Vegan chocolate fudge cake is moist, fudgy and loaded with chocolate! Topped with vegan chocolate fudge frosting for the perfect layer cake.
So, what’s the difference between a vegan chocolate cake and a vegan chocolate fudge cake then?
This chocolate fudge cake uses vegan buttermilk instead of regular non-dairy milk, heaps of cocoa powder, and has melted vegan chocolate mixed into the batter before baking.
It creates extreme richness of flavor and heaps of moisture! It’s a bit more dense than a regular chocolate cake and super fudgy and moist.
The frosting also has melted chocolate poured into it for an ultra thick, fudgy texture. And then it’s decorated with drizzles of melted chocolate and chocolate shavings. It seriously does not get better than this.
Ingredients You’ll Need For The Cake:
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan chocolate – you can use high quality vegan chocolate or chocolate chips. It’s melted down and folded into the cake batter.
- Applesauce – creates extra moisture without heaviness. An alternative would be to use 2 flax eggs.
- Instant espresso powder – intensifies the chocolate flavor but it’s optional. You can use instant espresso powder or regular instant coffee powder.
- Vegan buttermilk – our homemade vegan buttermilk is made with lemon juice and soy milk. It can also be made with almond milk but soy milk is richer. If you use another non-dairy milk (other than almond or soy) then it may not curdle but will still be fine to use.
- Canola oil – can be switched for vegetable oil.
Ingredients You’ll Need For The Frosting:
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan butter – a firm stick style vegan butter works best. If you use a soft tub style vegan butter then you may need to use less non-dairy milk.
- Soy milk – can be switched for another non-dairy milk.
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
Cake:
- Sift all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Add white granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking soda, salt and instant espresso powder. Mix together.
- Prepare your vegan buttermilk by adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to a measuring jug and then adding soy milk up to the 2 cup line (480ml).
- Add vegan buttermilk, vanilla extract, canola oil and applesauce and mix it into a batter.
- Add melted and cooled vegan chocolate and fold it into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between two 9-inch round cake pans (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with circles of parchment paper along the bottoms).
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the cake pans for a few minutes and then transfer them to wire cooling racks to cool completely.
Frosting:
- Add vegan butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until smooth.
- Sift in powdered sugar and cocoa powder, add soy milk and beat until fluffy and smooth.
- Add melted and cooled vegan chocolate and mix in.
- Your frosting should be thick and fudgy but still spreadable. If it’s too thick, mix in more soy milk, a tiny bit at a time until you reach a spreadable consistency.
- When the cakes have cooled completely, frost them with chocolate fudge frosting.
- Decorate with drizzles of melted vegan chocolate topped with chocolate shavings.
Baker’s Tips
Measure the flour correctly. This is probably the number 1 tip for ALL baking. If you over-measure the flour by accident, then the cake won’t be moist and fudgy, it will be dry. So make sure you measure it correctly either by using a food scale and weighing it out properly, or by using the spoon and level method. Spoon it into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup.
Chocolate must be melted and then cooled. Melt the chocolate in the microwave by microwaving it in 30-second intervals, bringing it out to stir every 30-seconds until melted. And then let it cool (slightly lukewarm is also fine) before you add it to the batter and then again before you add it to the frosting. If the chocolate is too warm when you add it, then when it hits the cold batter or frosting it will immediately firm up, leaving you with hard chocolate pieces instead of mixing smoothly in.
Don’t overmix. Don’t overmix the batter, mix until it’s just mixed (tiny lumps are fine) and then stop mixing.
Cake pan sizes. We used two 9-inch round cake pans for this recipe so this is a very nice sized cake and can feed a crowd. The layers are thick so my guess (not tested) is that you could also make this in two 10-inch round cake pans. You could also make it as a three layer 9-inch cake, the layers would just be a little thinner so the bake time will be a little less (~5 minutes less).
Recipe FAQ
Can you make cupcakes from this recipe? This recipe will make 24 cupcakes. Baking time will be around 20 minutes.
Can you make this cake gluten free? You can try replacing the flour with a gluten free all purpose baking blend.
Storing and Freezing
Keep it covered at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days or stored in the fridge (covered) where it will keep for up to a week. Let it come to room temperature before enjoying.
It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
More Delicious Vegan Cake Recipes
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Coconut Cake
- Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Vegan White Cake
- Vegan Coffee Cake
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Fudge Cake:
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour (375g)
- 1 cup Cocoa Powder (86g) Unsweetened
- 1 cup White Granulated Sugar (200g)
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (200g)
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder Optional
- 2 cups Vegan Buttermilk (480ml) 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice + Soy Milk up to the 2 cup line
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup Canola Oil (180ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 6 Tablespoons Applesauce
- 4 ounces Vegan Chocolate (113g) Melted and Cooled
Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- ¾ cup Vegan Butter (170g)
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar (480g)
- 1 cup Cocoa Powder (86g) Unsweetened
- 6 Tablespoons Soy Milk or other non-dairy milk
- 4 ounces Vegan Chocolate (113g) Melted and Cooled
Decorating (Optional):
- 2 ounces Vegan Chocolate Melted and Drizzled
- Chocolate Shavings
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray.
- Sift all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Add white granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking soda, salt and instant espresso powder. Mix together.
- Prepare your vegan buttermilk by adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to a measuring jug and then adding soy milk up to the 2 cup line (480ml).
- Add vegan buttermilk, vanilla extract, canola oil and applesauce and mix it into a batter.
- Add melted and cooled vegan chocolate and fold it into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between two 9-inch round cake pans (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with circles of parchment paper along the bottoms).
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the cake pans for a few minutes and then transfer them to wire cooling racks to cool completely.
Frosting:
- Add vegan butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until smooth.
- Sift in powdered sugar and cocoa powder, add soy milk and beat until fluffy and smooth.
- Add melted and cooled vegan chocolate and mix in.
- Your frosting should be thick and fudgy but still spreadable. If it's too thick, mix in more soy milk, a tiny bit at a time until you reach a spreadable consistency.
- When the cakes have cooled completely, frost them with chocolate fudge frosting.
- Decorate with drizzles of melted vegan chocolate topped with chocolate shavings.
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly. If you accidentally over-measure the flour then the cake won’t be moist and fudgy, it will be dry. So measure it correctly either by using a food scale and weighing it out, or by using the spoon and level method. Spoon it into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup.
- Instant espresso powder – intensifies the chocolate flavor but it’s optional. You can use instant espresso powder or regular instant coffee powder.
- Vegan buttermilk – our homemade vegan buttermilk is made with lemon juice and soy milk. It can also be made with almond milk but soy milk is richer. If you use another non-dairy milk (other than almond or soy) then it may not curdle but will still be fine to use.
- Applesauce – creates extra moisture without heaviness. An alternative would be to use 2 flax eggs.
- Vegan chocolate – you can use high quality vegan chocolate or chocolate chips.
- Chocolate must be melted and then cooled. Melt the chocolate in the microwave by microwaving it in 30-second intervals, bringing it out to stir every 30-seconds until melted. And then let it cool (slightly lukewarm is also fine) before you add it to the batter and then again before you add it to the frosting. If the chocolate is too warm when you add it, then when it hits the cold batter or frosting it will immediately firm up, leaving you with hard chocolate pieces instead of mixing smoothly in.
- Vegan butter – a firm stick style vegan butter works best. If you use a soft tub style vegan butter then you may need to use less non-dairy milk.
- Don’t overmix. Don’t overmix the batter, mix until it’s just mixed (tiny lumps are fine) and then stop mixing.
- Cake pan sizes. We used two 9-inch round cake pans for this recipe so this is a very nice sized cake and can feed a crowd. The layers are thick so my guess (not tested) is that you could also make this in two 10-inch round cake pans. You could also make it as a three layer 9-inch cake, the layers would just be a little thinner so the bake time will be a little less (~5 minutes less).
- Cupcakes: This recipe will make 24 cupcakes. Baking time will be around 20 minutes.
- Gluten free: You can try replacing the flour with a gluten free all purpose baking blend.
- Storing and freezing: Keep it covered at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days or stored in the fridge (covered) where it will keep for up to a week. Let it come to room temperature before enjoying. It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
This recipe was first posted in November 2018. It has been updated with new photos and lots of extra tips and tricks.
Hi Alison,
After trying your fabulous carrot cake I decided to try this chocolate cake. I reduced sugar to 325g (100g soft brown sugar and rest white caster sugar). I used a dark chocolate with 74% cocoa solids as I prefer an intense taste of chocolate. I replaced the icing for one made of 180g dark chocolate and 6 tbsp soya milk. Its delicious and intensely dark.
That sounds delicious Sara! Thanks for sharing and for your great review!
Hi, I was wondering how many cupcakes this would make? I love all your recipes, and I’m sure this will be another favourite! Thanks.
Hi Rosa, it would make around 24 cupcakes! Baking time should be around 20 minutes. All the best!
Thanks. Made great cupcakes, can’t wait to eat them!
Hi! thank you for the recipe 🙂
Can I use coconut oil instead of vegan butter for the frosting?
Hi Julia, I don’t find that it works that well for frosting.
Thanks for the recipe. Yet to try. If I only have one cake pan, will the second half of the batter be ok while the first batch is baking?
Hi Belle, it’s best to halve the recipe in that case for a single layer cake. 🙂
Best vegan chocolate cake and I have tried lots of different recipes but this one is the best. The whole family loved it . No-one believed it was vegan. I used chia eggs instead of flax eggs
So glad to hear it was a success! Thanks so much Sandra!