Vegan mocha almond layer cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup maple sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup cold strong brewed coffee
• 1 Tbsp finely ground good quality coffee beans
• 2 tsp coffee extract
• 1 tsp pure almond extract
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup toasted almond butter
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp coconut milk, or more if needed
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp coffee extract
• 1 cup toasted sliced almonds

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Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position rack in center of oven.
• Line two six-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper and pan sides with nonstick spray.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and sugar in a large bowl to blend well. Whisk oil, coffee, ground coffee, coffee extract, almond extract, and vanilla extract together in small bowl to blend well, then whisk into the flour mixture until well blended.
• Whisk in cider vinegar and stir quickly. Transfer cake batter to prepared pan and bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cake out onto platter; peel off parchment paper.
• Let cool completely, then place in the fridge to chill until very cold to make slicing easier. When chilled, slice cakes horizontally in half so that you have 4 layers. To make frosting, whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl until very smooth, adding more cocoa powder if the frosting is not thick enough, or more coconut milk if too thick.
• Place a layer of cake on a plate, and spoon about 1/2 cup frosting over, almost to the sides, then top with another layer and repeat. Top with another cake layer, another frosting layer, then the top cake layer.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and the sides of the cake, and sprinkle almonds over the top of the cake, and at the base.