Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake
This Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake is so simple to make and is dripping with the best ooey-gooey chocolatey topping of your dreams. It’s incredibly moist, rich, and decadently chocolaty, satisfying even the most intense sweet cravings without any dairy or eggs. Only 143 calories and 1 gram of fat per serving.
If you’ve been wishing you could find a delectable chocolate vegan cake recipe, look no further. I’ve got you covered! This recipe is a great place to start, and we have other chocolatey wonders like our decadent chocolate vegan birthday cake and this amazing chocolate sugar-free icing.
Top reasons I love this vegan fudge cake
- Low in Fat and Calories: This vegan fudge cake is made with healthier ingredients, offering a deliciously indulgent dessert that’s lower in fat and calories, making it a guilt-free treat for any occasion. Believe it or not, the cake part has no sugar added at all. It’s the gooey fudgy frosting that adds sweetness to this fabulous vegan dessert. Only 143 calories and 1 gram of fat per serving.
- Plant-Based and Dairy-Free: Made with plant-based ingredients, this cake is perfect for those following a vegan diet or anyone with dairy allergies, allowing more people to enjoy a delicious treat.
- Simple and Easy to Make: With straightforward instructions and easily accessible ingredients, this vegan fudge cake is a hassle-free baking option that delivers impressive results every time.
How to make dairy-free chocolate fudge cake
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
This is such an interesting recipe that is going to keep you asking, Can really be? But, rest assured, you’re going to be amazed!
STEP #1: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F. Next, place the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl and whisk it together well. Make sure to press out any clumps in the dry ingredients that you run into so that it’s nice and smooth.
STEP #2: In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together milk, vanilla, and apple sauce. We have a great homemade sugar-free applesauce recipe if you would like to make your own.
STEP #3: When it’s mixed together thoroughly, add it to the larger mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Okay, this is a warning. Do NOT taste the batter at this point. It is completely sugar-free and won’t taste great. Believe me, it will get better.
STEP #4: Spoon the mixture into an 8″ silicone nonstick square pan. Since silicone pans are very flexible, you will need to use a baking sheet underneath for stability. Glass or metal pans lined with parchment paper also will work fine.
STEP #5: In a clean bowl, combine the brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Gradually mix in the hot water using a whisk and blend thoroughly. Note: I use approximately 1 cup + 2 Tbsp of water.
STEP #6: Pour evenly over the batter in the pan. It will be thin and watery but will thicken up when baked. Trust me, just do it. It will be a frosting-like covering over the cake and is delicious!
STEP #7: Bake on the center rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Ovens vary, so if your sauce isn’t quite thick enough, after 45 minutes, lower temp to 325°F and allow to cook for 5-10 more minutes.
STEP #8: Remove from oven and allow to cool. If you leave the cake in the pan instead of dumping it out, just spoon the gooey fudge over each serving.
*Originally published September 28, 2016.
Recipe adapted from Dr. Neal Barnard’s book, Breaking the Food Seduction.
A follower’s video of making this cake
My friend, and fellow Food for Life instructor, Beth Perera, shared her experience making this recipe recently. Click on the pictures to see the process in action including her bubbly, fresh-out-of-the-oven Hot Fudge Cake. I love her excitement. Chocolate has the same effect on me!
Your Questions Answered:
This recipe is not gluten-free, but this link to the Minimalist Baker will help adjust it for those who want to give it a try.
Since there is no sugar at all used in the cake portion, the sweetness of the frosting is pretty important. If you would rather use a different sweetener than brown sugar, I would suggest maybe 1 cup of maple syrup. Date paste could also be tried at 1 cup as well.
I use an 8″ square baking pan, but you could also opt for a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.
Yes. This cake is made with wholesome ingredients and no oil, eggs, or dairy. Believe it or not, the cake part has no sugar added at all. It’s the gooey fudgy frosting that adds sweetness to this fabulous vegan dessert. Only 143 calories and 1 gram of fat per serving.
Chocolate vegan oil-free cake is usually a little lighter and has thick icing that is made separately and added after cooking. Fudge cake tends to be denser, and the fudgy topping is cooked with the cake and thickens into a spoonable frosting.
Yes, it is best to refrigerate the leftover cake. Cover it well or place it in an airtight container. It will keep up to a week in the refrigerator and reheats well. Though I haven’t tried freezing it, I think it should work just fine.
More Favorite Vegan Desserts
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Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (divide in half)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk (or any plant milk)
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (use 1 cup if you like it sweeter)
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F.
- Next, place the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl and whisk it together well.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together milk, vanilla, and apple sauce until incorporated well.
- When it’s mixed together thoroughly, add it to the larger mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Okay, this is a warning. Do NOT taste the batter at this point. It is completely sugar-free and won’t taste great. Believe me, it will get better.
- Now, spoon the mixture into an 8″ silicone nonstick square pan. Since silicone pans are very flexible, you will need to use a baking sheet underneath for stability. Glass or metal pans lined with parchment paper also will work fine.
- In a clean bowl, combine the brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Gradually mix in the hot water using a whisk and blend thoroughly. Note: I use approximately 1 cup + 2 Tbsp of water.
- Pour evenly over batter in pan. It will be thin and watery but will thicken up when baked. Trust me, just do it. It will be a frosting-like covering over the cake and is delicious!
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Ovens vary, so if your sauce isn’t quite thick enough, after 45 minutes, lower temp to 325°F and allow to cook 5-10 more minutes.
- Allow to cook and serve warm. If you leave the cake in the pan instead of dumping out, just spoon the gooey fudge over each serving.
Video
Notes
- Pan Size: I use an 8" square baking pan, but you could also opt for a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
- The Topping: It is going to be very watery before it is baked, but don’t panic! As it bakes, it thickens up, and as it cools it thickens even more.
- Low-Fat: Per slice, this cake has calories 143, protein 3 grams, fat 1 gram. Since there is no sugar at all used in the cake portion, the sweetness of the frosting is pretty important. If you would rather use a different sweetener than brown sugar, I would suggest maybe 1 cup of maple syrup.
- Storage: It is best to refrigerate the leftover cake. Cover it well or place it in an airtight container. It will keep up to a week in the refrigerator and reheats well.
- Freezing: Though I haven't tried freezing it, I think it should work just fine.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
We liked this cake. Even though I didn’t bake it as long as recommended, the topping was not gooey but it did add a nice addition to the cake. I used date sugar in the topping. Otherwise, I made it as written. It is easy and quick to make, so will add it to our dessert line up.
Made this for my birthday. Being plant based it’s been a long time since I’ve had a frosted cake. The frosting was amazingly good. On the cake I used the adjustment in the comments of 1 c applesauce and 3/4 c plant milk. Batter seemed a little stiff. Cake came out good but a touch dry. Next time I’ll add a little more plant milk to batter. My husband and I enjoyed the cake very much.
Has anyone tried to freeze a portion of the cake?
is this suitable for a birthday cake?
Hi Hannah- It’s delicious for a birthday cake but won’t be a stacked double-layered cake like traditional ones. This might be a better recipe for that. https://eatplant-based.com/vegan-chocolate-cake/
I just made this tonight. I followed the instructions carefully, because last time I made this, it was a bomb. This time, it was delicious. I used cane sugar in lieu of coconut sugar, a 8×4 silicone pan and put it in the toaster for 40 minutes at 350. Delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Beth- I am so glad it turned out well for you!
I made this today and had nice cream on top YUM!!!
Will this freeze ok because this is something we would eat over a 2-3 week time Thanks John keep up the good recipes
Hi John- I’m so glad you liked the Fudge Cake! It should freeze just fine. I would say just defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
Could I sub date paste for all of that brown sugar??
Hi LouAnn- Since there is no sugar at all used in the cake portion, the sweetness of the frosting is pretty important. If you would rather use a different sweetener than the brown sugar, I would suggest maybe 1 cup maple syrup. Date paste could also be tried at 1 cup as well.
curious, if anyone has ever tried this with date sugar instead of brown sugar as a plant based alternative.?
That would be very interesting. I wonder if anybody tried it with date paste as well.
hello
it’s very good with date paste. I love it 🙂
I did it today
YAM
Patricia
I haven’t tried this with date paste but think it would work just fine. Let us know if you give it a try!
I am also curious if date sugar or date paste can be subbed for the sugar??
Hi LouAnn- I think date sugar would be a great substitute.
Sliced a couple of strawberries to throw on top and threw it in my husbands lunch box …next day he told me as I was packing his lunch …’that chocolate stuff you sent yesterday was goooodddd’ ….?? and he didn’t even realize it was a ‘healthy’ dessert!!!! ? SCORE!!!!! ?♀️
Ha! Now, that’s the kind of report I like to hear! LOVE it! Thanks for sharing!