You will be pleasantly surprised with this egg-free, dairy-free, and yes, vegan-friendly chocolate cake. It has a deep, rich chocolate taste, and is moist and soft in texture.
The flour to cocoa ratio is perfect, the sweetness is just lovely, and the addition of coffee bumps up the chocolate flavour of the cake, which makes it ultimately satisfying.
I tried heaps of chocolate cake recipes in the past – all of them non-vegan – and I would say this one is way better in taste and texture compared to many of them, I kid you not.
The cake can be enjoyed on its own. But if you like frosting your cake, then you can make a chocolate glaze to go with it. Or you can simply dust the cake with icing/confectioner’s sugar.
I tried both and they were scrummy!
What cake pan should you use?
A 9-inch round cake pan will give you a larger but shorter cake. An 8-inch square cake pan will give you a taller cake. Use any that suits you.
What ingredients do you need?
You only need 9 ingredients for the cake batter and these are:
- 1 ½ cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 cup strong coffee (instant coffee granules or brewed)
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 2 tbsps cider vinegar or white vinegar
How much coffee to add?
There was one (1) heaping tablespoon of strong coffee granules dissolved in 1 cup of cold water (normal room temperature) in my batter. I loved how my cake turned out and I strongly suggest you try it too. But, if you are not keen on that amount of coffee in your cake then adding one (1) teaspoon of strong coffee will do.
I can’t emphasize enough that the coffee will only boost the flavour of chocolate in the cake and make it deeper and richer in taste. However, if you cannot take even a faint whiff of coffee then you can just add one (1) cup of cold water.
The recipe is adapted from Moosewood Restaurant’s Six-Minute Vegan Chocolate Cake.
How To Make Vegan-Friendly Chocolate Cake
Vegan-Friendly Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 cup strong coffee (instant coffee granules dissolved in water or brewed)*
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
Chocolate Cake Glaze (optional):
- 250 grams dark chocolate, cut into chunks
- ½ cup hot water
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Other Option:
- a dusting of icing/confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ / 350℉. Line the bottom of an 8-inch square or 9-inch round cake pan.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Give it a stir.
- Whisk together oil, strong coffee, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl or measuring cup.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Make sure there are no big lumps in the mixture.
- Add the vinegar and give it a good stir using your whisk until well incorporated and there are no more pale white swirls in the mixture.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Leave in the pan and cool for 10 minutes or so.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Eat as is or enjoy it with chocolate glaze, icing sugar, or your preferred topping.
Chocolate Glaze (optional)
- Melt chocolate in a small bowl over a pan with simmering water.
- Remove from heat and stir through hot water and vanilla extract until well combined. Let it cool and thicken a bit.
- When cake has cooled completely, slowly pour the glaze over the cake. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer before serving.