Chocolate Vegan Cake | Refined Sugar-Free
This beautifully decadent Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe is not only amazingly delicious, but it also happens to be vegan and completely refined sugar-free. It’s perfect for birthdays, parties, and holidays!
When you think about a cake being vegan AND free of refined sugar, you might think that it will be dry and dull, but I promise that’s not the case with this scrumptious chocolatey piece of heaven. Believe it or not, the dairy-free chocolate frosting is made with sweet potatoes and dates!
We have more delicious chocolate vegan dessert recipes on this website like this easy chocolate cashew cream, my chocolate-stuffed vegan sweet potatoes, and our chocolate dairy-free mousse pie.
Reasons you will love this cake
- Guilt-Free Indulgence: This vegan chocolate cake is made without refined sugars, offering a healthier way to satisfy your sweet tooth without compromising on flavor.
- Rich and Moist Texture: Enjoy a deliciously rich and moist cake that delivers all the chocolatey goodness you crave, thanks to high-quality, plant-based ingredients.
- Perfect for Special Diets: Ideal for those following a vegan or dairy-free diet, this cake is free from animal products, making it suitable for a wide range of dietary preferences.
Ingredients you will need
- Flour- Whole wheat flour provides a denser texture and a slightly nutty flavor, enhancing the overall taste and making the cake more filling and satisfying.
- Cocoa powder- It imparts a deep, rich chocolate flavor without the need for added fats or dairy. It blends seamlessly into the cake batter, ensuring a smooth texture and intense cocoa taste.
- Dates- They provide natural sweetness without refined sugars, helping to maintain a healthier profile. They also add moisture and a rich, caramel-like flavor that enhances the overall taste and texture of the cake.
- Applesauce- It acts as a natural fat replacer, adding moisture and a tender crumb without the need for added oils. It also provides a subtle sweetness and a slight fruitiness that complements the chocolate flavor.
- Plant milk- Provides the necessary liquid to blend ingredients smoothly and achieve a desirable cake texture without dairy.
- Sweet potatoes- Using sweet potatoes to make the frosting provides a naturally sweet flavor and creamy texture without the need for added sugars or oils.
- Almond butter- Creates a rich, nutty flavor and a creamy texture, enhancing the overall taste and consistency of the frosting.
Tips & Suggestions
- Make cupcakes- This recipe is very versatile and can be made into a cake or cupcakes.
- Cooking times & pans- Cooking times will vary with the size of the pan used. Cupcakes should take about 25 minutes and 8″-9″ pans will cook the cake in about 30-35 minutes. Oven temperatures vary.
- Make it gluten-free- This cake recipe is not gluten-free, but Minimalist Baker has a great GF Baking Guide that can help convert this cake.
How to make chocolate vegan cake
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and make some date paste. If you’re using dry granular sweetener for the cake, you can skip this part. For the cake, I actually prefer to use granular sugar such as date sugar, maple sugar, or pure cane.
If you’re going to use date paste, it is super simple to make in a blender or food processor. One great thing is that once you make it, any leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
I have written an entire article–How to Make Date Paste–if you want to take a look, but it is super easy. Just add dates and water to a blender or food processor and mix well. One cup of tightly-packed dates + 2/3 cup of water is what you need.
Once the date paste is ready, set it to the side to be added to the wet ingredients shortly.
STEP #2: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place all of the dry ingredients–flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, (granular sugar if using)–in a large mixing bowl and whisk together well.
If you’re using sugar instead of making date paste, add the dry sugar in this step. Some good options are date sugar, maple sugar, sucanat, or pure cane sugar. Using glandular sugar is my preference.
STEP #3: In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients–applesauce, plant milk, vanilla, vinegar–and whisk together thoroughly.
If you are using date paste, this is where you will add it.
STEP #4: Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk together well. It should be nice and thick.
STEP #5: Decide which size and type of pan or pans you would like to use. Personally, I like to use non-stick silicone baking pans because they don’t require any oil and work perfectly for baking.
You can choose to use a number of different sizes of pans including round 8″ or 9″, or even square or rectangle pans. I love my heart-shaped pan for Valentine’s Day and other special occasions. The batter will make approximately two 8″ round cake pans.
Muffin pans are also a terrific idea for making cupcakes. I’ve put some cooking time adjustments for pans in the Tips section below.
STEP #6: Bake at 350°F for approximately 30-35 minutes for the circular 8-9″ pans.
Oven temperatures vary, so around the 25-minute mark, remove the cake from the oven and test for doneness. To do this, insert a toothpick into the center point. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Otherwise, place back into the oven and test again in 5-10 minutes.
Once the cake and/or cupcakes are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool before frosting.
STEP #7: This frosting is so easy, it doesn’t even require a bowl! While the cake is cooking is the perfect time to make the frosting.
I like to take the easy way out and cook my sweet potato quickly by poking a few holes in it with a knife, wrapping it in a wet paper towel, and placing it in the microwave for about 5-6 minutes depending on the size of the potato.
Once it’s done, remove the peelings and use the potato flesh in this frosting recipe.
STEP #8: Simply place all the frosting ingredients–including the cooked sweet potato– in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
I use my Vitamix blender, and it works like a charm because it has a tamper that allows for keeping the ingredients moving in thick recipes like this vegan chocolate icing. However, if you have a less powerful machine, you’ll need to stop, scrape the sides down, and continue to blend until smooth.
Once the cake and/or cupcakes have fully cooled, it’s time to frost and serve!
I love to add a few strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or a combination of them to this cake because it makes a beautiful display. If you want to really take it over the top, sprinkle a little Homemade Powdered Sugar over the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but Minimalist Baker has a great GF Baking Guide that can help convert these cupcakes. The frosting is already gluten-free.
No. I actually prefer granulated sugar. 2/3 or 3/4 cup less refined sugar such as pure cane sugar or date sugar will work for the cake. Use another 3/4 cup in the frosting.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. It freezes well too.
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Chocolate Vegan Cake | Refined Sugar-Free
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup date paste or 3/4 cup unrefined sugar for those not doing sugar-free (my preference)
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 1.25 cups plant milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Frosting
- 1 cup cooked sweet potato peeled
- 1/2 cup almond butter or cashew butter
- 3/4 cup dates pitted (3/4 cup less refined sugar for those not doing sugar-free)
- 1/4 cup plant milk
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place all of the dry ingredients–flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, (granular sugar if using)–in a large mixing bowl and whisk together well. If you're using a less refined granular sugar instead of making date paste, add it in this step. Some good options are date sugar, maple sugar, sucanat, or pure cane sugar. Using glandular sugar is my preference.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients–applesauce, plant milk, vanilla, vinegar, and whisk together thoroughly. If you are using date paste, this is where you will add it.
- Next, pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk them together well.
- Pour the cake batter into a silicone baking pan (or line a regular pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking) and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. This recipe will make two 8" round cake pans.
- Oven temperatures vary, so around the 25-minute mark, remove the cake from the oven and test for doneness. To do this, insert a toothpick into the highest center point. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Otherwise place back into the oven and test again in 5-10 minutes.
- Once the cake or cupcakes are done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before frosting.
- The heart cupcake pans are also great if you would rather have cupcakes.
Frosting
- I like the take the easy way out and cook my sweet potato quickly by poking a few holes in it with a knife, wrapping it in a wet paper towel, and placing it in the microwave for about 5-6 minutes depending on the size of the potato.
- Once it’s done, I simply remove the peelings and use the potato flesh in this frosting recipe.
- Simply place all the frosting ingredients–including the cooked sweet potato– in a blender or food processor and mix until smooth. More frosting tips can be found in the article above.
- When the cake or cupcakes has cooled, frost and serve!
Video
Notes
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.
How long does this last and how to store? I need to make a birthday cake two days before the birthday hooking it will last ok in the fridge for two days?
Sarah- This will do just fine making it 2 days ahead. Store it in an airtight cake pan in the refrigerator to hold in the moisture. Enjoy!
Would replacing almond butter with pecan butter on the frosting still work?
I am challenged because my 4 year old is highly allergic to all tree nuts, peanuts except pecan.
And I am using date syrup, would it be same measurement?
My partner is sugar free, whole wheat only so I am trying to bake his Bday cake that will work for both, and this recipe sounds amazing.
My daughter is also allergic to; Eggs, Soy, oats, coconut, tree nuts, sesame, sunflower, onion garlic
Melissa- You do have your work cut out for you cooking for two with different allergies. Pecan butter will work just fine in place of the almond butter. You may need to add a little extra date syrup to get the sweetness desired. I hope you all enjoy this recipe with your tweaks.
I made this recipe as a healthier alternative for my kids and they absolutely loooooved it!! I used date syrup instead of date paste and worked perfect. Stuck the left overs in the fridge and they were even better the second day out of the fridge. Such a great recipe!!! Will definitely make again.
Tina- I am so happy your kids loved it and that it’s a keeper! Thank you for the great feedback.
Hello Tina! I would be interested to know : how much date syrup did you put? The same amount than the quantity indicated for the date paste? Thank you for your reply!
Hi Tina, How much date syrup did you use? Was it the same amount as the date paste?
Can I use almond flour instead of wheat?
Tina- Almond flour is a little trickier to substitute with. You might try oat flour at the same ratio.
I have a question: Is it okay to substitute carob powder for the cocoa powder? Chocolate does not like me!😀
Hilda- Yes, I think carob powder should work just fine for this cake recipe. Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe! I needed it to be gluten free too so I used 1 cup GF flour mix and 1 cup oat flour blitzed from oats, plus 1 tsp xanthan gum to reduce crumbling. I also added 2 tsp ground cardamom as I thought it would be nice with the chocolate and dates (it was!). Very successful results and the frosting is a glossy, clingy marvel! I did need to double the plant milk in the frosting so that the Nutribullet could cope with it but it will still good and thick. The cake looks so sweet and chocolatey your brain kind of fills in the difference – still tasting good 4 days later 😄
Marika- YAY! I’m so glad that you liked it! ♥
I used wholemeal spelt flour, added extra mylk and it came out great. love using dates as a sweetner as I prefer to keep my baking least processed as possible and this was just the right amount of sweetness! frosting is amazing. cooked sweetpotato in airfryer – easy! served with a dollop of coconut yogurt and strawbs 🙂
Frosting is very good but the cake is not good in texture or flavor. I followed the directions exactly and am a good baker with experience in both vegan baking and no sugar baking
I am sorry that you didn’t like it. Did you use date paste or another type of sugar? I personally use pure cane sugar or succant when I make it with great results. I agree with you that the frosting is the best part for sure. The sweetener used in the cake can make a big difference, and that’s why I like to use glandular sweetener and not date paste. We include the date paste option for those completely avoiding sugar. After reading your comments, I added a note to the recipe that my preference is glandular sugar so others may take that into consideration when trying the cake. The good news is that if you store the leftover cake in the refrigerator, the frosting seeps down into the cake and sweetens it up even more. Leftover cake is my favorite! Thank you for your input. You might want to try this single-serving chocolate mug cake that only takes about a minute in your microwave. It’s really good and chocolatey, and you don’t have to make so much at one time. Wishing you all the best!
Have you ever used date powder? Been subbing it for sugar, not as sweet so I use more but another option
Jeanne- I haven’t tried date powder before. Good to know there is another option. ♥
This is excellent – will def make again