🍫 Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake

Rich, moist, intensely chocolatey, and wonderfully fudgy—this easy vegan cake needs no eggs or dairy and stays soft for days.

Serves: 10–12
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 30–35 minutes
Total: ~1 hour

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened plant milk
• ½ cup (120 ml) neutral vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup (120 ml) hot coffee or hot water

🍫 Fudge Frosting

• ½ cup (115 g) vegan butter, softened
• ½ cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3–4 tbsp plant milk
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 oz (85 g) melted vegan dark chocolate, cooled slightly

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Prepare the oven: Heat oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease and line the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add wet ingredients: Pour in plant milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir gently until just combined.
4. Add vinegar and hot liquid: Stir in the apple cider vinegar, then slowly add the hot coffee or water. The batter will be fairly thin—that’s exactly what you want.
5. Bake: Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
6. Cool completely: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

🍫 Make the Fudge Frosting

7. Beat vegan butter until creamy and fluffy.
8. Add cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat while gradually adding plant milk until smooth.
9. Add the melted dark chocolate and beat for another 1–2 minutes, until thick, glossy, and fudgy.
10. Spread generously over the completely cooled cake.