This Vegan Chocolate Cake is AMAZING! Fudgy yet light with a super moist crumb and topped with the best dairy free chocolate ganache frosting! So chocolatey it’s sinful! It’ll become your go to cake recipe too!
Say hello to the Best Vegan Chocolate Cake! So Tasty and so easy to make! Perfect for any holiday or occasion, birthday, Easter, Xmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines Day or just because? Who woulda thunk it right! a vegetarian cake with no eggs and no dairy that tastes totally delicious!
Yup it’s honestly way better than a basic chocolate cake recipe and not much harder than a cake mix! I’ll take a piece of cake- Please and thank you and don’t come near me I’m not sharing , lol❤️
As far as Vegan Cake recipes go this one is up there!! I’m telling yah its amazing! My family raved about it! Non vegans can’t even tell the difference! in fact they thought it was better than most cakes made with dairy and eggs!
My birthday was in the middle of November– Yes I made one heck of a vegan birthday cake! (but I didn’t do the decorations my daughters did, yay for me!) – Hey full confession, (if you haven’t guessed by now☺️) I love cooking and baking. Yup quite the vegan baker!
“It’s really is a truly divine Chocolate Layer Cake! It was enjoyed by all! Keep scrolling for the recipe!!
Now just to be clear this is one indulgent cake, it’s not fat free, gluten free or oil free. Hey we all have to let loose once awhile!
If you want a healthy vegan dessert check the links to my Vegan Black Bean Brownies, or my Salted Caramel Vegan Chocolate Pie you’ll love em!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE:
In a large mixing bowl pour the boiling water over chocolate pieces, then add the cocoa (the boiling water “blooms the cocoa” brings out the full chocolate flavour) Mix it well, then add the “buttermilk mixture” and the rest of wet ingredients, give it all a whisk.
Now add the dry ingredients. Whisk the cake batter till smooth. Pour the batter into prepared cake pans and bake. It’s that easy!
For the dairy free chocolate ganache frosting: Heat coconut cream on stove top or in microwave, add to the chocolate along with the cocoa and vanilla. Stir until smooth. refrigerate until set. Ice your cooled cakes, and enjoy! Check out full recipe card below.
HOW LONG DOES VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE LAST:
The cake will keep covered in the fridge up to 5 days. If using vegan buttercream frosting you can store the cake covered on the counter. To freeze cake: Wrap unfrosted pieces with plastic wrap. You can freeze cake for up to a month.
IS DARK CHOCOLATE VEGAN?
The question you hear a lot. The answer is “No not always”, you have to check the label. It’s that simple, some dark chocolate contains whey or other milk products.
THAT’S IT FOLKS:
Now go check your chocolate supply, we have a cake to bake!
This Vegan Chocolate cake recipe is:
The best
Moist & fudgy
Decadent
Insanely good
A winning recipe
Cupcake friendly
Indulgent
Perfect
Quick & easy
the ultimate vegan chocolate fudge cake
Enjoy you Guys! Happy day to you! Feel free to leave a comment and a star rating below. I’d love to hear from you.
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WANT MORE VEGAN CHOCOLATE DESSERT RECIPES? CHECK THESE OUT!
- Vegan Chocolate Mug Cake
- Tasty Vegan Chocolate chip Cookies
- Salted Caramel Vegan Chocolate Pie
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Gooey & Fudgy Vegan Black Bean Brownies (flourless)
- Nutty Vegan Chocolate Truffles
Adapted from this recipe and this recipe
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The BEST Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American, Canadian,
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Chocolate Cake is AMAZING! Fudgy, yet light with a super moist crumb and topped with the best dairy free chocolate ganache frosting! So chocolatey it’s sinful! It’ll become your go to cake recipe too!
Ingredients
WET INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE CAKE:
- 1 cup unsweetened non dairy milk, I like cashew, soy milk or almond milk
- 1 tbsp white vinegar (could sub apple cider vinegar)
- 200 grams dark chocolate, broken up, I use 2 Great Value dark chocolate bars from Walmart (Canada) or the equivalent of dairy free chocolate chips
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil plus 1 tbsp, I use grape seed oil (not coconut oil)
DRY INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE CAKE:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, I use Demerara sugar
- 2 tsp instant coffee powder, reg or decaf ( espresso powder)
- 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
CHOCOLATE GANACHE ICING:
- 350 Grams dark chocolate, broken up, I use Great value dark chocolate from Walmart (Canada) or the equivalent of dairy free chocolate chips
- 1 (400 ml) (14 fl oz) can coconut cream (not milk), I use Savoy brand from Walmart
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Lightly grease 2- 9 inch round non stick cake pans. I also line my pans with parchment paper rounds and lightly grease them.
- In a small bowl add the plant milk and vinegar, this is your “Buttermilk mixture”, stir and set aside.
- In a medium bowl add the dry ingredients and stir to combine, set aside
- In a large mixing bowl add the chocolate pieces, and boiling water, let sit for a minute. Now add the cocoa powder and whisk it until smooth. Then add in rest of “Wet Ingredients” including “Buttermilk mixture”, whisk it until it’s combined.
- Next add the dry ingredients and whisk until it’s smooth. Do not over mix.
- Pour the cake batter into your 2 prepared baking pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool the cakes in pans for 10-15 then remove cakes from pans and cool completely on racks before icing.
- Dairy free Chocolate ganache: Add chocolate pieces to a large DRY mixing bowl,
- Heat the coconut cream on stove until hot, don’t let it simmer. Pour the cream over chocolate mixture. Let it sit for a minute then add the cocoa and vanilla. Whisk it until smooth.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour, whisking after 30 minutes. If the icing seems to soft after 1 hour leave it in the fridge and check every 15 minutes until you have a good consistency.
- Ice the cake: Once cake is completely cool, frost the cake! Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten free: a few of my readers have said they have made this recipe using a gluten free flour blend and it turned out great. I personally have not tried it.
- You can use any unsweetned plant milk you like, soy for nut free, etc.. (soy milk curdles the best for ‘buttermilk’)
- I bake my cakes for 35 minutes
- If you leave icing in fridge for to long, just remove to counter until spreadable.
- If wanting cupcakes bake for 20- 25 minutes
- I use Great value dark chococlate bars from Walmart (Canada) for a lot of my dessert recipes. They are excellent quality and super affordable.
- I wouldn’t use a really dark chocolate for this recipe or your icing won’t be sweet enough.
- The cake does not take on any coffee flavour from the instant coffee, it just adds a richness to the cake. I highly recommend adding it.
- Prep time doesn’t include cooling time for cakes or chilling time for icing.
- This cake will keep covered in the fridge up to 5 days. If using vegan buttercream frosting you can store the cake covered on the counter.
- To freeze cake: Wrap unfrosted pieces with plastic wrap. You can freeze cake for up to a month.
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Absolutely looooove this recipe!! The coconut ganache is perfection and beautiful to decorate with. I’ve used many of your recipes and i love them! Thank you 🙂
★★★★★
Aww thank you so much Gina!! You just made my day. Super happy to hear you’re loving the cake and my other recipes💕
Hi. I do not have instant coffee powder, vanilla or apple sauce at home. What do you suggest instead?
Hi Chondamma, you could try using mashed banana in place of apple sauce. Keep in mind I have not tried this. The cake will not taste as good without the addition of vanilla or instant coffee. Hope that helps!
Can I use very think coconut milk instead of cream?
Hi Tiffany, do you mean from a carton? if so then no that won’t work.
I’m not vegan, but am allergic to eggs. My favorite bakery that makes vegan cakes is closed during the stay-at
-home-order. I’m so glad I found this vegan chocolate cake and ganache to make for my birthday! I followed it exactly and oh…my goodness. It is so incredibly delicious! It is so rich, chocolate-y, and melt-in-your-mouth. Thank you!
Yay!! glad you love it Lindsay!! Thank so much for your comment!! Happy Birthday!!
Thank you for this recipe – due to the lockdown I am unable to get eggs so was looking for a vegan or eggless cake that is still indulgent, and this *so* delivered. I made a few subs based on what I had in the cupboards… I subbed a mashed banana for the apple sauce – you can slightly taste banana but it isn’t overpowering and seemed to work well – chocolate oat milk in place of buttermilk and left out the vinegar – and coconut oil was our oil of choice. The result is a deliciously fudgy, cocoa-y cake – it looks impressive too! My hubby and I are v pleased with it anyway 😀 thanks again and happy Easter x
★★★★★
So glad it worked out for you Vikki!! Your alterations sound great!
Thanks so much for your comment! Have a wonderful day!
I was skeptical about a cake that didn’t use eggs, but, WOW! I think this is the best chocolate cake that I’ve ever had! Soo good! Absolutely delicious and moist! Love!
★★★★★
Thank you Shimona! I am thrilled you enjoyed the cake! Your comment means SO much! Have a great day!
Hi love the recipe.! Can’t wait to try
Jus one question…is there a substitute for oil nd apple sauce? Do u think flax meal will wrk?
I recommend trying my vegan chocolate cupcakes instead just leave out the filling if you like. Wait until you have the right ingredients for my chocolate cake😊 enjoy!
The best chocolate cake ever! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
★★★★★
Oh Thank you so much Ana! Thrilled you loved the cake! Thanks for your comment, you made my day!!
Oh Thank you so much Ana! Thrilled you loved the cake! Thanks for your comment, you made my day!!
Is there a substitute for vinegar?? I don’t have any 😔😔
Hi Priti, you can use lemon juice. Hope that helps have a great day!
Hi, I only able to sweetned apple sauce in my country. In so ,should I reduce sugar by 1/4cup. Can you share your thoughts!
Hi Geeth, I haven’t used sweetened apple sauce for this recipe. I would just keep ingredient amounts the same and use the sweetened apple sauce. Hope this helps! Have a great day. Enjoy!
WOW! I was looking for a cake wihtout milk! I found out not a long time ago that I have lactose intolerance. Even the lactase added in the dairy products gives me some side effects!! So that is not an option for me. What a nice recipe!! All is perfect! I am very surprised with the ganache frosting! I love it! Thanks so much!! I know it’s not recommanded but I have tryed to cut the recipe in half. It worked!!! I have to do the whole one to see if there is a difference with the texture of the cake but it was really amazing cut in two! I used a 6 ” mold and it took me 30 minutes to cook. The ganache, splitted in half gave me enough to put between the two cakes and way enough for around it. Thanks again!!
★★★★★
Good to know the recipe can be halved! Thanks so much for your comment Emilie! Glad you enjoyed the chocolate cake!
I just checked the Walmart site and the chocolate bars in the recipe have butterfat in them. So they are most assuredly not vegan!
Hi Marian I will specify on the recipe that I buy my chocolate bars in Canada. There is no butterfat in them. Sorry for the confusion. Having said that it is extremely easy to find a good quality dark chocolate bar that is vegan. Have a great day.
Hi! Can I use almond milk for the cake? Also what if I use only 1 cup total of sugar….and can i follow your icing to a tee and use a piper or is the consistency too thin?
You can use almond milk. I can’t guarantee the outcome if you change the sugar amount. Frosting should be pipeable just make sure it’s good and chilled. Have a great day!
Hello,
Do you think oat milk would work as well as cashew milk? I always have it here so I was just wondering. I’m dying to make this cake!
Thanks!
Hi Heather, I’m sure oat milk would work just fine. Enjoy!?
have you tried making this gluten-free, by just switching out the flour, do you think it would work?
Hi Bella, I have not tried making this recipe gluten free so I cannot say whether it would work or not. Have a great day Bella!?
I make this GF using a rice flour blend and it’s amazing!
★★★★★
That’s awesome!! Good to know it works with a gluten free blend!! So glad you enjoyed it Sarah! Thanks so much for your comment!