Vegan Chocolate Cake!
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A delicious, fudgey, and insane three-layer vegan chocolate cake!
Vegan chocolate cake
So, LOOK HOW AMAZING THIS CAKE LOOKS! I couldn’t resist saying that. I am not trying to blow my own trumpet here, but I just adore how this cake looks in all the photos. It also tastes amazing.
This cake, is completely and utterly deliciously VEGAN. Don’t worry, it also tastes amazing for non-vegans.
There is so much stigma around vegan food – and it bugs me. There is no reason that vegan food can’t be delicious – and this cake proves it! Look at ittttttttt!!!
Vegan recipes
I have a friend that is one of those people who is skeptical, but even he admits that the vegan recipes I have made for this blog are ‘bl**dy delicious’ and he always wants another slice. This particular one? He didn’t even realise it was vegan until I told him.
This recipe is based on my vegan Biscoff cupcakes and my vegan vanilla cupcakes, but morphed into chocolate, and made into an irresistible three-layer chocolatey fudgey delicious showstopper.
There was basically no reason as to my the sponges from my other vegan recipes couldn’t be made into a chocolate version, by simply using cocoa powder in place of some of the flour, and then increasing it all to make it into a cake!
Two layer cake
I did originally make this as just a two-layer cake, but the sponges aren’t that high in depth – so three looked much better, and just means you get even more delicious in every slice! You can make it just two layer if you prefer though – notes below!
Keeping it simple
I am personally not vegan myself, but I do often think that some recipes are quite daunting, because of all the extra ingredients that you don’t tend to have lying around the house. For this cake, I tried to reduce this massively.
A classic chocolate sponge uses five ingredients, this uses seven. I really don’t think that’s too bad – and the only thing I think people will tend to not have is the white wine vinegar – but this is really cheap to buy so no worries!
Cocoa powder
The recipe itself is just an increased amount as I say from the vegan cupcakes, but then using a dark and delicious (and vegan) cocoa powder gives it such a dark and fudgey taste.
I use the Dr Oetker fine dark cocoa powder (that does have a warning of ‘may contain’) but otherwise, does say it’s suitable for vegans. There are many others you can also buy however!
Frosting
For the deeeelightful chocolate frosting, I used the same recipe that I use on my dairy & gluten free chocolate cake recipe. It’s increased to make it enough for a three layer cake, but otherwise its the same.
Chocolate
On my the dairy free recipe though, I received a very negative and nasty comment about ‘how I was trying to poison people by telling them to use chocolate.’ I will say this again, MOST DARK CHOCOLATES ARE DAIRY FREE.
I use Callebaut chocolate, but I often find that a large percentage of supermarket own dark chocolate is also vegan, and it’s so cheap! So no, I am not trying to poison anyone.
Vegan butter
I use Stork block, Vitalite, or other dairy free spreads – and they all work well. When making it, it does make a veeeery soft frosting, but adding in the chocolate firms it up eventually as the dark chocolate will harden.
Enjoy!
This cake is so fudgey, so delicious, and epic. My vegan chocolate cake! X
Vegan Chocolate Cake!
Ingredients
Vegan Chocolate Cakes
- 550 g self raising flour
- 125 g cocoa powder
- 450 g light/dark brown sugar
- 600 ml almond milk (or other dairy free milks)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 265 ml vegetable oil
- 1.5 tbsp white wine vinegar
Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- 300 g dairy free spread
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 500 g icing sugar
- 275 g dark chocolate
Instructions
For the Cakes!
- Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan, and line three 8"/20cm cake tins with parchment paper on the bottom.
- In a large bowl, add your flour, sugar and cocoa powder.
- Whisk them together so they're evenly distributed.
- Pour in your milk, vanilla, oil and vinegar.
- Mix the mixture until smooth - try not to over mix however. I just use a spatula.
- Split evenly between the three tins, and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Once baked, leave to cool in the tins for 10-15 minutes, and then move on to a wire rack to cool fully. Be careful when handling the sponges as they will be very soft and could break easily.
- Once cooled, refrigerate the cakes for 10-15 minutes before decorating to make them easier to handle.
For the Frosting!
- Carefully melt your dark chocolate until smooth. I do it in the microwave on short bursts! Leave to cool slightly.
- Beat your dairy free spread on its own briefly to smooth it.
- Add in your icing sugar and vanilla and beat again until smooth.
- Add in the melted chocolate, and beat again!
To Decorate!
- Add your first sponge to a plate/boad, and pipe/spread 1/3 of the frosting onto the first cake.
- Repeat this with the second cake, and then with the third!
- Decorate with fresh fruit, and vegan friendly sprinkles!
Notes
- This recipe will last for 3 days! Can be kept at room temperature, but fridge will do - it will just go quite solid!
- For a two layer version use:
- 350g self raising flour, 100g cocoa powder, 300g light/dark brown sugar, 400ml almond milk, 1.5tsp vanilla, 175ml vegetable oil, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar - split between two tins and bake for the same time!
- Use 2/3 of the ingredients for the decoration!
- You can use any dairy free milk, and any dairy free spread!
- I used Callebaut chocolate, but any dairy
ENJOY!
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J x
© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Can you freeze these cakes to decorate later? Would it be best to decorate whilst frozen or let them defrost first?
Hi Jane
Thank you for sharing your recipe. How deep are the tins you use?
I am hoping to use 2/3 of the exile in 3 x 6” shallow tins( they are about 1” deep?
Hey, can I substitute the sugar for honey?
Can I use honey instead of sugar for this recipe or any of your vegan cakes and would I need to alter the amount of flour too?
How much longer would I need to bake them for? Thanks 🙂
Hi Jane I love your vegan recipes
I made this cake however it split when layering why would this happen
Use flora plant spread for frosting but was too
Runny helppppp
Do you mean the cakes broke? They are very soft so need to be handled carefully! I don’t tend to use flora so it may be too ‘spread’ like and then became too soft.
Yes the top one broke, then the next one however
The cakes tasted amazing very
Moist why would like break
Hi Jane
I was looking at your vegan chocolate orange cupcakes recipe and wanted to make it into a larger cake. Can I use this recipe and substitute the vanilla extract for orange extract or would I need both ?
Thanks!
I’d sub the vanilla for orange! It would work well! x
Hi Jane, could I swap the self raising flour for gluten free flour and if so how much xantham gum to use?
Unfortunately I have never tested this gluten free but it is worth a go – may 3/4 of a teaspoon xx
What piping nozzle do you use?!
Hiya – I just use a round nozzle, or just cut the end off a piping bag for the same results!
This cake is amazing!!
My first attempt at vegan baking and made it for my sister-in-laws 60th Birthday. She loved it!
Thank you for all your lovely recipes
Aww thank you so much, this has made my day!xx
Hi Jane, if I used 8inch sandwich tins, could this still make 3 layers or would it be better to make it into 4 layers?
If I need another layer, what would the measurements be for the frosting?
Hey! Yes it would make 3 layers xx
Hi Jane! Do you think this would work OK if I swapped out the self raising flour for gluten free self raising flour?
Hey! I have not tested it gluten free yet but theoretically it should work yes xx
Hi Jane, how long would the cake store for? Planning on using this recipe as a base for a vanilla sponge, however sisters birthday isn’t till Friday, and I was hoping to make it a day or two in advance
Hi Jane,
I would like to make a cake using this recipe but only a 2 layer cake? Do you know how much I should reduce the ingredients by?
Thank you x
As it’s a 3 layer, you would need 2/3 of the recipe x
Hi Jane,
Would it be possible to use vegan white chocolate in place of the dark chocolate to make a white choc buttercream? would it be the same quantities? Thanks!
If the white chocolate was still vegan, it should work the same!
Hi
Would spreadable stork work instead of vegetable oil for the cake? Doesn’t need to be vegan for me. If so how much would you suggest please?
I would stick with the oil for this one to be honest! x