Vegan Chocolate Cake

This vegan chocolate cake is so rich and fudgy, you won’t even know it’s vegan! It’s made with basic ingredients and topped with a vegan chocolate ganache for a decadent and irresistibly delicious cake that both vegans and non-vegans will love. I highly recommend this cake for family gatherings!

I’ve had many requests lately from friends and family for more vegan recipes. While I myself am not vegan, several people close to me are. And the fact that more and more people are moving toward a vegan diet, I wanted to have a delicious cake recipe that was perfect for any chocolate lover (including me!).

This vegan cake hits all of those points. I love it because it uses simple ingredients, is dairy-free, and the flavor is outstanding. It is chocolatey, fudgy, moist, and an all-around simply delicious cake.

What’s in vegan chocolate cake?

My vegan chocolate cake recipe uses basic ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen.

The dry ingredients include:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Cocoa powder

The wet ingredients are:

• Vegetable oil
• Coconut milk
• White vinegar (which helps activate the baking soda)
• Vanilla

The cake is sweetened with granulated sugar which is mixed into the wet ingredients.

And my favorite part, the chocolate ganache topping, is made with dark chocolate (dairy-free, of course) and coconut milk.

That’s it!

How to make vegan chocolate cake

This recipe makes enough batter for an 8×8-inch square pan or a 9-inch round pan. To adjust the recipe for different cake pan sizes, I recommend checking out my article on converting cake pan sizes.

1. Combine the dry ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
2. Combine the wet ingredients plus baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together the vegetable oil, coconut milk, sugar, vinegar, and baking soda. The baking soda is mixed with the wet ingredients so the vinegar can properly activate it.
3. Mix together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix together gently until fully incorporated.
4. Bake. Pour the cake batter in a prepared pan and bake at 350°F/180°C for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5. Cool. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before topping with ganache.

Make the vegan ganache and top the cake

1. Place chocolate and coconut milk in a medium heat-proof bowl, and microwave in 20-30 second-intervals, stirring in between each interval, until melted.
2. Pour the ganache over the cooled cake and place in the refrigerator to set.
3. Once set, you can remove the cake using the parchment paper overhang and slice.

Tips for making perfect vegan chocolate cake

-Don’t overmix the batter. Once you combine the wet ingredients into the dry, mix together gently just until the ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing can cause the cake to be more dense.

-Use Dutch processed cocoa powder. I prefer Dutch processed cocoa powder in general because it has a much stronger, more chocolatey flavor. But for chocolate cakes in particular, I find that it makes a significant difference in the flavor. However, if all you have is natural cocoa powder, feel free to use it.

-Use a good quality chocolate for the ganache. The better quality the chocolate, the better your cake will taste :).

-Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk. For the vegan ganache to turn out thick and fudgy, make sure to use full-fat coconut milk. Anything less than full-fat won’t emulsify properly.

More vegan recipes

• Coconut Tapioca Pudding: Light, refreshing, and perfectly creamy.
• Peanut Butter Bites: This simple recipe has amazing texture and flavor.
• 2-Ingredient Chocolate Truffles: Made with rich dark chocolate and nutty tahini.