This is one of the best and most fool-proof vegan chocolate cake recipes I’ve ever made. Perfect crumb, a delicious chocolate flavour, stays moist for days. And the best part? It’s quick and easy to make and only requires ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard. You cannot go wrong with this recipe!
Do you ever take a bite of a chocolate cake and feel that it tastes very… bland? It’s dry, too sweet, and somehow doesn’t taste very chocolatey. Then this is the recipe for you.
The funny thing is, when I first tried this recipe, I wasn’t a vegan. Yet still, I found myself coming back to this recipe over and over again – it was just so good! So if you or whoever will be eating this cake isn’t a vegan, I still implore you to give it a go! You won’t be able to tell that it’s vegan – it tastes so good!
The coffee in this cake brings out the chocolate flavour while making the texture perfectly soft and moist without being too dense. In a word, I would describe this cake as “perfect”.
And don’t feel too intimidated by the amount of coffee in this recipe; I promise you won’t be able to taste it when it’s done baking! That being said, you could switch out the coffee for hot water and still get a delicious cake!
Simple Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 180 g flour
- 190 g sugar
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 70 ml neutral oil (olive, sunflower, or canola)
- 150 ml strong coffee (read recipe notes)
- 80 ml plant-based milk (I use oat, but you can use any)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C or 350°F and prepare a 20x20cm tin or a Bundt cake pan using parchment paper or greasing and dusting with flour.
- Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt) together in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar. Let sit for five minutes while preparing the coffee, then add that together with the oil to the bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients and whisk only until no dry bits remain. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake at the centre of the oven for 24-26 minutes.
- Let the cake cool before storing in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Notes
- The coffee won't make the cake taste coffee; it will simply amplify the chocolate flavour. It can be substituted for hot water if preferred.
- If you want to experiment with flavours, you can also 1 tsp espresso powder or 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the dry ingredients for an extra flavour-boost!
I chose to decorate this cake with dark chocolate ganache and some homemade sprinkles made from edible flower petals such as lavender, rose petals, and pansies, but you can decorate your cake however you want or not at all!
