Sometimes vegan cakes can be just as good or even better than regular cakes. This vegan chocolate cake is one of my favorites. It's decadent and super moist, topped with a rich dairy free, vegan chocolate ganache. The bonus? It's extremely easy to make!
Everyone knows that I can never be vegan, even being vegetarian would be a great challenge for me...I'm just not ready to give it all up. But not being a vegan doesn't mean I don't occasional enjoy vegan food...like this super moist vegan chocolate cake!
Yeah, I know! It's quite unbelievable how good this vegan chocolate cake is without the essential ingredients like eggs, milk, and butter. But if you give this cake a try, you'll totally fall for it!...Maybe even harder than your current favorite non-vegan chocolate cake recipe!
Is that a challenge? Absolutely! But you know what's not a challenge? The steps to make this cake! It's incredibly easy like 1, 2, 3! So go on and make this chocolate cake that's amazingly moist like a devil's food cake and tag us so we can see your creation! We love it!
If you're not ready for this vegan cake just yet, try our easy carrot loaf cake, orange olive oil cake, or our super easy, soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies! They're divine!
Let's dive into some tips and FAQs for this amazing vegan chocolate cake!
Do I have to sift the dry ingredients for the vegan chocolate cake?
Sift your dry ingredients to prevent those lumps of no buenos in your batter!
Yes! I highly recommend that you sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder and soda. These ingredients clump up easily. And especially for delicate baked items like cakes where we can't over-mix the batter, sifting saves us those unnecessary headaches.
How is the vegan chocolate cake so moist?!
The secret ingredient is applesauce! Because this cake is vegan (hence no eggs) we have to substitute some of that texture and moisture using applesauce.
Besides applesauce, using oil also helps the cake stay moist.
What is the espresso powder for?
Because we are using cocoa powder rather than chocolate for the cake, adding some espresso powder or instant coffee helps with making the chocolate flavor more pronounce. It's like a chocolate flavor enhancer.
If you don't have any instant coffee, steep 1 Tablespoon of ground coffee in the coconut milk (or your milk of choice).
Won't the vigorous mixing make the cake tough?
Yes, if you mix the batter for too long after adding your dry ingredients. The batter should only take 2-3 minutes of mixing max, just until the flour is well incorporated into the wet ingredients and the entire batter looks smooth. Do note that the batter will not be as smooth as normal batter since applesauce doesn't really dissolve.
Whisk dry and wet ingredients together until cake batter-like. Do note that it won't be as smooth as cake batter because of the applesauce.
Must I bake the cake in a bundt pan?
Not at all! This cake can be baked in either a 10 inch bundt pan, a 9x13 cake pan, or two 8 inch cake pan.
For the bundt pan, bake time will be around 35 minutes. (P.S. I'm currently obsessed with my new purchase, Nordic Ware's Heritage Bundt Pan. Best new purchase ever!)
Both the 9x13 cake pan and the 8 inch cake pans will take around 20-25 minutes.
However, these times are all recommendations because every oven is a little different, so I highly recommend checking the cake with a toothpick 5 minutes prior to recommended time and keep checking in 5 minute increments. When the toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs or clean, the cake is done!
How do I ensure that my cake comes out of the bundt pan clean?
Look at those satisfying ridges!
What we learned in culinary school is to butter or grease the bundt pan well, especially the crevice. Use a brush if necessary. Then generously dust the greased pan with either powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or flour. Tap out all excess dusting.
However, if you have a good bundt pan, like our newly purchased Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt pan, you only have to grease it. Mhmm, amazing isn't it? 😉
Do I have to use 100% dark chocolate for the ganache?
I recommend unsweetened 100% dark chocolate only for the purpose of keeping this entire recipe vegan. Believe it or not, most chocolate, even the bittersweet ones contain some dairy content, which makes the chocolate not vegan. However, I've heard that some 70% and above chocolates are dairy free, so best bet is to read the labels.
But if you are not concerned with the vegan factor, you can simply use regular semi-sweet chocolate or the chocolate of your choice. I would also omit the additional sugar since it's included to balance the lack of sweetness in the unsweetened chocolate.
Silky smooth, vegan ganache! 😍
Bake with love!
Mei ❤️
If you made this recipe or any recipe from our blog, please tag us on Instagram @twoplaidparons! We would love to see your creations! It absolutely makes our day! 🥰
📖 Recipe
Super Moist Vegan Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut milk (or your preferred milk)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (or instant coffee)
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cup applesauce
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted (or any neutral oil)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional, but recommended vegan ganache:
- 2 ounces 100% dark chocolate, roughly chopped (or any vegan chocolate)
- 3 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup coconut milk (or your preferred milk)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.Grease either a 10 inch bundt pan or a 9x13 cake pan.
- Stir together espresso powder with warm coconut milk to dissolve, set aside.
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to evenly distribute. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together applesauce, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and coconut milk with dissolved espresso powder. Whisk until emulsified and smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until batter is smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Once the batter is smooth, stop. DO NOT overmix!
- Pour batter into greased cake pan and bake.For the bundt pan, bake for about 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.For a 9x13 cake pan, bake for about 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cake cool until comfortable to handle. Remove from cake pan and let cake cool completely before slicing.
Optional but recommended vegan ganache:
- Combine chopped chocolate and granulated sugar in a heat proof bowl. Heat coconut milk until hot and pour over chocolate and sugar. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and stir until smooth. *If needed, you can microwave the ganache in 10 second increments until completely smooth.*
Kelly Baehr says
Excellent! Very good! Will definitely bake it again. Thank you for the recipe
Mei says
So glad that you enjoyed it, Kelly!
Mei ❤️