Vegan chocolate fudge cake - an easy to make, moist, fudgy vegan chocolate cake topped with coconut milk ganache. No one will be able to guess that it's vegan!
This cake is a vegan version of my favourite chocolate cake - a rich, moist chocolate cake slathered with dark chocolate ganache. I've been sitting on the recipe for a while now but I figured that seeing as it is Veganuary I really should get round to sharing it.
This vegan chocolate fudge cake is very easy to make, you simply whisk together the wet ingredients, sift together the dry, then mix the two together and bake.
I used three 15cm/6inch tins to make a tall cake (I really like tall cakes!), but the mixture can also be baked in two 20cm/8inch tins instead if you prefer or don't have 15cm tins.
It is a moist, fudgy, very chocolatey cake which is incredibly good whether you are vegan or not. It is simply an excellent chocolate cake regardless of the use of eggs and dairy.
It would make a wonderful birthday/celebration cake if you are catering to vegans or people with egg/dairy allergies; and it can also be made soy-free. But even if you don't fit any of those categories I still encourage you to give it a try, it is one of my favourite chocolate cakes!
Vegan Chocolate Ganache:
The ganache is very easy too and uses just two ingredients - vegan dark chocolate and full fat coconut milk in place of the usual cream. You must make sure that you use full fat coconut milk (from a tin, NOT the drinking kind) - no light varieties, else the ganache may not set.
You can also use coconut cream (NOT cream of coconut - very different thing) instead if you like. For those of you who don't like coconut, I couldn't taste it at all, it was completely masked by the chocolate.
Because there is no sweetener added to the ganache, make sure that the chocolate that you use isn't too dark and bitter, otherwise the ganache will be inedible. Go for around 40% cocoa solids if you prefer a sweeter, less intense flavour; and 70% if you want a richer, less sweet ganache.
You can also use half dark and half (dairy free) milk chocolate for a less rich flavour; which I particularly recommend if you are going to be serving this cake to children.
The vegan ganache does take much longer to thicken and set than regular ganache, mine took a couple of hours in the fridge to get to the right consistency, but it will get there!
Make sure you don't leave it until the last minute to make it; but you can pop it in the freezer and stir it regularly to speed up the thickening if needed. If it gets too thick you can very gently warm it over a pan of warm water until it reaches the right consistency.
I kept the decor of this vegan chocolate fudge cake simple with just a scattering of fresh berries as I really like the contrasting flavour of the sharp berries against the rich cake, but feel free to decorate as you wish.
If you do use berries however, bear in mind that the cake wont keep as well and you may wish to remove them before storing it. Plain, the cake will keep for up to five days in an airtight container. If you use berries then store the cake in the fridge for up to three days.
More Vegan Cake Recipes:
- Vegan vanilla cake with berries and jam
- Vegan lemon drizzle cake
- Vegan Victoria sponge cake
- Vegan ginger bundt cake
- Vegan banana cake with chocolate peanut butter frosting
- Vegan orange and almond cake with chocolate buttercream
- Vegan chocolate sheet cake
- Vegan chocolate chip banana bread
- Vegan lemon almond cake with coconut whipped cream and strawberries
- Vegan lemon curd layer cake
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Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe:
Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Ganache:
- 350 g (12.5oz) vegan dark chocolate (40-70% cocoa solids. Or use half dark and half milk chocolate) chopped
- 350 ml (1 ½ cups) full fat coconut milk (from a tin, NOT the drinking kind)
Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake:
- 360 ml (1 ½ cups) almond or soy milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon cider vinegar
- 260 g (1 ¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
- 150 ml (scant ⅔ cup) sunflower oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 230 g (scant 2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 80 g (⅔ cup) cocoa powder (Dutch processed)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Start by making the ganache; place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the coconut milk until it is just boiling then pour it over the chocolate.
- Set aside for 2 minutes then stir until smooth and the chocolate is completely melted. Cover and place in the fridge for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, while you make the cake.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160℃ fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease three 15cm/6inch round tins and line the bases with baking parchment (or use two 20cm/8inch tins instead).
- Whisk together the almond/soy milk and vinegar in a large jug; the milk should curdle slightly. Whisk in the sugar, oil and vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
- Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth; be careful not to over-mix. Divide the batter evenly between the tins and bake for about 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Leave the cakes to cool in their tins for 30 minutes then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely (they are delicate so be gentle). If you are making them a day in advance, wrap in clingfilm once cool.
- To assemble the cake, place one of the layers on a serving plate/cake stand. The ganache should be thick but spreadable, if it is too runny still then return it to the fridge until it is firm, or pop it in the freezer for a bit to speed up the process. If it is too thick then gently warm it over a pan of hot water until it has softened.
- Spread a third of the ganche over the first cake layer and place another cake on top, spread over another third of the ganache and repeat. Decorate as you see fit - with fresh berries, vegan chocolates, candied nuts etc.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature unless it is very warm, in which case keep the cake in the fridge; allow to come up to room temperature to serve.
Sid
I baked this cake for my girlfriend’s birthday and it’s absolutely amazing. I topped it with home made vegan fudge chunks which worked really well. The recipe is very easy and forgiving of estimating the amounts. I didn’t have any baking powder so replaced it with more bicarbonate of soda and it worked fine. Tip for the ganache: my fudge chunks slipped off a bit so if you want to put things on the cake, make the ganache slightly thicker than the recipe suggests.
Alexandra Knowles
This was DELICIOUS!
Made my son very happy after his new dairy allergy diagnosis.
I would like to be able to make The ganache with dark chocolate, but it still be sweet and child friendly, has anyone tried adding a little icing sugar?
hannahhossack
Hi Alexandra, Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake and it made your son happy 🙂 I haven't tried adding icing sugar myself but I don't see why it wouldn't work; just make sure that it is well sifted so you don't get lumps in the ganache. I would probably stir it in right after the chocolate has melted.
Hayley
Could vegetable or canola oil be substituted for sunflower oil?
hannahhossack
Hi Hayley, yes, both of those would be fine.
Hayley Morrin
Sorry to ask another question, but would regular cocoa powder also be okay in place of dutch-process?
hannahhossack
Hi Hayley, no worries! I've only tested it with dutch process (that's all we get in the UK) but I think natural cocoa powder should be fine.
Amy
I am so pleasantly surprised by this cake!
There are less ingredients and an easier method than my usual go to vegan chocolate cake. (This recipe works out cheaper too)
After baking I placed a clean towel over the warm cakes while they were cooling on the rack (it helps them stay a mite moist and stops it developing a hard crust. After cooling & slicing the top off to even out, I was so worried it was going to be dry and tasteless. I frosted it regardless and tried it today. It’s great! It’s not a rich luxurious chocolate cake but it’s very good for a basic chocolate cake. Perfect for kids parties and beginner bakers. ! Will definitely use this recipe again and it is also easily adapted for other flavour cakes 🙂 well done and thanks for sharing xx
Liz
Hi, this cake looks lovely, when you say coconut milk is that the tinned milk or the carton like almond milk ?
hannahhossack
Hi Liz, you definitely want to use full fat tinned coconut milk.
Heather
Love, love, love. Made this cake for my friends 50th Birthday. Both my vegan, and non vegan friends raved about it. I could not get access to fresh berries, so opted to make a sugar, coconut encrusted cashew, and frosted the entire cake, and with my hands coated the side of the cake with the cashew nuts. We are having a valentine day function, and I am serving this as the dessert. Thanks for a fantastic cake.
Liz
I have made this once before and it was delicious! Just wondering if I could substitute the almond or soy milk for oat milk?
hannahhossack
Hi Liz, so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, oat milk will work fine.
Sarah
This is an amazing recipe, thank you!!
Iv just finished making it for a bake sale at my sons kindergarten, now I want it lol... I'll have to buy it back
PM
Hi,
Would a coconut oil sub work?
hannahhossack
Hi, I haven't tested it with coconut oil but I think it should work fine. (Use melted coconut oil)
Polly
Thanks! It worked fab. However, (for anyone else wondering) I would suggesting warming the milk mixture a little first because when I added the melted oil to cold milk, it seized back up and re solidified after 5 minutes or so and just re-set in the whisk parts!
Lisa
Amazing chocolate cake, the ganache is so simple, I’ve made this twice now it’s a brilliant recipe thank you.
Jen Cordt
Hi, this cake looks amazing, and I can't wait to try it, could you advise whether you could do this in 3 7" cake tins as I don't have any 6" ones or will the layers be too thin on 3 7" cake tins?
hannahhossack
Hi Jen, The layers would definitely be thinner, though I can't say for sure if they would be too thin I'm afraid. You could always make 1/3 of the recipe and bake it in one of the 7" tins to check. (The recipe is fairly easy to divide if you use grams).
Imogen Insley
Hi there! I think this cake looks amazing - planning on making it tomorrow for my friends 21st. I just want to clarify when you say coconut milk do you mean in a carton (the drinking kind) or coconut milk from a tin that you would use for cooking (e.g in a curry)?
Thanks!
hannahhossack
Hi Imogen, definitely tinned, and no light varieties, it must be full fat or the ganache won't set. I hope you enjoy it!
Jen Cordt
I made this for the first time on Tuesday evening to bring into work and it's absolutely delicious, a chap at work commented that it was lighter than air! The ganache filling was just delicious, will definitely be making this again so easy to make. May even try added a little salted caramel essence to the filling.
Jen Cordt
I’ve made this cake quite a few times now & it’s delicious & light, do you think it would work as a drip cake or do you think it’s too fragile a sponge?
hannahhossack
Hi Jen, I'm glad you enjoy it! I think that it should work fine as a drip cake. You could always freeze the cake layers (individually wrapped) before you assemble it to make icing it a bit easier; that way they will be less delicate to handle.
Clarette
Can I confirm the ganache starts off runny, then thickens? Is this correct? How long before it thickens?
hannahhossack
Hi Clarette, yes that is correct. As for how long it takes to thicken that really depends on the brand of coconut milk and chocolate that you use, as well as the temperature of your kitchen so there is no way for me to give you a definitive answer. It generally takes at least an hour, and can take as long as four hours; you can pop it in the fridge however to speed the process up.