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Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache. Sogt, Moist Fudgy Chocolate Layer Cake! Use sunbutter or coconut cream to make nut-free. Vegan Soy-free Palmoil-free Recipe.  Jump to Recipe Â
Lets get on with some chocolate goodies for Valentine’s day, shall we. And Make this gorgeous vegan chocolate layer cake! I made this for our anniversary weekend and it worked like a charm to bring a huge smile on hubbs face with each bite. The cake is Moist, not too sweet and just the right amount of decadent for us.
This easy Vegan Chocolate Cake is layered with a smooth chocolate nut butter ganache glaze. I use smooth almond butter. Any smooth nut or seed butter should work. The cake ages really well and tastes best the next day as the ganache adds more moisture to it. Add fruit preserves like raspberry, apricot, blackberries between the layers. I use raw unrefined sugar in this cake, that I blend to powder in my blender before use. Use any fine or powdered sugar of choice.
This makes a big 8 inch layer cake. Don’t want the huge cake? make this individual Chocolate Layer Cake for One. No Bake.
What are your plans for the weekend?
More chocolate goodness from the blog
- Peanut or almond Butter, Chocolate Marble Cake.Â
- Brownies, loads of Brownies
- Vegan Almond Butter Blondies with Chocolate Chips
- Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Cake and Cake Mix In a Jar
- Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake for One. No Bake. Made on stove top.Â
Some No Bake Chocolate Pies here.Â
These sharp and beautiful slices are by my new Kramer knife that hubbs got for me. He knows what will be appreciated!Â
And while you are here, please do read this National Geographic article about how the Tiger Temple in Thailand, one of the premier attractions which claims monks live in harmony with the tigers, is connected to Wildlife parts trade, drugging and abusing of these magnificent wild beings. Updates about the temple can be followed on this facebook page. Â
Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
Ingredients Â
Cake : makes two 8 inch pans
Dry:
- 1 cup wheat flour
- 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 cup powdered vegan sugar, , 2 Tbsp more for sweeter - blend raw sugar to fine powder to use or use wholesome sweeeteners vegan powdered sugar
- 1/2 scant tsp salt
Wet:
- 1 1/2 cups non dairy milk, divided
- 1/3 cup non dairy chocolate chips or bar, semi sweet chips, or dark chocolate for dark/bittersweet cake
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 tsp vinegar, apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup non dairy milk
- 1/3-1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup or more non dairy semi sweet chocolate like Enjoy Life
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter or almond butter or other seed or nut butter
- Fruit preserves like raspberry, apricot, cherry (optional)
InstructionsÂ
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 170ºc. In a bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients for the cake really well.
- In another bowl, heat 1 cup of non dairy milk and chocolate until just about hot (heat in the microwave or stove top). Whisk until chocolate is melted. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients and 1/2 cup non dairy milk and mix in until smooth..
- Add the dry to the wet and mix to make a smooth batter.
- Transfer batter to two greased or parchment lined 8 inch cake pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees F / 170ºc for 30 to 34 minutes. or until toothpick from the center comes out clean. Do not overbake as the cakes can get crusty or dry.
- Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and cool on the rack completely before adding a glaze or ganache. Cover the cakes with a towel while it is cooling to prevent drying out. To shorten the cooling time, cover the cakes with a towel or parchment or a lid and place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
Ganache:
- Heat the non dairy milk + sugar in a pan over medium heat, until just about hot. Mix well. Add in the chocolate, mix once and take the pan off heat. Keep mixing until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Add in the vanilla and peanut butter or other nut butter. Mix until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes to thicken to desired consistency.
- Pour some of the ganache on one cake. Spread using a spatula to even out if needed. Let the ganache set in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes or freezer for 10.
- Add a thin even layer of fruit preserves on the other cake (optional) (warm the preserves to make them easier to spread if needed). Place this cake on top of the cake with the ganache glaze. Pour the rest of the glaze over the top cake. Spread using a spatula if needed. Let the ganache set in the refrigerator for half an hour. If you have more ganache left, pour over the set glaze for another layer. Cover the cake and let it chill for a few hours before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tips to make a great vegan chocolate cake
- Chocolate cakes can tend to dry out or get hard edges if baked too long. If your cake tends to do that, reduce the baking time by 5 mins. Ovens heat differently, the pans, cocoa/chocolate brand etc add to the iffy behavior.
- A ganache or glaze will help add moisture to the cake. Let the cake chill with the ganache for a few hours for best results of overall moisture.Â
- If the cake is overbaked (too dry). crumble it up, add some ganache and make into cake snack balls
- Use good quality chocolate. It adds amazing flavor and texture.
Hello! This cake is delicious, and family likes it. However, I was just wondering what I could add to the mix to make the cake a bit moister (apple sauce, etc)? I have made it twice and cake is slightly dry. Any tips are greatly appreciated.
great – apple sauce 1/4 cup would be perfect
Let me begin by stating I am a seasoned baker/cook. However I am new to Vegan baking/cooking. I am not sure what I did wrong because my cakes sunk in the middle while cooling. I covered with a towel as suggested. Four family members are Vegan chocolate lovers and will be visiting in a few months. I was looking for a homemade chocolate cake recipe. Help!
Reasons cakes fall 1. Too much moisture to flour ratio. Happens with measuring errors or changes in ingredients 2. Needed longer bake time , if oven was running low heat.
Did you change anything? How was the batter consistency?
Think you meant to say baking powder instead of baking soda- my cake came out dry and hard, but the frosting was delicious!
If you used some leavening(baking soda or powder), then a dry cake means it was over baked. Ovens can run hotter and darker or thinner pans will also shave off a few mins of baking time. So a couple of the things together would mean 10 mins less baking time.
When I made this, it was extremely heavy and dry. Found the recipe puzzling without any flax eggs or baking powder.
It has 1.5 tsp baking powder. Right there in the top with the flours. Without it the batter will bake into a brick.
Actually the online recipe says baking soda- that is why I was confused.
Yea baking soda. That works better with chocolate. The cake will rise well with either. But it needs leavening. Without either of those there is no leavening
My cakes did not rise. I made them. In 9in round pans and took.them.out in 23 minutes. They look more like chocolate pancakes.
Did the rise a bit and fall or did not rise at all? If they did not rise at all then it’s baking powder, it’s probably old
It did rise a little. I added baking soda as per recipe, shiukd i add baking powder aswell?
No I meant baking soda. It’s probably old
Superb
I just have one 8 inch pan. Would it work if I put the complete mix together to bake and cut the cake in half ? If yes, how would the timing vary?
Should I adjust anything else?
Yes it will work but will make a really tall cake so you want to use a pan that is high enough. Bake 10 minutes longer and check from the middle of the pan
WOW! I made this for my husband’s birthday. Baked it in two 9 inch pans, done in 25 min. Cannot believe how simple but delicious this turned out to be! Tasted even better after setting overnight in the fridge.
Yay! Yes some Chill time helps the overall moisture and texture
I have two 9 inch (2 inch high) pans. Can I use the same quantities for the cake? Want to make this for my husband’s birthday next week and am willing buy 8 inch pans (that are 2.5 inch high) if you think this recipe works best with 8 inch pans! Thanks!
They will work fine. The cakes will be thinner that all. Check a few minutes earlier if they are done baking
I followed the recipe, however adjusted for 10 servings and then used a 16 cm cake pan twice.
Sadly, my cake did not turn out as moist as I’d like and it didn’t rise much either. The ganache turned too watery so I had to add 100g chocolate to thicken it up. Not sure what I could have done differently.
But my friends seemed to enjoy the cake nonetheless.
I am not sure how you adjusted the recipe measure. Although all the recipe widget on the blog has option changing servings and adjust the amounts accordingly it just multiplies The values. But baking is not straightforward to scale up or down. You would have to go by the feel of the batter. If the batter didn’t rise much it is either that there was too much moisture to flour Ratio in the batter. Or the baking powder was really old. For the frosting it depends on the brand of the chocolate so if it isn’t thickening you can reheat it and add more chocolate chips to the frosting to help thicken. Hope this helps
Thank you for your reply, Richa! I might try to make the full recipe once and see how that goes. You’re definitely right about baking not being straightforward 🙂