This vegan chocolate cake is fudgy, super moist, ultra chocolaty and is topped off with an easy whipped chocolate ganache frosting! Can be made gluten-free, whole wheat or with all-purpose flour.
Today my little boy turned one year old! In celebration, I’m posting this vegan chocolate cake.
If you’re here just for the cake, scroll down past the baby picture to where it says All About The Cake. If you’re one of my followers who has been wondering what’s been up with the serious lack of recipes the last year, keep on reading!
I’ve reposted a lot of old recipes this year. I’ve mentioned this in a bunch of other posts, but when I’m working on a new recipe, I usually make it 10+ times before I think it’s perfect. And I don’t want to post something unless I think it’s absolutely perfect.
Up until Björn was about 9 months old and became more mobile, he was what you would describe as a very fussy baby. He was rarely happy and everything was a challenge.
So I’ve pretty much taken the year off as maternity leave. If you’ve left a blog comment and it took me a while to reply, I’m sorry. And I haven’t even looked at Instagram in half a year. If you’ve tagged me and I didn’t reply, I’m really sorry. :/
Things are so much better now but I’m still far from having time to develop totally new recipes (starting in February, that’ll change!).
When Björn was a few months old, he started to get eczema. So we did some allergy testing and the number of foods he wasn’t supposed to eat was really hard to deal with. Same with me.
Other than one brand of jam, there’s nothing we can buy premade from the store. I make everything from scratch.
It wouldn’t be that bad if I could work in the kitchen when he’s awake. But if I’m in the kitchen, he stands at my leg, crying and tries to pull down my pajama pants.
So yeah. I don’t get anything done with him around! But I’m not complaining. We had a really tough start and I’m thrilled that things are getting better and better.
Warning! Some people might consider the next part unappetizing in a post about a dessert recipe. Scroll past the baby picture if you just want cake.
So – on to the cause of our difficult beginning. I had undiagnosed placenta accreta, which is when the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall and can’t detach as it is supposed to after childbirth.
With placenta accreta, part or all of the placenta remains attached. It can even grow onto other organs.
It’s sometimes diagnosed at some point during the pregnancy and from what I understand, you would then have a planned C-section at 34-36 weeks, with a team of doctors prepared for the hemorrhage that most patients have, often followed by a hysterectomy.
Pretty much the entire staff came running in the room while they tried scraping it out. I could feel it all. It was so much worse than the birth! It was chaos. But that didn’t work so they put me under and then I had a 3-hour surgery. I lost a lot of blood but had a transfusion, which helped a ton. The images I had from the part where I was still awake were hard to deal with for a long time. But it’s easier to handle now.
I’m really lucky and thankful to be celebrating Björn’s birthday with him today! I decided to make myself this vegan chocolate cake in celebration. :D Mr. Texanerin got one piece.
Björn didn’t get any. He won’t be partaking in a cake like this for a while if I can help it.
Today we had a little birthday party for Björn and we ate this Healthy Vanilla Chocolate Cake from Feasting on Fruit. She has a ton of vegan, date-sweetened + oat flour based recipes and I’ve made and loved so many of them.
All About The Cake
This vegan chocolate cake is seriously the most delicious chocolate cake ever. I think I even prefer it over this whole wheat chocolate cake recipe.
And amazingly, nobody can tell that this cake is vegan or gluten-free! If you prefer, you can use whole wheat flour or even all-purpose flour. White whole white or whole spelt also work.
I’ve also tried this cake with buckwheat flour and found it pretty strange. It tasted floral somehow.
One thing I love about this vegan chocolate cake is that it doesn’t require any usual ingredients. You don’t even need chia or flax seeds to make egg replacements.
If you’re vegan or egg-free, you most likely already have these at home. But for someone who is looking for a dessert recipe to make their vegan friend, this is a great option!
And the frosting is super easy and not too sweet like buttercream usually is. I used a vegan chocolate ganache that’s just chopped chocolate and coconut milk.
All you do is melt it together, chill and then beat until fluffy. Then you have yourself some whipped ganache frosting!
Oh, and there’s salt in there. 1/4 teaspoon salt. I haven’t really seen that in many ganache recipes but I think a bit of salt makes it even more delicious! Feel free to omit that or only use 1/8 teaspoon.
This vegan chocolate fudge frosting would be another delicious option if the whipped ganache frosting doesn’t sound your speed.
If you’ve got any substitution questions, check out the below section! Just one last note.
This recipe uses 1 1/2 cups of water but if you have milk that needs using up, you can definitely use that in place of the water. I wouldn’t say that the cake tastes any different with it so I wouldn’t buy it just for this cake.
The batter will be super runny. Don’t be alarmed! It’s normal.
Questions about this vegan chocolate cake?
- Can you taste the olive oil?
I used extra-virgin olive oil and you can taste it in the batter and while the baked cake is still hot. Once it cools, you can’t taste it. If you’re worried about it, use light olive oil (the light refers to the taste and not calories).
- Can I use another oil other than olive?
You can use canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, etc. Anything neutral tasting. Coconut oil also works.
- Can I use butter? I bet you could use butter in this cake for a non-vegan version but it wouldn’t be as moist (butter is 80-82% fat and oil is 100% fat). Same goes for vegan butter.
- Can I use a different gluten-free flour mix?
I used this 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour. If you have another brand that works as a sub for all-purpose flour, then you could probably use it here. I can’t say the texture would be as perfect as with the flour mix I used, though.
- Does the gluten-free version taste gluten-free?
This vegan chocolate cake honestly tastes like it was made with all-purpose flour. At least with the gluten-free flour mix I used and after it’s cooled a bit.
- Can I use almond / coconut / other flours?
Unfortunately not. If you want to use other flours like rice flour, buckwheat, whatever – you’ll have to experiment. There’s no direct sub for gluten-free flour mixes.
- Can I use a liquid sweetener?
Unfortunately not without experimenting! You could use a little honey or maple syrup for part of the sugar, but you’d have to reduce the liquid in the cake.
- Can I reduce the sugar?
You could probably get away with reducing it by 1/3 cup. Reducing sugar also reduces moist-ness so unless you want a dry cake, don’t go overboard and reduce it to 1/2 cup or some small amount.
- Does the frosting pipe well?
I haven’t tried it but it’s pretty firm. It should work but I can’t guarantee it.
- Can I use a different sized pan?
Here’s a pan conversion chart that should help. Looks like a 9″x13″ would work, though I haven’t tried it.
- Can I make this recipe into cupcakes?
Yes! This recipe will yield 16 cupcakes. Fill the liners slightly more than half-way full and bake for 16-18. The frosting yields just under 2 cups so that’d be enough for 2 tablespoons of frosting per cupcake.
- Can I freeze the layers / frosted cake?
Freezing the layers would definitely work. I haven’t experimented with the time but maybe up to 1 month? Freezing frosted layers, though? I think it’d work but I’m not 100% sure.
I hope you’ll love this vegan chocolate cake! If you try it out, I’d love to hear what you think. :)
Vegan Chocolate Cake (gluten-free, whole wheat, all-purpose flour options)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 12 slices
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups (283 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips (make sure to use vegan chocolate like Enjoy Life)
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) canned full-fat coconut milk
- up to 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (355 milliliters) water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) oil (like canola, vegetable, or olive) or 1/2 cup (113 grams) melted refined coconut oil
- 2/3 cup (133 grams) brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar or raw sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (207 grams) Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for a GF version or 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour for a non-GF version
- 1/2 cup (58 grams) cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the whipped ganache frosting:
For the cake:
Directions
- Note that the frosting needs about 2 hours to chill.
- In a medium or large sauce pot (one big enough for you to use your mixer in), mix together the chopped chocolate and coconut milk. Turn the heat to low and while stirring occasionally, melt the mixture. When no more lumps remain, stir in the salt (I like 1/4 teaspoon but you may want less). Place the pot on a trivet and put in the refrigerator to chill for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours or until the mixture is cold and has thickened quite a bit (so that it's no longer pourable).
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line two 8" (20-cm) round cake pans with a piece of parchment paper on the bottom. Grease the sides of the pans with baking spray or coconut oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the water, vinegar, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add this to the wet mixture and stir just until combined. It will be almost as thin as water.
- Divide the batter between the two pans (about 495 grams of batter in each pan) and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with some moist crumbs (not raw batter). Let cool for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, finish making the frosting.
- Remove the chilled ganache from the refrigerator and using an electric mixer (you could also transfer it to a stand mixer), beat the ganache until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Spread about 2/3 cup of frosting between the two layers of cake, 1/2 cup on top and the remaining on the sides. There's about 2 cups of frosting.
- Keep covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Prepare the frosting:
Prepare the cake:
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139 comments on “Vegan Chocolate Cake – Super Fudgy! (gluten-free options)” — Add one!
7 comments are awaiting moderation!
What size of tin is the recipe for?
Two 8″ (20-cm) pans. It’s in Step 3. :)
The cake was amazing! Will definitely make it again. I have one question though. Do you think this recipe would make good cupcakes?
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for your feedback. The directions for how to make them as cupcakes are in the questions section under “Can I make this recipe into cupcakes?” :)
I used this recipe to make cookies. For dietary restrictions, I used 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce and only 1/2 cup water so the batter would be thick enough to drop by the spoonful onto the cookie sheet. Everything else was the same. After mixing up the batter I added 1/2 bag Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips. I baked the cookies for 9 minutes at 350. It made 32 cookies. They were so moist and tender and delicious. Thank you!
I just found your comment in spam. I’m so sorry. 🤦♀️ I feel awful! But I wanted to say thank you for sharing your cookie recipe! It sounds wonderful. I’ll have to try it myself! Sorry again and thanks for the great feedback. :)
LOVE this cake!! It was absolutely delicious–even the husband thought so! I am vegan, but I’m sure anyone would love these results!! I only had a bread baking dish, so I divided the batter and baked each half in the oven for about 16-18 minutes (I just watched and pricked with a fork for done-ness). Came out amazing!! The frosting I wasn’t thrilled with but I think it was my fault due to the ingredients I had on hand (would try again with better ingredients!). Thank you again for an amazing recipe, this will be the only chocolate cake I ever need!!!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it and that your search for the perfect chocolate cake is over! What size was your bread baking dish? I’d love to help you figure out the issues with the frosting, because it should be really tasty, as well. :) Did you make any subs at all? Thanks for your comment!
The frosting actually turned out fine when I gave it a second chance! I used light coconut milk (because it was what I had on hand) so I would try full-fat next time but the reason I thought it wasn’t great was because the first time I pulled it out of the fridge to frost the cake, I whipped it up! This changed the consistency of the frosting and because it was light coconut milk, it was just okay. But the next time I pulled it from the fridge, I simply spread it onto the cake without whipping it or disturbing its firm texture and it was much better!! I used Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate because the hubby and I like it and that worked really well.
I also used a loaf pan, I think the dimensions are 7 in by 3 in by 2 in, and baked the batter for 16-18 minutes. Thanks again!!
Hi Erin, thank you for posting this beautiful vegan recipe. I would like to try it. But before that, could i pls check how would the outcome differ if i were to use all white sugar( that means no brown sugar at all)? Thanks in advance :)
Hi Neha! You’re welcome. :) All white sugar would work great! I’d love to hear how it comes out.
FYI, this cake is amazing, very moist and flavorful. Bakes well in 13″x 9″ pan. For a vegan icing option, used coconut milk with powdered sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt…then topped it with toasted pecans and coconut flakes. Used AP flour this time, but am looking forward to trying the GF option.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Your frosting sounds lovely. :) And toasted pecans and coconut flakes?! Yum. I’ll have to try that! Thanks for your review. :)
Wow it was delicious. The texture was awesome, nice and moist. The frosting kinda ripped chunks off the top so be gentle
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your feedback. :)
I am recently on a gluten, dairy, egg, nut free treatment plan so I made this cake for Easter! It was so delicious and my entire family loved it! Thank you for this! So simple to put together as well which was an added bonus!
You’re welcome! I’m really glad that you and your family loved it. :) And I’m happy that you thought it was easy to put together! I hate fussy cakes. ;) Thanks for your comment and sorry for my slow reply.
I also tried this cake as per your instructions. After prepared I tasted it with my friends. It was awesome. Enough that one of my friends asked to me can you prepare this again on my birthday. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Yay! I’m so happy that you and your friends enjoyed the cake. Thanks for your feedback! I hope your friend will be happy to have it again. :)
Made this cake for my daughters birthday who is vegan. It was a big hit for everyone! This is definitely a keeper!!!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that! I hope she had a great birthday. :) Thanks for your feedback!
The frosting was delicious – but I could not get the cake to bake, I tried for 20 mins then an additional 20-30 mins and it was totally goopy – would not solidify. I did use vegan butter rather than oil, any other tips???
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! We’ve had the flu / other fun stuff for the last few weeks. Did you make any changes or subs (other than vegan butter) at all to the recipe? What kind of flour did you use? I hope we can find out the issue. Thanks for your feedback and sorry again!
I made this cake for my sons Birthday, and this has been the best recipe so far. I made frosting using ghee to make porcupine face on the cake. The cake was moist and soft. Didn’t feel a bit like I’m eating anything gluten-free.
A porcupine face on the cake sounds super cute. :) I hope that he enjoyed it as well! Thanks for your feedback.
I needed a GF/DF cake for a church function so I doubled this. It was gone in MINUTES! Everyone loved it, and I’ll definitely make it again.
Just an FYI: I used almond milk and the batter was thick – thicker than even a box mix – more like brownies. And the texture after baked was good, but not fudgey like in the photos. Next time I will do the water (or coffee – I did add instant crystals) cause that ooey-gooey crumb just looks divine!
I’m so glad that it was a hit! How strange about the batter. I’ve made it with almond milk and haven’t had that issue. Did you happen to use coconut oil and it had hardened after melting? Because that would explain the thick batter. Thanks so much for your feedback! :)
I made it and it was absolutely delicious! I used coconut oil! It really did not taste gluten free with the frosting, but I would not advise to serve it without, apart if you know a really good blend of gluten free flour (I had only the cheapest standard gluten free flour at hand). I am not vegan or gluten free, but would def make this again!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it enough to make again! With the GF flour blend I listed in the recipe, it really tastes like a normal cake. But I had a friend use her random GF flour blend and it was inedible. :( So it really depends, I guess! Thanks for your feedback. :)
Hey Erin, just made this…it was outstanding! So moist and tender. I dare anyone to figure out this is gluten free! I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and avacado oil. I have a question or two and I just read through the comments and did not see these questions. First of all, can this be frozen after it’s baked and about for how long before it loses taste/texture? Also, do you think this recipe could be successfully halved? I don’t want to make a double layer next time as there is only two of us. You NEVER let me down with your recipes Erin and you are my go-to for all things delicious, fast and easy. Thanks in advance. God bless!
Hello there! I’m sorry for just now seeing your questions. Hopefully you found the answer to the freezing question in the questions section of the post (it’s the last one :)) Also, this recipe halves great! I can’t tell you how happy I am to read that I’m your go-to for easy recipes. Yay! :) Thanks a ton for your kind words (and sorry again for the slow reply!).
I’ve frozen a large since for a month and it still tasted AMAZING!
Love this cake! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!!
Woohooo! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. We also freeze it and liked like just as much! Thanks a ton for your feedback. :) You’re welcome for the recipe! :D
This sounds awesome. Going to make some tonight.
I hope you enjoyed it! :)
love your recipes, can’t wait to make the gf version of this
So glad you and baby made ut to the other side of accreta. I was a previa mom two times.
Thank you! I hope you’ll enjoy it. :) I’d love to hear how it comes out for you! And wow. Previa two times. So scary. I’m happy that you’re okay, too! (and sorry for my slow reply – we just got back from vacation!).
Amazing work!! Looking for more from you.
Thanks so much! :)
Hi, Erin. This cake looks and sounds wonderful. I’m planning to make it tomorrow and have to transport it up a bumpy road the next day. Do you know if it can be frozen before frosting and still hold together when thawed?
Hi! Thanks. Check out the last paragraph of the post. ;) Chill the frosted cake until time to transport. Enjoy!
OK–fingers crossed on this. It’s traveling 2000 feet up on a crazy rutted road to a retreat on top of a mountain. I’ll let you know how it goes!
I wish you lots of luck! :)
Erin,
Just to follow up, I have made this cake a half dozen times now. We can’t do coconut, so I whip up a tub of Earth Balance with cocoa and powdered sugar for the frosting. I also have done a 1.5 portion conversion on the cake and make 3 thin 9 inch layers. This cake gets gobbled up BEFORE all other chocolate cakes by people who are not needing gluten-free. I have to chase them away so the gluten-free people have enough cake! Can’t thank you enough.
I tried the same cake as per instructions in the post, it was really unbelievable for me when my family liked and praised me and even my friend asked me to make again on their birthdays.
Thanks for the recipe.
Aww, yay! I was super happy to read your comment. :) I love that your friends asked you to make it for them and that it made you feel good. :) Thanks for your feedback!
What a little doll! And the cake looks pretty good too!
Roby Mitchell, MD, a Texan doctor, has done a ton of work on treating eczema, an autoimmune condition often exacerbated by a leaky gut and vaccines. He has a Facebook page and does long distance consults.
I hope you can get some help.
All the best to you and your family!
Hi Crystal! I’m so sorry for just now seeing your nice comment. Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely check him out. How cool that he does long distance consults. Thanks again!
Glad you are doing well and healthy again, congrats on a beautiful baby boy! I absolutely love your recipes, this chocolate cake is a new favourite for special occasions! Thank you!!
Thank you so much! And I’m super glad to hear that you love the cake and the other recipes. That’s always so nice to hear! Thank you again and sorry for my very slow reply.
Beautiful cake, beautiful boy and great recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Aww, thank you! :)
This is the absolutely best chocolate cake I’ve every made. I’m 75 yrs. young and a very experienced baker. I served this cake for Christmas Eve dessert. It was a tremendous hit. I’m also vegan. The big question is: When adding the dry ingredients to the liquid I got sooo many lumps (which I worked out with my fingers) so I didn’t stir it so much. But I’m wondering if I slowly added the liquid ingredients to the dry if it would mix easier. Also I think I would sieve the dry ingredients to prevent lumps mostly from the cocoa powder.
This is definitely my keeper all time cake; but about the lumps. Any suggestions?
I’m so glad that it was a hit at Christmas Eve! I’ve never actually tried adding the wet to the dry so I’m not sure if it’d really help. My dry mix was totally lump-free so I’m not sure sieving would help, either. Not very helpful, am I? ;) I would recommend adding the dry mix to the wet, a little at a time, and see if that helps. Or try it the other way around! It can’t hurt. And I’m curious. :) I’d love to hear how it comes out! Thanks for your comment.
Hi
Would like to try it for my husband birthday. Can I use any gluten free flour or does it have to be Bob’s red Mill ?
Hi! I’m sorry for just now seeing your question. Hopefully you found the answer in the substitution section of the post. :) Can I use a different gluten-free flour mix? I used this (Bob’s Red Mill) 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour. If you have another brand that works as a sub for all-purpose flour, then you could probably use it here. I can’t say the texture would be as perfect as with the flour mix I used, though.
I made this cake for Christmas and I couldn’t believe how wonderful and delicious it turned out! Definitely a crowd pleaser. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I didn’t realize I wouldn’t have internet at my in-laws over the holidays. :/ I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed the cake! I also made it over Christmas because it’s just so good. :D Thanks for your comment and sorry again.
Ok, this cake has great flavor but horrible consistency. I made it twice in one night bc one cake just totally crumbled. Second batch the same. How the heck do you get it to not completely fall apart?
I’ve gotten a lot of reviews on this cake and nobody has mentioned it crumbling. It’s actually super, super moist! So there must be an issue with your ingredients. What kind of flour are you using and are you making any changes or subs at all?
No I followed it to a T! The second batch the tooth pick came out dry but it fell thorough the cooling rack. It tasted so good! But I just couldn’t keep it together. I don’t think it broke bc it was dry it was just very delicate and I couldn’t move easily from the pan to the drying wrack and then to the plate, even when it was completely cooled
Hmm. Which flour did you use? It’s so moist that it’s quite delicate but it shouldn’t have fallen completely apart!
Made this yesterday for a group of non-vegans and they LOVED it! They couldn’t believe it was vegan. It was so moist and the ganache was amazing.
Yay! I’m so happy that everyone loved it, including the non-vegans. :) Thanks for your comment!
Is it possible making the ganache without an electric mixer? 😬
You can make the ganache without a mixer but it may be difficult to whip it without a mixer. It’s delicious when it’s unwhipped! It’s like a regular ganache and not a whipped ganache.
Ok thanks!😊 But then (sorry I know nothing about ganache… Never made it before), is it possible letting it get a bit cold (until it’s not liquid, or until it gets kind of like a nuttela consistence🙄) and then put it on the cake and then put the cake in the fridge so it gets firm there? 🤔 I was watching people on YouTube making ganache and pouring it on the cake without the 2 hours in the fridge step.. So I’m confused about the process😅 Anyway, I’ve asked Santa for and electric mixer! 🎅😁
Yes, you can! When you first mix it together, it’ll be too runny to pour on the cake. So put it in the fridge, check on it often, and once it’s thick enough (should be thinner than Nutella and thin enough to pour, but not so thin that it runs all over the plate), pour over the cake. Maybe 15-30 minutes? But it really depends on the size of pot you use. If you let it chill to long, put on low heat until it’s a little melty, stir really hard to combine the melty parts with the non melty parts, and put back in the fridge for a while. :)
So happy to read this! This I’ll do then!! :))) Thank you!!!
You’re welcome! Good luck. :)
Silly question I’m making a chocolate and vanilla cake, will this recipe work out ok for the vanilla if I just omit the cocoa powder?
Thank you!!
Hi! Unfortunately not. :( The whole recipe would have to be reworked if you omit the cocoa. Definitely find a vanilla cake recipe!
Thank you for the quick reply, saved me from making a big baking mess! I did bake the chocolate cake last night. Great recipe thank you!!
I actually did omit the cocoa and it worked.opps
And it tasted like a good vanilla cake? I just can’t imagine how that’d work! Was it super sweet? Because when you add cocoa powder, a lot of sugar is needed. Without the cocoa powder, you wouldn’t need so much sugar.
This looks like the most perfect chocolate cake ever! I can’t wait to try it!
I just made the cake and realized that i forgot to add the oil because it was not mentioned in the direction 🤦🏻♀️ I hope it works anyway ؛(
Oh my gosh. I am so very sorry about that! I am horrified. :( I just fixed it. I’ve gotten lots of reviews of the cake on Instagram but nobody mentioned this until now so thank you very much! I really am sorry. :(
Very glad to hear everything turned out okay for the both of you.I hope things only continue to get easier and better for you guys!! Awesome recipies!
Thanks so much for your nice comment! I hope you’ll get to try out the recipe. :)
Hi! I want to say the cake came out amazing! I will definitely be making it again. Do you ever have a hard time getting them out of the pans? I didn’t use parchment, just avocado oil on the bottom and sides and they were not so easy to come out. I managed and fixed it with the amazing frosting! Keep up the great work with your recipes!
Hi Julie! I’m so very sorry for just now seeing your comment. It landed in spam for some weird reason! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the cake. :) I haven’t had any issues with it coming out, but I always use parchment on the bottom and coconut oil on the sides. Thanks for your nice comment and sorry again for just now seeing it!
Do I use the whole can including the coconut water or just the firm coconut cream part in the ganache?
You just use 1 cup (240ml) of the milk. So mix the cream and water together and use 1 cup of that. I’d love to hear how it comes out!
Thank you for another beautiful recipe, Erin. We so appreciate you!! Hang in there. You’ve been through such a rough experience, poor girl, but wonderful times are right around the corner. A fussy baby is so hard, but they end up being your best friend. Trust me on this…and now my fussy son’s wife is giving me a grand daughter this spring. Thank you once again. Your hard work has been so valuable to me. Your recipes allow me to bake delicious treats for my gluten-free Texan daughter-in-law.
Thanks for your super nice comment! I’m really happy that you and your daughter-in-law enjoy and appreciate the recipes. :) And that’s good to hear about the fussy baby thing. It’s already gotten so much easier, so that’s good! Congratulations on your coming grandchild and thanks again. :)
Oh Erin I was wondering how you were doing this past year adjusting to motherhood! What a scary beginning, but now look at that healthy happy little boy with lashes that just won’t quit! I’m so glad you are both doing better! Just remember, recipes will always be here but your sweet baby will only be little for *such* a little while. My son was super difficult too, and I think if I would’ve been blogging when he was born I would’ve quit! LOL! Glad to have you back doing what you can!
Aww, thank you! What a nice comment. :) And yes – that’s the attitude I’m trying to have. I can continue working when he’s a little older! I’m not going to let myself get worked up over not being able to work for more than about 2 hours a week anymore. I hope your son is less difficult now. :D Thanks again for your nice comment!
Can I use only coconut sugar? Or both are required? Thanks a lot!
Only coconut sugar works! I’d love to hear how it comes out. :)
This is hands down a new favorite in our house! I have been baking gluten free & dairy free for years. I know it can be hard to find a recipe that turns out as good as it looks in pictures. But this recipe will win you over, I promise. We won’t be waiting for birthdays to make this. I will find an excuse to make this regularly.😍
Aww, yay! I’m really so happy that it was a big hit for you. :) And I’m with you. I’ll always be on the lookout for an excuse to make this. :D Thanks a ton for your feedback (and your IG post!).
I don’t usually bake cakes since it’s just the two of us but with the holidays coming up I might have to deal with eating chocolate cake for breakfast! Congrats on the birthday and thanks for sharing your story and hope it only gets better from here.
As an aside, since going vegan here in Germany, buying a small chest freezer has been a wonderful investment. It really helps when you are already making everything yourself to make extra to freeze. Happy T-day, if you celebrate. We don’t anymore. ; D
Chocolate cake for breakfast isn’t the worst thing. ;) Thanks for the kind words! And we have an extra freezer, too. I can’t understand how we ever got by without it! Hope you had a nice Thursday. :D
So the chocolate in the ganache is dairy free chocolate?!
Yup! Most semi-sweet chocolate is vegan and dairy-free. At least where I live. :) But I’ve also linked to a brand in the recipe if that helps.
This chocolate cake looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to give it a try!
Thanks! Hope you’ll love it. :)
I’ve never tried to make vegan cake but I miss it sooo much!! I’ll have to give it a try after the holiday madness haha
Definitely a good idea! Hope it’ll be worth it (I think it will be! :))
I absolutely love all your vegan recipes. Your baby is so beautiful. The only thing I change is instead of coconut sugar I use “Lakanto golden monk fruit” it is expensive but it has such a delish!! taste.
Thanks, Terri! And good to know about Lakanto. Do you have good luck with using it as a 1-to-1 sub? I have a bag of it but haven’t had much success with it. Thanks for your comment and sorry for just now seeing it!
Oh, what a cutie he is. How can he be a year old already?? WOW!!
My goodness I have never heard of the condition you had. What in the world did they do when they discovered it? That seems a bit scary. No wonder you have been taking time off. You needed it.
This cake looks really moist.
Thanks so much! And yes, it was very scary. Pretty much the entire staff came running in the room while they tried scraping it out. I could feel it all. It was so much worse than the birth! It was chaos. But that didn’t work so they put me under and then I had a 3-hour surgery. I lost a lot of blood but had a transfusion, which helped a ton. The images I had from the part where I was still awake were hard to deal with for a long time. But it’s easier to handle now. :)
This cake looks so delicious and festive! I love it that it’s vegan!
Thanks! :)
This looks fantastic! I love gf/df chocolate cake. You never know it is gf and df and people look at ya kind of funny when you tell them it is and they think it tastes awesome too!
Happy Birthday to your little one. I am sorry to hear about all of your struggles but it does get better as they get older.
Thank you! And yes. It’s definitely been getting easier! Every day I tell myself how happy I am that things are so different and better than the first 6 months. :)
Happy birthday! And wow mama you’re awesome!!!! Since I’m a birth story nerd/junkie, gotta ask- did you have to have a hysterectomy after all? What a treasure Björn must be!
Thank you! And haha… a birth story nerd. :D I wrote a little bit about it in one of the comments above yours. They did everything they could to not do a hysterectomy. The doctor said that’s what’s normally done but just that surgery alone, done under the most planned circumstances, comes with a host of problems. So it’s good that it wasn’t done on top of everything else! The experiences I’ve read from other people with accreta have been terrifying. Bed rest in the hospital for months, babies in the NICU for 2 months, several blood transfusions during the surgery, awful side effects from all the transfusions, hemorrhaging at home a week after the birth, heart failure, organ damage, organ repair surgery, side effects from those surgeries and on and on. I had a really hard time and was very weak for a long time but I’m really lucky and so thankful that it ended so well!
Just wow girl, so glad you made it through and are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have 7 kiddos, and we had some stories to tell, but yours is just WOW that you and sweet boy made it alive and well!. Love that sweet little face!
Thank you, thank you! And wow. Seven! You are brave. :) Thanks again for your nice comment!
Glad you’re back Erin, we missed you!! Sorry you had such a difficult time :(. Björn is such a cutie!!
Thanks so much! It’s great to hear from you. :)
Awww, happy birthday to your baby boy! He looks so sweet. I’m so sorry you’ve had a difficult beginning – as much as I love all your recipes, I totally understand why you’ve taken some much-needed time off from your blog. I hope that things keep improving and getting smoother for both of you!
Thanks so much, Emma! :) I’m very confident that things can only get better. Today Björn let me peel some potatoes in the kitchen while he stood in his learning tower and threw things off the counter. It was amazing! Haha. It’s definitely a big step for us! Thanks again. :)