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Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe with Vegan Chocolate Ganache

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Rich, delicious and most importantly, super easy to make, is what make this vegan chocolate cake recipe best! Make this to die for cake today.

Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe with vegan chocolate ganache | Get the recipe at deliciouseveryday.com

vegan baking substitutions cheat sheet

I couldn’t imagine the world without chocolate or chocolate cake! It is difficult not to feel good about life while devouring a piece (or savoring, if you prefer) of chocolate cake.

This vegan chocolate cake recipe ticks all the right boxes.

It is intensely chocolatey without being the least bit sickly. It is rich, but not overly so. And most importantly, it is super quick to make in just a few steps , making this vegan chocolate cake the best recipe around!

What more can you ask for really?

Dairy free, egg free and vegan this vegan chocolate mud cake is moist with a beautifully tender crumb.

(P.S. If you haven’t already grabbed it, be sure to snag a copy of this handy vegan baking cheat sheet for lots of easy plant-based substitutions. You can turn almost any recipe vegan!) 

Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe with vegan chocolate ganache | Get the recipe at deliciouseveryday.com

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cake

If you are in the mood for a chocolate fix this quick, easy vegan chocolate cake is sure to satisfy! And you won’t believe how simple this one-bowl recipe is. I think this is the easiest vegan chocolate cake recipe you can find.

Start off by simply mixing all your dry ingredients together in a bowl – this will be flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt.

Then mix your brown sugar and the wet ingredients in a separate small bowl – that will be coconut milk, vinegar, oil, and vanilla extract.

Then all you need to do is combine the wet with the dry ingredients to make your vegan chocolate cake batter. Bake it in a cake tin for 40-55 minutes.

It couldn’t be simpler.

Making the Vegan Chocolate Ganache Frosting

All you do to make this simple vegan chocolate cake frosting is melt together coconut milk and vegan dark chocolate pieces. You can do this in a double boiler if you have one!

Then just let the frosting sit for about an hour before frosting your cake, so it has time to thicken up. Don’t refrigerate it.

Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe with vegan chocolate ganache | Get the recipe at deliciouseveryday.com

Tips for Perfect Vegan Chocolate Cake

  • Make a large cake, like I have. Or this recipe also works equally well in cupcake form.
  • If the cake seems a bit loose or difficult to slice after cooling, place it in the fridge for an hour or so. It will firm up further and be easier to cut.
  • If you don’t have a double boiler to make the chocolate ganache frosting, you can use a heatproof bowl over a pot of steaming water.
  • Be sure to grab this free printable packed with handy vegan baking substitutions – so you can turn just about any recipe vegan!

Need more vegan chocolate desserts?

If you’re as much of a chocoholic as me, you’ll love these other vegan sweets:

vegan baking substitutions cheat sheet

Looking for a vegan chocolate cake? Look no further than this divine and not to mention easy one bowl vegan chocolate cake.

Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe with vegan chocolate ganache

Rich, delicious and most importantly, super easy to make, is what make this vegan chocolate cake recipe best! Make this to die for cake today. [Adapted from Tea With Bea: Recipes from Bea's of Bloomsbury]
4.27 from 80 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Calories: 480kcal
Author: Delicious Everyday
14 slices

Ingredients

VEGAN CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING

Supplies Needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 160 celsius (325 fahrenheit) and grease a 23cm (9 inch) cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
  • Sift the flour, cocoa, bicarb, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Sift again.
  • Combine the coconut milk, vinegar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with almost no crumbs attached. The middle of the cake should also spring back when lightly pressed. Place on a wire cake rack and leave to cool in the tin.
  • To make the frosting place the chocolate and coconut milk in a small heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Set aside for an hour, or until slightly thickened (do not refrigerate), before frosting the cake.
  • Pour the frosting over the cake and gently easy down the sides with an offset spatula. Top with raspberries, if using.

Notes

When making the chocolate ganache check the ingredients on your coconut milk and look for one without emulsifiers. Refrigerate the can of coconut milk overnight. Remove from the refrigerator and invert and scoop the coconut water off the top before measuring the coconut milk for the ganache. Store the remaining coconut milk in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 4.3g | Fat: 33g | Sodium: 240mg | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Iron: 2.9mg
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Comments


  1. Omg! OMG!! I am having trouble holding back tears. My sister and her fiancé have both gone full-vegan, and I cook for weeks at a time to feed our vegan theatre kids in the lead up to each show. I get pretty depressed because I never realized how much I rely on dairy in my regular veg cooking, and most of my attempts at vegan are horrrrrible. But tomorrow night is opening night for the current show, and of course the rest of the kids get a show cake. I was determined to give my vegan kiddos something yummy and I searched until I found “simple” and “coconut milk”. Last night I did three cakes (I also have a gluten-free, lactose-intolerant kid as well as a bunch who are celebrating Passover), one of which, of course, was this one. Unfortunately the center fell and it was super ugly. Not sure what I did wrong there. But I know that sometimes ugly is still delicious, so I wrapped it tightly and refrigerated it until just now when I cut into it. I’m really having trouble not crying here because it was so good. I mean, REAL cake. It’s so rich and decadent and I can’t believe it has no eggs or butter. I just creatively cut out individual pieces for each kid and packaged them separately so you can’t even tell it started out unpretty. And now I have something to serve at Christmas for my sister and her fiancé…and EVERYONE can eat it! Nobody will have any idea it’s vegan! Sorry for the long-winded story, but you just have no idea what a big deal this is to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

    Reply

    • I’m sorry I didn’t see this sooner to reply, but thank you so much for coming back and sharing with me. It truly makes my day when my recipes can help make people’s lives a bit easier (and more tasty). As the only vegetarian (almost vegan) in my family, I know that it meant a lot to your sister that you wanted to cook for her and took the trouble to make her something vegan. How wonderful!

      Reply

  4. Hi!

    I really want to bake this cake but i only have a 8’inch cake pan. How do i adapt the recipe to use a 8′ instead of a 9′ cake pan?

    Thanks

    Reply

    • I would just make the recipe as-is and just fill your cake pan 2/3 full. You’ll have a bit of leftover batter but it will be easier than trying to scale down the recipe.

      Reply

  5. I love all the positive comments. I would like to make this gluten free. Can I substitute GF FLOUR for ordinary flour?

    Reply


      • yes I used 3/4 cup coconut flour and 1 cup brown rice flour blend… the 1/4 was chia and flax flour mix… making them as we speak as they are so popular amongst family and friends


  6. Hey! I made this recipe and it tasted soooo good – however I found my cake a bit crumbly, it wouldn’t hold on a slice… any ideas why? Thanks x

    Reply

    • Hey Amelia – I’m so glad it tasted good. If the cake is hard to slice, put it in the fridge for an hour or so to help it firm up.

      Reply

  7. Hi! I’m living in a house where one of the girls is vegan and so would love to try out this cake to make for her. I was just wondering is the red wine vinegar necessary or is there a substitute I could use as I have no need for it other wise!

    Reply

    • I would try it with balsamic vinegar as a substitute, if you have some of that in the house. It should be just as good!

      Reply

  9. Hi
    Would this recipe work as cupcakes too? What kind of cooking time would they require?
    Thanks! I’m new to baking!

    Reply

    • I haven’t tried them as cupcakes, but I don’t see why not! It depends a bit on the type and size of cupcake tin you are using. But I would start off at 17 minutes, and keep checking it after that.

      Reply


  10. I made this cake recently because I tend to find vegan cake to be more delicious than regular cake (I am vegetarian, but not vegan). It was an absolute hit at my office and my husband’s office. It is so rich and moist and flavorful — absolutely delicious cake. I made this with a peanut butter icing that was delicious!

    Reply


  11. Hi! Do you use 2 9″ pans for this recipe or just 1 and make a single layer cake? I plan to make this for my father in law for father’s day and want it to be perfect!! Thanks much for your help!!

    Reply

    • I did a single layer, but it will work either way. You could do two layers and put some of the ganache in the middle – that would be delicious!

      Reply

      • Hi Nicole! I baked this cake today. Beautiful batter, rised perfectly but when taken out of the oven, it sank in the middle. I bake a lot, this is my first vegan cake and fist time of a “center sinking” cake. Any ideas as to why this might have happened? Thank you!

      • I’m so glad you tried it out! Usually when cakes sink in the center, it’s because they are too dry. Perhaps try adding a bit more coconut milk to your cake batter if you try again.


  12. I made this cake for a friends birthday, I am not a vegan but love to bake.I think this was one of the best cakes I have made and will definitely bake it again because it is so cheap to make (except chocolate for the ganache). I’d even just make a chocolate/peanut butter icing for kids. One question would this work with gf flour?

    Reply

    • Hi Kerry! It should work fine with gluten free flour. The biggest risk is that it doesn’t rise properly. Take a look at the package of whatever gluten free flour you buy, and see what they suggest when substituting. Sometimes it is a simple 1:1 ratio, but sometimes it’s a bit different.

      Reply


  13. This was exactly what I was looking for; light, fluffy, chocolaty vegan chocolate cake! I’ve tried several recipes and they were all dense and too wet. Not really what I like. So when I made this (with slightly less sugar and with good quality cocoa powder) the result was awesome! Made some chocolate tofu mousse to go with the cake and it was a hit! Thank you sooooo much for sharing the recipe! xx

    Reply


  14. I usually never leave comments, but after a long search for the perfect dessert I was excited to find that this was it! I quartered the recipe just to test out if I would like it and it was amazing!

    I made quite a few minor substituons:
    – Half oat flour and half white wheat flour
    – Apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar
    – Almond milk instead of the coconut milk
    – Coconut oil instead of the sunflower

    I also made my own frosting with dark chocolate, almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla and it went together perfectly.

    Your cake recipe was so light, fluffy, and chocolately it will be my go to from now on. Next time I’ll make the full portion size because I finished the tester in one sitting! Thanks for sharing!! xx

    Reply

  15. Hi there : )…I am a vegan and thinking of making this cake for my birthday coming up later this month…quick question though…when you said coconut milk are you referring to the coconut milk you get in the refrigerated area (by the almond milk) or the kind in the can?

    Reply

    • Hi Christina. I am so sorry for the slow reply. I had a computer meltdown recently, and am just catching up! I used the type that comes in the can. But there are some brands that do come refrigerated, in a carton, and they would work also. In my experience, the refrigerated varieties tend to have a lot of extra ingredients, which is why I lean towards the canned ones. I prefer the full fat version – the low fat one doesn’t have quite the same texture. Shake the can really well before you open it, so it all blends together.

      And Happy Birthday!!!

      Reply

  16. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
    This is my personal favourite. My non-vegan friends loved this cake. They said it’s the best cake they have ever eaten. 🙂

    Reply

  17. Hi ., will be making this cake today after all the reviews and lovely comments
    I have one question ..
    Can I use the normal milk instead of coconut milk.?
    Please let me know Thnks

    Reply

    • You can use normal milk in the cake without any issues, however, I’d recommend against it in the ganache as normal milk is thinner than coconut milk and will result in a runnier ganache. If you can tolerate dairy I’d recommend using cream in place of the coconut milk in the ganache. I hope you enjoy the cake 🙂

      Reply

      • Hey 🙂 I want to make the cake for my coworkers. Can I make it one evening before? What is the best way to store it until the next das? Is it better putting it in the fridge or should I just leave it in a normal temperated room? Thank you in advance 🙂

      • I would personally put it in the fridge, and let it come back to room temperature for serving.

  19. Love this recipe. I made it for my birthday last year and it was a huge hit! And this vegan ganache is amazing. I just included it as the topping on a recipe for chocolate beet cake that I shared on my own blog (with link back to here of course). Thanks! Look forward to trying some more of your recipes!

    Reply

  20. Hi. I’ve made this cake a number of times and it’s worked fabulously. However, there are some times where it is hard to slice and gets quite crumbly – like it’s not a clean slice and falls apart a little. When I’ve also tried to make this a 2 layer cake, it’s too soft to lift it and put it on the first layer without it breaking. Any ideas on what I could be doing wrong? I followed the recipe, didn’t have red wine vinegar, so used normal vinegar instead.

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Kay, can I ask are you using cups or weights to measure your ingredients? That could have an effect. Other than the vinegar (which is fine) have you made any other changes to the recipe? As far as the cake crumbling goes, it might be a case of the cake being slightly overbaked. You can also try refrigerating the cake before slicing it, as this will help firm it up.

      Reply

      • Hi Jennifer – I use cups. I also have to say my oven is pretty temperamental – I usually have to turn the heat down a little as it’s a small oven and if I keep it at a 160, the top is done faster than the bottom. But I’ll definitely fry putting it in the fridge.

        Thank you!

      • Sounds like your oven might be the culprit then. 🙂 If you find the top is done too quick you can also try covering it in foil to stop it burning. Best of luck with it 😀

      • 1 last question! Sorry, it may sound very petty. What’s the best way to refrigerate the cake? Let it cool for an hour, then cover it with foil and keep it in the fridge? Thanks! I don’t want it to dry out. Will let you know how it goes,

      • No need to apologise 🙂 Either wrap it in foil or cling film and it should be fine.

      • Jennifer – the cake was a hit. Vanished in 15 minutes. I’m not kidding. Everyone loved how moist it was – it was very soft so not very firm – but no one cared cause it just melted in their mouths and was luxuriously chocolatey.

        Since a lot of people I know are vegan, I look forward to discovering more of your cake recipes that deliver such a moist and fluffy cake! They are already asking me to make more cake.

        Well done on mastering a vegan chocolate cake.

        p.s. I use Kay as a nickname, realize it may have been confusing!

  21. Hello Jennifer, I made this cake last year for my partner’s birthday. It really was the best vegan chocolate cake we have ever eaten. Our friends — devoted food connoisseurs — could not stop eating. Thank you for posting this AMAZING recipe. I am absolutely petrified to make it again, because we eradicated it in just a few hours.

    Reply

    • Hi Han 🙂 Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It’s been a while since I made it, in fact I’ve trying to work out what cake to make for my wedding anniversary next week and I think this will be it! Thanks for the reminder. Have a wonderful weekend 😀

      Reply


  23. Hey Jennifer. I am a vegan and where I live, there aren’t many vegan bakeries. I tried this recipe and the cake was wonderful. My non-vegan family loved this cake! thank you 🙂 😀
    I have a question. Can all purpose flour be substituted with whole wheat or multigrain flour in this recipe? I don’t like to use to all purpose flour much. I realize whole grain flour cakes aren’t as fluffy as all purpose flour ones. That’s okay. TIA.

    Reply

    • Sindhu, thank you for the lovely comments :). As you suggested, the cake will be much denser with wholegrain flour. The taste will also change slightly as well, but I think it is worth a try. Let me know how it turns out 🙂

      Reply


  24. Hi, just wanted to tell you I made this cake for my vegan sister’s birthday yesterday, its my first-ever vegan cake, and it was a hit. tall, rich and moist. just great. Oh, I added 100g of chopped dark chocolate to the batter for some extra chocolaty-ness… Thank u!

    Reply

  25. I will have to try it with almond milk one day! That does sound delish! Everyone has raved about my cupcakes! Oh and I used avocado oil instead of the sunflower oil (had to use what I had in house! Lol)

    Reply


  26. I just wanted to say that this is by far the BEST gf/egg free cake recipe! I made it for my daughter’s 4th birthday and now again as cupcakes! I cut back on the oil…only used a bit less than 1cup and unfortunately I can’t use coconut milk so I just used Lactaid. I couldn’t help but eat one cupcake now! I made mini cupcakes with the batter also! Great for pre k kids! Thank you again! Now I need to make your ganache next time

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how the cake turned out Cyndy! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. By the way, you can also replace the coconut milk for your favourite soy or nut milk. I’ve made it with almond milk and it is fantastic too. 😀

      Reply

  28. Hi Jennifer, I’d love to bake your cake for my birthday, 🙂 so I have one question to make sure I do everything right and it will get as wonderful as on your pics- can you tell me which kind of coconut milk you use? Do you use the thicker or the more liquid milk? Or do you even use two different kinds of coconut milk for the dough and the ganache?

    Reply

    • Hi Jana 🙂 I just use regular coconut milk for both the cake and ganache. But for the ganache I refrigerate it overnight and pour off the water. I hope that makes sense. Have a wonderful birthday and I hope you enjoy the cake. Let me know how it turns out. 😀

      Reply

  29. Yummy yummy cake. There are only two of us and we want to keep it all to ourselves!! can we freeze it in portions to have as treats in the weeks to come?

    Reply

  31. This cake came out amazing! My roommate (non vegan) said it was one of the best things she has ever eaten. It was sooo moist. My co-workers loved it. I would suggest NOT baking these into cupcakes though, the loaf version I made was the best one.

    This is the best vegan cake I’ve ever made!

    Reply

  32. Hey Jennifer,
    your recipe sounds so tasty and the photos are great!

    Do you know if the cake still tastes good if you bake it two days in advance? I have to make one for Saturday and want it to be still moist and delicious, of course 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Resi,

      The cake is best on the day after baking, but it is still good on the 3rd day. Let me know how you go with it 😀

      Reply

    • One more thing, I’d suggest keeping the cake in an airtight container and then add the ganache before serving as I find the ganache can get a little hazy the longer it sits. Good luck!

      Reply


  33. thank you so much for posting this amazing recipe! I baked it for my birthday and we were all crazy about it! My family is not vegan (i am) and my boyfriend is only vegetarian but they were thoroughly impressed! It tasted a lot like the Great Wall of Chocolate at P.F. Changs!
    Thank you bunches!

    Reply

    • Yes, another oil should be fine. Just go for something relatively flavour neutral unless you are happy with the flavour of the oil potentially coming through in the cake 😀

      Reply


  36. I tried this recipe for birthday cake a month ago…it was soooooooooooo good…my husband who is not a big fan of cake kept coming back for more…so yummy to the last crumb!!! Thank you for sharing…best birthday cake ever 🙂

    Reply

    • Yes, I think apple cider vinegar would be fine. I hope you enjoy the cake. Let me know how it goes 🙂

      Reply

  38. Hi jennifer! Im not vegan! But was wondering if I could try this recipe with the regular dairy products that I’d normally use like milk and cream maybe? :p! Or does the coconut milk give an extra oomph to the cake? Another issue is that brown sugar is not easily available here where I live! You think I can substitute it to regular sugar?

    Reply

    • Hi Sonal 🙂 You could certainly use regular milk, and regular cream in the ganache. As for the brown sugar, it does add an extra depth of flavour to the cake, however you can use regular sugar if not available. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know how you go 😀

      Reply

  40. This cake IS as amzing as it looks! I made it for my birthday and everyone loved it! I love to blow people’s mind with vegan recipes and did cake definitely accomplished that 🙂 thank u!

    Reply

  43. That looks crazy good, Jennifer. Vinegar is an amazing thing, isn’t it!?

    I agree with you 100% about marketing sucking some of the life out of the holidays. And the obsession with gifts, too. Jase and I each gave each other a gift or two this year, and I felt really fortunate for that.

    Reply

    • Vinegar is amazing. I just love it, and there are so many wonderful varieties to explore too. 😀 And glad I’m not alone on the marketing and gift front 🙂

      Reply

  45. God this looks amazing! And what I love about it most is that it uses ingredients that are in my pantry already. My hubby is dairy-intolerant and will probably die with excitement when he sees thins!!

    Reply

    • Thanks Jo, and I’m with you, I love recipes where I don’t have to go out and buy special ingredients. I hope you enjoy the cake as much as we have. 🙂

      Reply

  46. That looks absolutely phenomenal! I’m weaning off the sweet stuff after the holidays, so this will have to wait for another time, although I’m sure I will be able to find a good excuse 😛

    Reply

    • Bookmark it for a time when you feel like indulging a bit 🙂 I’m keen to try a version with coconut sugar instead of brown sugar to make it a little bit healthier, but this will definitely be a cake I will be making again.

      Reply


  48. Congratulations on the gorgeous new blog name Jennifer and what a lovely first recipe. I’m not vegan but I have friends with allergies and intolerances and love having recipes up my sleeve which I can make for us all to enjoy. Chocolate is always a winner in my house 🙂

    Reply

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