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Vegan-Friendly Chocolate Cake

This dark, rich, moist, and satisfying chocolate cake will delight anyone whether vegan or not. It is so chocolatey and super easy and quick to make. Enjoy it as it is, dust it with icing sugar, or have it with chocolate glaze or your preferred topping.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 8

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.

Notes

* I used 1 heaping TBSP coffee granules dissolved in cold water (normal room temperature). Feel free to use 1 TSP of coffee granules if you want to reduce the amount, or simply add water if you do not wish to use coffee at all.
Recipe adapted from Moosewood Restaurant's Six-Minute Vegan Chocolate Cake.