“Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.” — Audrey Hepburn.
A friend who was considering going vegan encouraged me to experiment with vegan baking. This is one of the simplest, most basic vegan chocolate cakes you can make — almost a cheat’s version of vegan baking. It’s moist, deeply chocolatey and, like most oil-based cakes, it stays fresh for days. You’d never guess it contains no eggs or dairy. I baked it in a 6-inch pan to make a layered cake; notes below explain adjustments for 8- and 9-inch pans.
I adapted a highly rated vegan chocolate cake recipe. It’s easy to prepare and reliably good. The real challenge for me was making a vegan frosting without specialty ingredients like vegan butter. I tried thickening coconut milk, but the cartons I used didn’t set up and produced only a frothy coconut–cocoa–sugar mixture. That ended up in a smoothie after I added a banana.
Short on patience, I turned to a simple ganache — but made with hot water instead of cream. It sounds counterintuitive, since bakers normally avoid water near melted chocolate. However, when added slowly in the right ratio, hot water makes a silky ganache. Use a ratio of about 2.5 parts dark chocolate to 1 part water. Make sure the chocolate is vegan (check the ingredients for milk solids, casein or whey) and use the best chocolate you can find, because its flavor won’t be masked. I dissolved a little instant coffee into the hot water for a pleasant mocha note.
This cake was a hit — not only with my potentially vegan friend. It’s an indulgent chocolate cake, and the fact that it’s vegan is an extra bonus. The ganache becomes creamy and intensely chocolatey; every slice is rich and satisfying. I’m intrigued to try more vegan cakes and frostings after this success.
Vegan chocolate truffle cake
2 hrs
50 mins
2 hrs 50 mins
6 servings
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 190 grams or 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 200 grams or 1 cup granulated sugar
- 20 grams or 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 80 ml or 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 240 ml or 1 cup water
For the ganache:
- 150 grams dark chocolate (vegan)
- 60 ml or 1/4 cup very hot water
- 1/2 tsp instant coffee (optional)
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Butter and flour a 6-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment if desired.
-
Whisk together the dry ingredients — flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda — in a large bowl.
-
Add the wet ingredients — oil, vanilla, vinegar and water — and whisk until smooth and uniform.
-
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 160°C (325°F) for 45–50 minutes, or until the top springs back and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
-
Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
-
While the cake bakes, chop the chocolate and heat the water for the ganache. Dissolve the coffee in the water if using.
-
Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or microwave, taking care not to burn it.
-
Add the hot water (or coffee) to the melted chocolate a little at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
-
The mixture may look clumpy at first; keep adding the water and stirring until smooth. Let it rest at room temperature until thick enough to spread.
-
Slice the cooled cake horizontally into three layers and fill each layer with ganache. Use remaining ganache to frost the outside if desired.
Notes
- This cake keeps well in the fridge for 3–4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture and flavor.
- For an 8-inch pan, bake 28–32 minutes; for a 9-inch pan, bake 25–30 minutes at 180°C (350°F).
- Use any vegan dark chocolate you prefer; I used Amul dark chocolate in my version.
- The cake will dome slightly — you can level it before slicing if you prefer even layers.
- The ganache quantity is enough to fill and frost a three-layer 6-inch cake.