This easy vegan chocolate cake recipe is one of the best vegan cake recipes, especially for the beginners. It’s delicious, easy to make, hassle-free and quick chocolate cake.
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There are a few dishes which can be considered as global favorite and Chocolate cake easily falls in that category.
One slice of a nice, rich, and moist chocolate cake can make anyone happy.
Today I am sharing a very easy vegan chocolate cake recipe with two vegan chocolate glaze options. This is the best and simplest Chocolate cake recipe I have.
As I keep mentioning in my baking posts, I am not a baker, and baking is not my expertise. So, if you see a baking recipe on my site, assume that it's one of the simplest baking recipes which anyone can make without fail.
A few days back, at the very last minute of Amit’s birthday planning, I thought of baking a cake for him instead of ordering from outside. For such last-minute plans, I always bake this simple and quick cake as it never goes wrong and as always Amit loved it.
Non-vegans can also use normal dairy butter and milk instead of vegan butter and milk. The measurement shall remain the same.
And, if you too are a chocolate lover and looking for more vegan recipes using it then don't miss checking the recipe of these delicious Vegan Heart Chocolates. They need only 3 ingredients and perfect for Valentine's day, wedding anniversary, or any other special event in your life.
Jump to:
Why is it the Best Vegan Chocolate Cake?
- Tastes delicious; hard to guess that it’s eggless and dairy-free
- Is super moist
- A very quick recipe with easy steps
- Doesn’t need any fancy/ expensive vegan ingredients
- Comes out perfect every time
- It is so simple and easy to make that even if you have never baked anything before, you will be able to make it successfully.
Two versions of vegan chocolate glaze recipe:
I shared this recipe earlier also. Though the cake recipe is exactly the same, I have added a new better glaze recipe this time.
The glaze in my previous recipe was on the thinner side and some of my readers were facing a problem in creating it so requested a thicker chocolate glaze recipe.
The photo below is with the older version of chocolate glaze.
If you like the thinner chocolate glaze on top, you can try the older glaze recipe, I didn't remove it from the recipe card.
Now, I am sharing another vegan chocolate glaze recipe which is thicker and also easier to make.
You can choose whatever you prefer, personally I love the thicker one more.
The photo below is with the thicker glaze.
Interesting facts about the chocolate cake
- 27th January is celebrated as the National chocolate cake day in the US.
- Until the late 18th century, chocolate was a luxury limited to the riches. It was mainly used in chocolate drinks, glaze, and fillings. The initial chocolate cakes were made by American chefs who started adding cocoa powder to the cake batter.
- The German chocolate cake is not German but is named after the English-American chocolatier -Samuel German.
More easy vegan baking recipes
- Vegan orange cake with candied orange peel
- Vegan Cinnamon rolls
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Strawberry Muffins
- Easy Snickerdoodle cookies
If you try any of my recipes then please don’t miss to share your feedback and rate the recipe in the comments section below.
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Step by step photo instructions
Recipe
Easy vegan chocolate cake
Ingredients
Ingredients for cake
- 1 + 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon coffee powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup canola oil or any other oil with a neutral taste
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Ingredients for the glaze (Option1-new recipe-thicker version)
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet vegan choco chips
- 2 tbsp vegan butter/ margarine if not vegan, use the same amount of normal butter
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- A pinch of salt
Ingredients for the glaze (Option2-old recipe-thinner version)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 4 tbsp vegan/ normal butter
- 1 tbsp vegan/ normal milk
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
Instructions to make the vegan chocolate cake
- Add coffee to water and let it boil for around 3-4 minutes. Switch off the gas and keep aside. Wait till it becomes warm.
- Sift all the dry ingredients of cake in a bowl and mix well.
- In another bowl mix warm coffee, vanilla extract, oil, and vinegar.
- Now add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix to get a smooth cake batter. Don’t overbeat, just mix till the batter becomes lump-free.
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper and pour the batter to it. Bake in a pre-heated oven for around 25-30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius or until the knife comes out clean.
- Once ready, take out the cake and place on a cooling tray. Let it reach room temperature.
Instructions to make the vegan chocolate glaze (both versions have the same process)
- Combine all the ingredients of glaze in a saucepan. Put the pan on the stove and let it cook for around 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously till it becomes smooth. Switch off the gas and continue stirring for another 1-2 minutes.
- Pour it over the cake and smoothen with a spatula/knife. Let the glaze set and then enjoy your super easy and delicious vegan chocolate cake.
Notes
- I have shared two different versions of chocolate glaze, you can pick whichever you prefer.
- The thin glaze will take some time to set, cake with the thicker glaze can be served immediately.
- The calorie count given in the recipe is for the cake with thick glaze.
Nutrition
I like the recipe nice and easy.. But my cake did not rise up.. Do I have to use a beater to beat everything together or just folding it with a spatula until lump free will do?
Hi Prahala, you do not need a beater, just fold the batter with a spatula. Did you check the expiry date of your baking soda? Maybe you can try making it with fresh baking soda. I have made this cake many times and it comes out perfect every time so really not able to think of any other reason.
What size pan do I use?
Hi Karen, use a small 6'' or 7'' pan.
My newly vegan daughter and I made it and it was good and easy. I did not know what vanilla essence is, however, and substituted vanilla extract. What is vanilla essence?
Thank you so much Gina. It's good that you used vanilla extract as it's natural and a better product. Vanilla essence is the artificial flavor of vanilla and is milder than extract. In Dubai, I don't find the extract easily so generally use the essence.
First time baker. Definitely giving it a try. Looks delish
Is it ok without coffee ? Or any substitute for coffee.
Hi Heena, coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate and the cake comes out really well with a rich chocolaty flavor. However, if you want you can skip the coffee. It will still be delicious 🙂
Consistently delicious and easy to make!!! Best vegan cake recipe I’ve tried - thank you!!!
Thank you so much Jill. It's my favorite vegan cake recipe too :).
The instructions say to add the coffee to the water and let it boil. How much water do you use?
nevermind, just saw it is one cup! 🙂
Please let me know if you have any other query 🙂
The vegan chocolate cake looks so deletable and droolworthy. I would love a slice with a dollop of vanilla icecream.
Thanks, Nayna. You are right, Chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream is such an awesome combination.
How to make it in a microwave
Hi Sarika, does your microwave oven have a convection option? You need to have the convection option in the oven to bake.
Hello Vandana, that slice of chocolate cake looks absolutely divine! I like a thick glaze and love moist cakes, will definitely be giving this recipe a go!
Thanks a lot Manjiri, I also prefer thick glaze 🙂
What a delicious Vegan chocolate Cake - The consistency looks perfect - so soft and moist!
Thank you so much Chef Mireille 🙂
Made this cake for some non-vegan friends tonight and they LOVED IT. Will definitely be making it again, especially since I already had all the ingredients on hand considering I'm a broke college student. I would suggest doubling the amount of thick glaze if you're serving to a crowd who loves icing. If I were making it just for myself, though, I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks a lot Jennifer for sharing your feedback. Glad that you enjoyed it. I will definitely try it with the thicker glaze.