Vegan chocolate cake
Moist, rich vegan chocolate cake with glossy dairy-free ganache — simple to make and perfect for birthdays or a chocoholic teatime treat.
This is a reliably moist, fuss-free vegan chocolate cake — no strange substitutes, just simple pantry staples that do a brilliant job. The trick is a vinegar-and-bicarbonate lift and a glossy coconut-based ganache for luxury without dairy.
Make it for birthdays, tea or any time someone demands real chocolate cake. It keeps well in the fridge and is straightforward to scale up or down.
Ingredients
- 250 g plain flour
- 200 g caster sugar
- 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 ml baking powder
- 5 ml bicarbonate of soda
- 5 ml fine sea salt
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 240 ml oat milk — use unsweetened if you prefer
- 30 ml apple cider vinegar — about 2 tbsp
- 5 ml vanilla extract — 1 tsp
- 100 g dairy-free dark chocolate — for ganache — choose a vegan variety
- 200 ml full-fat coconut milk — for ganache
Equipment
- 20cm loose-bottom cake tin
- wire cooling rack
- sieve
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Grease a 20cm loose-bottom cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
Sieve the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine: plain flour, caster sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and fine sea salt.
In a jug whisk together the vegetable oil, oat milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract until smooth.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined — there should be no visible streaks of flour but don't overmix.
Tip the batter into the prepared tin, level the surface with a spatula and tap the tin once on the worktop to remove large air pockets.
Bake on the middle shelf for 35 minutes. Insert a skewer into the centre — it should come out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge.
Turn the cake out onto a wire cooling rack and leave to cool completely for 60 minutes before adding the ganache.
Chop the dairy-free dark chocolate and put it in a heatproof bowl. Gently heat the full-fat coconut milk until it just reaches a simmer, then pour it over the chocolate. Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes, then stir to a smooth, glossy ganache.
Allow the ganache to cool a little, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes so it thickens to a spreadable consistency.
Spread the ganache over the cooled cake with a palette knife. Slice and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tips
- Sieve the cocoa and flour together to avoid lumps and ensure an even texture.
- Use room-temperature oat milk for a batter that mixes easily and bakes evenly.
- If you need to make ahead: bake the layers, cool completely, wrap well and freeze for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge before icing.
- To deepen the chocolate flavour, stir 1 tsp instant coffee into the oat milk before adding to the batter.
- When spreading ganache, warm your palette knife under hot water and dry it — it gives a smoother finish.
Substitutions
oat milk → soya milk, same quantity
Stays closevegetable oil → melted sunflower oil, same quantity
Stays closefull-fat coconut milk → 200 g dairy-free yoghurt thinned with 2–3 tbsp oat milk (to reach similar consistency)
Noticeably differentdairy-free dark chocolate → extra 15 g unsweetened cocoa powder plus 30 g extra caster sugar (adjust to taste)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 390
- Calories
- 5 g
- Protein
- 47 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 23 g
- Sugar
- 180 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this cake without coconut?
Yes — substitute the ganache coconut milk with thick dairy-free yoghurt thinned to a similar consistency, but the flavour will be different and the ganache may be less glossy.
Why is there vinegar in the batter?
The apple cider vinegar reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to create bubbles that help the cake rise and stay light in the absence of eggs.
How can I tell when the cake is done?
A skewer inserted into the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs but not raw batter. The top should spring back lightly when pressed.
Can I freeze the iced cake?
You can freeze unfrosted, cooled layers wrapped well for up to 1 month. Freeze iced cake only if well wrapped and eaten within 2 weeks; thaw slowly in the fridge.
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