I'm SO excited to bring you this recipe for a Vegan Chocolate Bundt Cake! Not only is this a recipe for a moist eggless chocolate cake, but I'm also sharing a recipe for the dreamiest vegan chocolate ganache you're going to want to drizzle on EVERYTHING!
For Valentine's Day this year, I really wanted to bake something special. Since this is the holiday that surrounds all things chocolate, I figured it was finally time to bring a vegan chocolate cake recipe to SGTO!
This is the second bundt cake to come to the blog (following my Apple Cider Bundt Cake) and boy is it GOOD. Super moist, simple ingredients, and topped with a vegan chocolate ganache sauce that is incredible. Plus, it's adapted from my very popular Vegan Double Chocolate Muffins!
Ingredient & substitution notes:
Though the full list of ingredients is in the recipe card, here's a quick recap of some important ingredients:
- Pastry flour: To substitute for all-purpose flour use 2 ½ cup all purpose flour+ 2 Tbsp cornstarch in place of 2 ¾ cup pastry flour for a similar texture.
- Cocoa powder: It's super important to use a high quality cocoa powder in this cake recipe as it provides a lot of the flavor. Also, do not use sweetened cocoa powder with sugar added.
- Oat milk: Can be subbed 1:1 with any other dairy-free plant-based milk like soy, rice, almond, etc. I use oat milk to keep this this cake nut-free!
- Olive oil
- I prefer baking with olive oil because it gives this cake a light, tender crumb. However, any mild flavored vegetable oil should work 1:1.
- Applesauce: There is not a great substitute for applesauce, however you could try subbing a plant-based yogurt for a similar texture. Just keep in mind the cake will be less sweet if using yogurt.
- Coconut cream (for ganache): Can be subbed 1:1 with full-fat coconut milk
Steps to make a chocolate bundt cake:
Once you have all the ingredients it's time to make this super moist dairy-free chocolate cake!
Make the vegan chocolate cake batter
When it comes to a recipe requiring cocoa powder it's super important to sift the dry ingredients together first. This way there are no clumps of cocoa powder or pastry flour left in the cake.
Then, add all of the wet ingredients to one bowl, mix, and pour in the bowl of sifted dry ingredients.
It's also important to just mix the batter until all large streaks of flour are gone. You want a smooth cake batter, but do not overmix or else it could end up gummy and dense.
Grease the bundt pan & add batter
The trick to the perfect vegan bundt cake? It all comes down to prepping the bundt pan! I like to use a paper towel to coat the pan in vegan shortening and then dust on a thin layer of cocoa powder. This helps for an easy release after baking!
Then add in the batter and tap on the counter before adding to the oven to remove any excess air bubbles.
Bake & flip the bundt cake
To tell if the cake is done baking you can stick a toothpick into the cake. All the batter should come out cooked but the cake should still be moist. Also, the top of the cake will look cracked- just keep in mind this is totally normal and okay!
Another important part of making a bundt cake is to let the cake rest for about 15 minutes before flipping it. As the cake cools it will naturally release from the pan a bit and firm up.
Then, flip the pan onto a wire rack to finish. I prefer cooling my bundt cake on a wire rack so the bottom does not collect too much moisture as it cools.
Make the vegan chocolate ganache
The last step to making this double chocolate bundt cake is topping it with a vegan chocolate sauce! This ganache is made with two easy ingredients- chocolate chips and coconut cream.
Just melt together and then pour over the cake to give it that glossy finish!
By the way, I totally just microwave my ganache and coconut cream in the microwave at 20-second intervals until melted. You can also use the double boiler method if you prefer that.
P.S- I even topped mine with edible dried rose petals just like I did in my Cardamom Rose Cupcakes for an extra fancy touch!
FAQ & Expert Tips:
I haven't personally tried it, but it may work with a 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Mix like Bob's Red Mill. However, subbing all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour such as almond or coconut flour will not work in this recipe.
I haven't tried it and, personally, I wouldn't recommend it. Using oil makes the cake super tender. Especially when it comes to a bundt cake, you really want to follow the recipe exactly as written because of the long back time. If you reduce the moisture by a significant amount (aka reducing the oil or sugar), the cake will likely come out too dry.
A few things make this cake stay moist despite the really long baking time!
I use a mix of oat milk, applesauce, and olive oil which all provide a ton of moisture to this cake. Plus, we can't forget sugar which actually provides moisture to this cake- especially brown sugar which has molasses in it.
The best way I have found is to use a plant-based shortening like Spectrum Organics Shortening. It works even better than butter or oil.
After greasing, you can also lightly dust the bundt pan with flour. If it's a chocolate cake, I highly recommend dusting with cocoa powder vs. flour if you want it to look good out of the oven.
I hope you all love this Vegan Chocolate Bundt Cake with chocolate ganache! It's a new favorite in our home and is the perfect Valentine's Day cake to treat your loved ones. Enjoy!
-TSG
More vegan cake recipes you will love:
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Vegan Chocolate Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 ¾ cup pastry flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ⅓ cup oat milk
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup applesauce
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp brewed espresso
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
- ¼ cup coconut cream can sub 1:1 with full-fat coconut milk
- dried rose petals optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Then sift together the dry ingredients including the pastry flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Next, add the wet ingredients to a larger mixing bowl including the oat milk, olive oil, applesauce, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla. Whisk together to combine.
- Add the bowl of sifted dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix together until a thick cake batter forms. Please note, it is important not to overmix the batter and just mix it until all large clumps or streaks of flour are gone.
- Let the batter rest in the bowl and lightly grease the bundt pan. I have found that greasing the pan with shortening works best, but olive oil or a non-sticky spray works too. Make sure every crevice is lightly oiled so the cake does not stick. Then, dust the pan lightly with cocoa powder (optional). Make sure to dump out any excess powder that is not sticking to the pan.
- Add the cake batter to the bundt pan and tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles and fill in all the crevices of the pan with batter. Then, add the cake to the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked throughout.
- Remove the bundt cake and let sit 10-15 minutes before inverting. I also recommend running a butter knife along the edges of the cake before inverting to help loosen. It is best to invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool so the bottom does not get too moist.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, make the chocolate ganache. Melt the chocolate chips and coconut cream together until a thick ganache forms. Then, pour the ganache over the cake until evenly coated. Topping with optional dried rose petals and serve!
Notes
- Cake can be stored at room temperature in a closed container or wrapped in plastic wrap for 3-5 days without chocolate ganache.
- If ganache is on top, the best way to store the cake is pre-sliced in a closed container in the freezer. It will keep for up to 1 month when stored in a closed container. To defrost let sit at room temperature about 1 hour before eating.
Kim says
Can I use all purpose flour instead of pastry flour?
Megan says
It's not a 1:1 substitution, but there are instructions in the blog post on how to make it work.
Ruby Rose says
The best cake ever! My search for a perfect recipe ends here!
Please share a recipe for vegan/ eggless sponge cake if you can.
Thanks in advance.
Megan says
Yay so happy to hear that! I will definitely add that to my list of recipes to work on 🙂
JT says
This was divine. My granddaughter is vegan and I wanted something special for her birthday. It was a hit with everyone!! Thank you so much!
Megan says
I'm so happy to hear this! Thanks for making my recipe for your special event 🙂
Jeanette Ruzzamenti says
This was nothing short of AMAZING!!! I'm not exaggerating when I say this is the first vegan bundt cake that has actually rise to the top of my Bundt pan (and beyond). I don't even care for chocolate cake and it was delicious (made if for my husband). Fabulous recipe!!!
Megan says
What a nice review thanks so much for sharing and happy you liked this chocolate cake 🙂