Description
This Best Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe offers a rich, moist, and decadent cake made entirely without animal products. It uses plant-based ingredients like soy milk, vegan butter, and vegan heavy cream to create a luscious chocolate flavor with a smooth, creamy vegan buttercream frosting. Perfect for vegan and dairy-free diets, this cake is ideal for celebrations or any chocolate lover looking for an indulgent treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegan Buttermilk
- 360 ml soy milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Dry Ingredients
- 420 g all-purpose flour
- 120 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder (or unsweetened dark cocoa powder)
- 450 g soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 180 ml olive oil (or light olive oil, sunflower oil, or rapeseed oil)
- 270 g vegan Greek-style yogurt (or vegan sour cream)
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 360 ml hot coffee (brewed at the last minute)
Frosting
- 200 ml vegan heavy cream
- 360 g vegan dark chocolate (70%) (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 g vegan butter (block-style) (cubed and room temperature)
- 50 g powdered sugar
Garnish (Optional)
- Fresh berries
Instructions
- Measure Ingredients: For accuracy, weigh all ingredients using a digital kitchen scale to ensure the best results.
- Prep Cake Tins: Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F fan (180°C/356°F conventional). Line the base of three 8″ cake tins with parchment paper and grease the sides well with oil or vegan butter.
- Make Vegan Buttermilk: Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a jug, stir, and let sit for 10 minutes to curdle and thicken slightly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt into a large bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegan buttermilk, olive oil, vegan Greek-style yogurt, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Combine Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly. Gradually add the hot freshly brewed coffee while mixing, resulting in a runny batter.
- Bake the Cake: Evenly divide the batter among the prepared cake tins. Bake for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few crumbs but no wet batter.
- Cool Cakes: Allow cakes to cool in their tins for 15-20 minutes. Then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge if not using immediately.
- Prepare Frosting Base: Heat the vegan heavy cream over medium heat until it simmers gently without boiling.
- Melt Chocolate: Pour the hot cream over the chopped vegan dark chocolate. Let it sit uncovered for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate.
- Mix Frosting: Whisk in vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Using an electric whisk or stand mixer, gradually add cubed vegan butter, whisking well after each addition.
- Chill Frosting: Cover frosting surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour until spreadable. Whisk gently again before using.
- Assemble Cake: Secure the first cake layer on a turntable using a small amount of frosting. Spread frosting on top, then add the next layer. Repeat for the final layer. Cover cake fully with remaining frosting using a spatula or piping.
- Storage: Store cake at room temperature on the serving day. For later use, refrigerate in an airtight container for 4-5 days and bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Use a digital kitchen scale to measure ingredients by weight for best consistency.
- Brew coffee fresh just before adding to batter for optimal flavor.
- You can substitute vegan Greek-style yogurt with vegan sour cream if preferred.
- For vegan heavy cream alternatives, brands like coconut cream or soy-based cream can be used.
- Ensure vegan butter is at room temperature and cubed before whisking into frosting for smooth texture.
- For a richer chocolate flavor, Dutch-processed cocoa powder is recommended.
- The batter will be thin and runny, which is normal and desired for this recipe.
- Keep the frosting chilled but pliable to achieve a smooth spread.
