Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe {Vegan} (2024)

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Not only is this easy chocolate cake recipe delicious, but it happens to be vegan, and with less fat (only 3 Tbsps of vegetable oil!) and less sugar than regular cakes. Plus, the ingredient list and the method are pretty straightforward, definitely a big bonus even for non-vegan bakers.

Watch how to make it

All you have to do is mix wholesome ingredients in 1 bowl, pour the batter into a cake pan, and bake. The result is a fudgy, eggless chocolate cake that tastes and smells divine.
Then easily decorate by pouring luscious melted dark chocolate all over it (we love free style here!). Simple yet utterly delicious, how cool is that?

But let’s see how to make it!

What ingredients you need

• Flour (all purpose flour or white spelt flour)
• Sugar (beet sugar or organic brown sugar)
• Milk (dairy-free milk)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Vegan dark chocolate chips (optional, but they worth the addition!)
• Vegetable oil
• Baking powder
• Vanilla extract or expresso powder

How to make this easy chocolate cake

(Note: the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)

• Thoroughly combine flour, cocoa powder and baking powder
• Add sugar, salt and mix well again

• Then add the liquid ingredients
• Mix just until combined
• Stir in the chocolate chips

• Pour the batter into the pan and bake (I used a bundt pan)
• Let it cool on a cooling rack
• Flip upside down and unmold from the pan

• Decorate with melted dark chocolate
• You can serve immediately or wait for the chocolate to set. Enjoy!

Recipe notes & tips

We’ve made this cake so many times in the last period that my 6-year old can make the batter in minutes: it’s so simple, and makes a perfect and easy chocolate cake recipe for kids, too.

Easy chocolate cake ingredients

• Flour: all-purpose flour or white spelt flour are fine.
• Milk: you can use dairy-free milk such as oat or almond milk, or even cow milk if you don’t keep it vegan. I used oat milk.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: the cake is packed with unsweetened cocoa powder which adds a deep flavor and health benefits. Alternatively, dutch processed cocoa powder works just fine.
• Dark chocolate: vegan chocolate chips and melted chocolate are optional, but definitely worth the addition!! They make the cake richer and luscious, especially if the melted chocolate is still soft! ; ). For best result, choose always good quality chocolate (I used 70% dark chocolate).
• Vanilla extract: it adds a lovely sweet aroma, but you can swap it for expresso powder which elevates the chocolate flavor. Alternately, 1 small orange zest will be delicious, too.
• Vegetable oil: the recipe requires a small amount of oil, so any vegetable oil such as olive oil or avocado oil works fine. I used cold-pressed canola oil.
• Sugar: beet sugar or organic brown sugar makes the cake softer. However, brown and beet sugar are interchangeably in the recipe.

Easy chocolate cake batter

As you notice, I don’t mix wet and dry ingredients separately in this recipe, but I add the liquids directly to the dry ingredients. It doesn’t make much difference since mixing dairy-free milk and oil together in a separate bowl is pointless: they just don’t mix.
Good news? You need only 1 bowl for the batter, but keep in mind:

• Mix the dry ingredients into a hom*ogeneous mixture by using a a whisk. For a light and delicate texture, it’s important to mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.
• Do not overmix the batter, but stir just until combined.
• The cake batter is thin.
• Baking time depends on the cake pan shape (see recipe).

How long does this vegan chocolate cake last?

This chocolate cake keeps well for up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container or in a cake dome over the counter. It’s also freezable, in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.

More easy & healthy cake recipes?

• 1-Bowl yogurt cake
• Blender zucchini bread
• Blender beetroot cake
• Carrot cake

If you make this easy vegan chocolate cake recipe or if you have any questions, let me know! Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it.
I would love to hear from you!