Everyone needs a failsafe chocolate cake recipe, the one you pull out time & time again for birthdays, when people come over for lunch or, well, just because. Which is why you need our Best Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe!
And this gorgeous vegan cake is the yummiest, scrummiest, most chocolately cake ever. In fact I think my mum has made this for every birthday since I went vegan 3 years ago. And we don't just have it for birthdays; just 'Oh, the family is together again' or 'I fancy cake today' is enough of an excuse to make this one!
Even better, the last time Mum made it for me, we had a go at making it gluten free, just to see how it would come out..
And it came out just as scrummy as the original! Yippeee!!
Using gluten free flour makes this Best Vegan Chocolate Cake a bit denser than using regular flour, but still super delicious. We used a flour which was a blend of rice, potato and maize. Many gluten free flours are blends, and it's the blends that tend to work the best. Whether you use standard or gluten free flour, this vegan chocolate cake will be the one you come back to & use over & over again.
If you don't have one large tin to make the sponge mixture in, you could use two smaller Victoria sponge tins. Just remember to reduce the cooking time by about a third. However, every oven is different so do still test it is cooked (using a skewer) before you take it out the oven to cool.
To decorate the cake, you can either cut the sponge in half and fill the middle as well as the top for a layered sponge (so decadent!). Or just smooth the icing over the top and let it come down the sides.
Add berries, edible flowers or pretty sprinkles for a festive effect- we used red currants for the photo shoot because Louise had found some at the market & liked their jewel like effect, but you do you..go crazy, after all, what better reason is there to get creative than decorating the top of a cake!?
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Cake with Ganache topping - With a gluten free option!
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
For the sponge:
- 360 g (2½ cups) self raising flour (OR use gluten free flour & 2 tspns gluten free baking powder)
- 60 g (⅔ cup) cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 350 g (1¾ cups) caster sugar
- 140 ml (⅔ cup) sunflower oil
- 400 ml (1¾ cups) water
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoon white wine / apple cider vinegar
Ganache topping:
- 300 g (1⅔ cups) Dark vegan chocolate
- ½ cup (½ cup) Non-dairy milk
- Fresh / frozen fruit (or chocolate shavings, to decorate)
Instructions
To make the sponge
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line and a cake tin.
- In a large bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Then stir in the sugar.
- In another bowl mix the oil, water and vanilla extract. Then add this to the flour mixture.
- Lastly stir in the vinegar.
- Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 30-35 mins or until clean skewer emerges.
- Allow cake to cool before adding topping.
To make the ganache topping
- Break up the chocolate and place in a glass bowl.
- Place bowl above simmering water to melt the chocolate.
- Once the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat. Let cool for just a minute. Then slowly stir in the non-dairy milk, a little bit at a time and mix in well.
- Pour the ganache over the cake and spread evenly.
- Decorate with fruit / chocolate shavings/ sprinkles/whatever your little heart desires!
Notes
Nutrition
Natalie Haggar says
Delicious and moist.
Georgia says
A lovely friend made this for our wedding and it was DELICIOUS! Highly recommend!
David Grant says
Better than Nigellas!