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Vegan chocolate sheet cake - a soft, moist, delicious chocolate traybake cake topped with rich, smooth vegan chocolate coconut milk ganache. Perfect for feeding a crowd! #vegan #chocolatecake #sheetcake #birthdaycake #baking
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Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake

Vegan chocolate sheet cake - a soft, moist, delicious chocolate traybake cake topped with rich, smooth vegan chocolate coconut milk ganache. Perfect for feeding a crowd!
Course Dessert
Cuisine baking
Keyword Vegan chocolate cake
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 2 hours
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 24 people
Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

Ganache:

  • 200 g (7oz) dairy free dark chocolate
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) dairy free milk chocolate (or more dark chocolate)
  • 250 ml (1 cup) full fat coconut milk (from a tin, NOT the drinking variety) use mostly the solid white part rather than the clear liquid, or use coconut cream from a carton instead

Cake:

  • 480 ml (2 cups) unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy is best for baking)
  • 2 tsp cider/white wine vinegar
  • 250 g (1 ¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
  • 100 g (packed ½ cup) light brown soft sugar
  • 200 ml (½ + ⅓ cup) sunflower oil (or another neutral oil)
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 300 g (2 ½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 100 g (¾ cup) cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
  • ½ tsp salt

Instructions

  • Start by making the ganache. Chop the chocolate finely and place in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the coconut milk until it is just coming up to the boil.
  • Pour the hot milk over the chocolate and set aside for two minutes then stir until melted and smooth. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge to set for about 2 hours while you make the cake.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 and grease and line a 23 x33 cm/9 x 13 in rectangular cake tin.
  • Whisk together the milk, vinegar, caster sugar, brown sugar, sunflower oil and vanilla extract in a jug.
  • 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 or the cake can become tough.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread level. Bake for 25-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  • Leave the cake to cool in the tin. Once cool, carefully flip it out onto a wire rack.
  • By now 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 the ganache over the top of the cake and top with chocolate curls, sprinkles or fruit.
  • The cake will keep for up to five days in an airtight container at room temperature. If it is warm, store the cake in the fridge so that the ganache doesn't become too soft.

Notes

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
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 (Bournville is great) if you prefer a sweeter, less intense flavour; and 70% if you want a richer, less sweet ganache.