Celebratory Vegan Chocolate Cake: A Good Place to Start

Have you ever made a vegan cake before? Are you unsure about trying one? This celebratory vegan chocolate cake is a good place to start. It’s really simple to make,  tastes good and works like a dream. Keep it plain or stack it up with delicious vegan chocolate icing for a special occasion.

The first time I made this vegan chocolate cake, it was for my birthday. In true birthday tradition I had to bring cakes in to work. I didn’t have to make them, of course, but I have a reputation to uphold. So it’s home baked cakes all the way.

But what to make? The previous year I took in a strawberry and cream cake along with espresso cupcakes. Cupcakes are good because they travel well, don’t need cutting and are easy to eat in a work situation. So this time I plumped for Night & Day cupcakes from How to be a Domestic Goddess.

However, I had an additional challenge. A new member of our team is vegan. I’d never made a vegan cake before. A cake without eggs? Really?

Celebratory Vegan Chocolate Cake

If you’re as nervous as I was, please don’t be. This celebratory vegan chocolate cake is super simple to make and really nice to boot. It’s definitely not worth worrying about. The cake is made with cocoa powder and it’s given extra pizazz with the addition of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. But don’t worry, it doesn’t taste anything like salad.

For the actual method, all you need to do is mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Scrape the mixture into a cake tin and bake. Easy peasy.

The cake rises well, has a moist yet light texture and a rich chocolatey taste with a slight balsamic twist. It’s just as delicious two days after baking. Keep it plain and simple, or up the quantities and add chocolate icing.

Vegan Chocolate Icing

At the time I had no idea at all about how to ice the cake. This meant my vegan colleague had it plain. He was delighted, nonetheless and said it was delicious just as it was. However, it’s jolly useful to know how to ice a vegan cake. My colleague advised me that silken tofu mixed with melted dark chocolate makes a good cake topping.

Since that first time, I’ve since gone on to make several vegan cakes with a variety of chocolate toppings. The combination of tofu and chocolate, I’ve found is a good one. I’ve included my recipe for tofu chocolate icing in the recipe card below. It’s also super simple to make.

If you don’t like the idea of using tofu, though believe me it’s lush, you could make this raw chocolate and cashew nut spread instead. It’s super scrumptious and works brilliantly as a cake filler and topper.

Do let me know your favourite vegan chocolate icing if you have one.

Plain and Simple Vegan Chocolate Cake

The recipe card is for a two layer cake, but here are the quantities for the original simple one cake wonder. Just follow the method as written in the card. Although you won’t need the chocolate tofu icing.

• 175 g flour – half wholemeal and half plain (I use wholemeal spelt and white spelt)
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch sea salt (I use Himalayan pink rock salt)
• 175 g golden caster sugar
• 100 ml sunflower oil
• 25 ml cold pressed olive oil
• 150 ml warm water
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tbsp white wine vinegar

Use a 22 cm round silicone cake mould or lined tin and bake for thirty minutes.

Other Vegan Cakes You Might Like

• Banana chocolate vegan honey cake
• Blueberry muffins
• Chocolate banana cashew cake with chocolate cashew icing
• Drizzle cake
• Peanut butter banana muffins
• Spicy dark chocolate cake with a dark chocolate glaze

Keep in Touch

Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you bake this celebratory vegan chocolate cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?

If you’d like more vegan recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.

Choclette x

Vegan Chocolate Cake. PIN IT.

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5 from 12 votes

Celebratory Vegan Chocolate Cake

If you've never made a vegan cake before, this simple vegan chocolate cake is a good place to start. It's ever so easy to make, tastes good and works like a dream. Keep it plain or stack it up with a delicious vegan chocolate tofu icing for a celebratory occasion.

Cook ModeToggle to keep screen awake

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Afternoon Tea

Cuisine: British

Keyword: chocolate cake, vegan, vinegar

Servings: 10 slices

Calories: 549kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 260 g flour half wholemeal and half plain (I use wholemeal spelt and white spelt)
• 75 g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1 pinch sea salt (I use Himalayan pink rock salt)
• 260 g golden caster sugar
• 150 ml sunflower oil
• 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 225 ml warm water
• 1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tbsp white wine vinegar

Chocolate Tofu Icing

• 100 ml coffee
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar
• 250 g dark chocolate broken into pieces – not all dark chocolate is vegan, so do check before using
• 90 g silken tofu
• 20 g dark chocolate for decoration (optional)

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.
  260 g flour, 75 g cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), 1 pinch sea salt
• Stir in the sugar then make a well in the centre.
  260 g golden caster sugar
• Pour in the oils and water, then combine by stirring gently from the inside out. It’s important not to over mix.
  150 ml sunflower oil, 50 ml extra virgin olive oil, 225 ml warm water
• Stir in the vinegars.
  1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar, ½ tbsp white wine vinegar
• Spoon the mixture into two 20 cm round silicone cake moulds or lined tins. Bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 30 minutes. The cakes should be well risen and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for ten minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cook completely.
• Whilst the cake is baking, place the coffee and sugar in a pan and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. Add the chocolate, turn off the heat and leave it to melt.
  100 ml coffee, 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, 250 g dark chocolate
• Give the chocolate mixture a good stir then whisk in the tofu. You can do this with a hand or electric whisk, but you'll get a smoother result if you use electric beaters. Leave to cool.
  90 g silken tofu
• Sandwich the two cakes with half of the chocolate icing, then spread the remaining icing over the top. Using a sharp vegetable peeler, shave the remaining dark chocolate over the top, if liked.
  20 g dark chocolate

Notes

If you’d prefer to make one cake and leave it plain, use the following quantities and bake it in a 22cm cake mould or tin. 

• 175 g flour – half wholemeal and half plain (I use wholemeal spelt and white spelt)
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch sea salt (I use Himalayan pink rock salt)
• 175 g golden caster sugar
• 100 ml sunflower oil
• 25 ml cold pressed olive oil
• 150 ml warm water
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tbsp white wine vinegar

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 459mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 5mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below letting us know how you got on and do share a photo on Instagram. Tag @choclette8 or use hashtag #tinandthyme.

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