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 tsp cider vinegar
- 260 g (1 ¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
- 150 ml (scant ⅔ cup) sunflower oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 230 g (scant 2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 80 g (⅔ cup) cocoa powder (Dutch processed)
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- ¼ tsp 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 180C/350F/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.
Kath Ellis
Hi
want to try this recipe and wondered if a dairy free milk chocolate bar of 55% and a 70% bar of dark chocolate would work ok?.
Thanks Kath
hannahhossack
Hi Kath, yes that would be fine.
Victoria
I haven't made this yet but it looks absolutely delicious and I can't wait to try it!! I was wondering if I could use aquafaba in this recipe or is it not needed? If I can how do you recommend using it alongside your recipe? Thanks!
hannahhossack
Hi Victoria, I suppose you could swap some of the milk for aquafaba, it's really not necessary though.
Kate
I made this for my girlfriend's birthday and it was delicious!!! The only thing was my sponge was extremely fragile - I was wondering if you had any advice?
Hannah
Hi Kate, unfortunately that is just the nature of this cake, it is delicious but delicate.
K
Hi! I am planning on baking this for a friend's birthday dinner and I'm wondering if the ganache is pipeable?
Hannah
Hi, it can be pipeable if you catch it at the right stage. It will be liquid at first and will gradually set, once it is fully set it will be too firm to pipe.
Kat
This looks amazing, I want to make it this evening but was wondering if I could leave out the oil? What would happen if I did or is there anything else I could use instead?
Hannah
Hi Kat, I really wouldn't recommend that, cakes need fat. It is best to find a recipe that is designed to be fat free rather than adapting one.
Lisa
Hello, love your recipes! I need to adapt this to be gluten-free, any advice? Thanks!
Hannah
Hi Lisa, thank you! I think that it should work fine with a plain gluten-free flour blend plus 1/4 tsp xanthan gum if the blend doesn't already contain it.
Karen
We are not vegan however we have several family members who are sensitive to milk proteins. I tried this cake for a family gathering and everyone LOVED it! I have even taken it to my office where it is devoured in no time. It has become our go to receipt for events and birthdays. I plan to make it into an ice cream cake for my grandson's birthday this weekend. We are so glad to find something that all enjoy and everyone can eat.
Sarah
Do I need to just use the solid part of the coconut milk or is the runny stuff okay too? Is it too delicate to have another 2 layers on top? I'm wanting to make my son a cake for his birthday but don't want it to squash under the weight!
Hannah
Hi Sarah, I use one 400ml tin of coconut milk - all of the solid bit then enough of the liquid to take it up to 350ml. It is a delicate cake but I think you could get away with a four layer one.
AF
Any substitue for soy or almond milk? Can you use grapeseed oil?
Hannah
Hi, any kind of unsweetened non-dairy milk will work (except coconut), and yes, grapeseed oil is fine.
serena
Hi there! this cake looks amazing and I can't wait to try it.
I was wondering if it is possible to make the cake (layers) ahead of time? does it last well in the fridge/freezer ? also, do you think you could cut the ckes into layers or is it too fragile for that?
Cheers!
Hannah
Hi Serena, thank you! The cake layers freeze really well as long as they are wrapped to prevent freezer burn. I wouldn't recommend trying to cut the cakes into layers, it is quite a delicate cake.
Sarah
I see this is a fragile cake, I need to use gluten free flour. Would this still be ok?
Hannah
Hi Sarah, I haven't tried making it gluten-free but I think it would work ok. Just make sure that you add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum if the flour blend doesn't already include it.
Wendy Stubbs
I made this sponge today ( used frosting instead of ganache) and it's so chocolatey and fudgy. Definitely the best homemade vegan cake I've ever had. Now I really feel like I must try some of your other recipes.
Alie
The best chocolate cake ever! Thanks for a great recipe. I doubled this and used two 9inch cake tins for a big party cake. Delicious!!!
Carrie-Anne
OMG this recipe is amazing.
Admittedly I messed with the frosting ingredients a bit and had to cook mine at a lower temperature than the recipe stated but that's just my oven.
Today I gave some to a friend who is usually sceptical of anything vegan and he said it was the best chocolate cake he's ever eaten and asked for the recipe. I'll definitely be making this on a regular basis
Fiona
I made this for my friend's birthday and it turned out DELICIOUS. It was an easy recipe to follow, and it makes a beautifully rich, moist cake. I can just taste the coconut milk if I eat the ganache on its own, but when the whole cake is put together you can't tell that it's coconut at all. Will be keeping this as a special occasion recipe for sure.
Natalia
Hi my almond milk and cider vinegar only has slight bubbles on the top and is not turning into a curd, how do I fix this?
Hannah
Hi Natalia, that's fine, not all milks will curdle, it's not a problem.
Yuliana
This has instantly become my favourite ever chocolate cake (vegan or not). So soft and fudgy, melts in the mouth! I added some icing sugar to the frosting to balance out the bitterness, and I had enough frosting to cover the entire cake. Dreaming about the next time I will be making this, thank you Hannah 😀
Honey
Hi how long do you think you could leave this once iced in the fridge before serving?
Hannah
Hi Honey, it would probably be fine for a couple of days, I would let it come up to room temperature before serving though.
Vanessa
These were great! I made four batches for my son’s birthday and they all came out perfectly fudgy, crinkly on top, and very rich. I love the intense dark chocolate flavor. And the recipe is pretty fast. Thank you from another blue-haired person!
Isabelle
This is by far the best chocolate cake ever! Definitely will be my go-to recipe from now on.
Thank you so much!
Isabelle
Made this twice in one week for two different birthdays, it's was loved by all!
Olivia
Can’t wait to try this recipe! But Would it be possible to half the recipe and use an 8 inch pan?
Hannah
Hi Olivia, yes if you just want to make one layer.