Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe - One For The Cake Bakers (And, it’s Vegan!)

by Debbie Hargreaves March 31, 2022

This vegan chocolate cake recipe is incredible and will convert any vegan cake doubters. It's so simple to throw together and it can be made using your cupboard staples. It's moist, gooey and very more-ish!

Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

For the cake:

225 g plain flour

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp fine sea salt

1½ tbsp instant espresso powder

75 g cocoa powder

300 g soft dark brown sugar

375 ml hot water from a recently boiled kettle

90 ml flavourless vegetable oil such as sunflower oil

1½ tsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

For the ganache icing:

200 ml alpro soya cream

100 g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped

Method

Firstly, you will need a 20cm/8in round springform cake tin and to preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F/gas mark 4
Line the bottom of your springform cake tin (you will need a good, leakproof one as this is a very wet batter) with baking parchment.
Put the flour, bicarb, salt and instant espresso and cocoa in a bowl and fork to mix.
Mix together the sugar, water, oil and vinegar until combined, and stir into the dry ingredients, then pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes. Though do check at the 30-minute mark to see if it is already done.
When it's ready, the cake will be coming away from the edges of the tin and a cake tester probe will come out clean, apart from a few crumbs. This is a fudgy cake and you don't want to overdo it.
Once the cake is cooked, transfer the tin to a wire rack and let the cake cool in its tin.
For the icing, break up the dark chocolate into a heat proof bowl. Gently heat the soya cream until it simmers then pour over the chocolate and stir to make a thick ganache. Spread evenly over the cake when it's cool.
If you wish to decorate, now is the time to do it. In which case, sprinkle joyously with chopped pistachios or anything else that your heart desires; otherwise, leave it gleaming darkly and, indeed, sumptuously.

This cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days and is also suitable for freezing.

We hope you enjoy this vegan choc cake recipe as much as we do!