For More Product Information: Visit the Cafe Indigo website at www.cafeindigo.com.

*Always read the ingredient and nutrition statement prior to consumption. Ingredients, processes, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company or product. Contact the company to discuss their manufacturing processes if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. No food product can be guaranteed “safe” for every individual’s needs. You should never rely on ingredient and allergen statements alone if dealing with a severe food allergy. 

I can't believe it's vegan

Rated 5 out of 5

May 30, 2020

Joining the ranks of “I can’t believe it’s vegan” these decadent desserts dazzled every last taster, even the most devout dairy-eaters. No one could tell they were anything but bakery fresh, with an even divide on the favorite flavor. Like many, I was all about the carrot, with it’s moist flavorful crumb and perfect “cream cheese” frosting. But half were enamored with the Chocolate, proclaiming it to be “spot on”.

Alisa Fleming