Chocolate Vegan Cake | Sugar-Free
This beautifully decadent 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 sugar-free, 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.
You’ll love this sugar-free vegan cake because it’s…
- Naturally sweet
- Moist
- Diary-free & egg-free
- Loaded with healthy ingredients
- Cupcake-ready
- Perfect for birthday cakes
- Romantic enough for a Valentine’s Day dessert
- Decadent
- Delicious!
What is this chocolate vegan cake made of?
I know it is hard to believe that this masterpiece has absolutely zero refined sugar in it, but it’s true! Neither the cake or the icing has any refined sugar included (unless you want it).
For those who are not sugar-free, unrefined sugar can be substituted for the dates, and measurements are included in the recipe card below.
What’s in the cake?
The cake ingredients include whole-wheat flour, unsweetened baking cocoa powder, baking soda and powder, applesauce, vanilla, and vinegar. What makes it taste sweet is Date Paste!
Date Paste is a healthy natural sugar substitute that’s the perfect solution for baking deliciously sweet desserts, and it’s so easy to make with only two ingredients–water and dates!
What’s in the frosting?
The icing for this cake includes wholesome simple ingredients like sweet potatoes (yes, you read that right), cocoa powder, almond butter, whole dates, plant milk, and vanilla. That’s it!
The inspiration for this sweet potato icing came from Dreena Burton’s Sweet Potato Cake recipe that I have been making for years because it’s amazing!
Dreena’s recipe calls for coconut sugar or other unrefined sugar, so I decided to see what would happen if I tweaked a few ingredients and substituted dates for the sugar. I have to tell you that I was amazed that the frosting tasted every bit as good as Dreena’s original!
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
How to make this chocolatey wonder
This dairy-free and egg-free chocolate cake recipe is so easy, I know you’re going to be amazed. I think it’s a great opportunity to get those reluctant cooks and even the kids in the kitchen for this.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and make some date paste.
Date paste 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. It freezes well too!
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.
Once the date paste is ready, set it to the side to be added to the wet ingredients shortly.
Making the cake
Place all of the dry ingredients–flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder–in a large mixing bowl and whisk together well.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients–applesauce, plant milk, vanilla, vinegar, date paste–and whisk together thoroughly.
Next, pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk together well. It should be nice and thick as pictured below.
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.
Bake at 350°F for approximately 30-35 minutes for 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 oven and allow to cool before frosting.
These heart cupcake pans are also great if you would like to make cupcakes instead of cake. They are silicone and non-stick.
Making the frosting
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.
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 definitely 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.
Tips for making vegan chocolate cake
- This recipe is very versatile and can be made into a cake or cupcakes.
- 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.
- When making this into cupcakes, an ice cream scoop with a trigger is perfect for scooping into muffin cups without having to scrape a spoon or fingers.
- To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake or cupcake and remove. When it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
- This cake recipe is not gluten-free, but Minimalist Baker has a great GF Baking Guide that can help convert this cake.
- The frosting is already gluten-free.
- For those not doing sugar-free, unrefined sugar can be substituted. Measurements are included in the recipe card below.
Other great chocolate desserts
- Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake
- Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
- Chocolate Hummus
- Best Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes
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!
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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!
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 | 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
- 1-1/4 cup 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
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and make some date paste (if using).
- 2. Date paste is simply 1 cup pitted dates and 3/4 cup water blended well in a blender or food processor. For more instructions, please see notes in the article above. Once the date paste is ready, set it to the side to be added to the wet ingredients shortly.
- 3. 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 date paste, add the dry sugar in this step.
- 4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients–applesauce, plant milk, vanilla, vinegar, date paste (if using) and whisk together thoroughly.
- 5. Next, pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk them together well.
- 6. 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.
- 7. 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.
- 8. Once the cake or cupcakes are done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before frosting.
- 9. The heart cupcake pans are also great if you would rather have cupcakes.
Frosting
- 1. 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.
- 2. Once it’s done, I simply remove the peelings and use the potato flesh in this frosting recipe.
- 3. 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.
- 4. When the cake or cupcakes has cooled, frost and serve!
Video
Notes
- Date paste can be used in the cake to make it completely sugar-free. My personal preference is to use a glandular sweetener such as sucanat or pure cane sugar.
- This recipe is very versatile and can be made into a cake or cupcakes.
- 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.
- When making this into cupcakes, an ice cream scoop with a trigger is perfect for scooping into muffin cups without having to scrape a spoon or fingers.
- To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake or cupcake and remove it. When it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
- This cake recipe is not gluten-free, but Minimalist Baker has a great GF Baking Guide that can help convert this cake.
- The frosting is already gluten-free.
- For those not doing sugar-free, unrefined sugar can be substituted. Measurements are included in the recipe card below.
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.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Hi ? what is the correct ingredients amount for the apple sauce and milk ?
Hi Robyn- The correct ingredients are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the page. 3/4 cup applesauce + 1.25 cup plant milk.
Hey Terri,
Really excited to try the recipe.
Do I have to use the applesauce? Don’t most of them have sugar in them?
Thanks!
Tee.
Hi Tee- The applesauce in this recipe is to help keep it moist since we aren’t using any oil. Just make sure to buy the sugar-free applesauce. Enjoy!
I halved the recipe and made a 6 inch cake. It is very good, When I was making the frosting, it tasted heavy, but surprisingly it went well with the cake! I will make it again and add sour cherry to the cake dough, Thank you very much for this recipe, Terri.
Hi Alice- I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
I tried out a cake with the above recipe. The cake was very soft and tasty. Thank you.
Hi Ronak- So glad that you enjoyed it!
Can I sub dates with bananas?
Hi Fiona- I haven’t tried that before. It would certainly make the cake less sweet, but it might be worth a try.
Hi can I use almond meal instead? Just want low carbs
Hi Jade- I haven’t tried making this with almond flour but this looks like a good guide for substituting almond flour in recipes. https://type2diabetes.com/nutrition/baking-almond-flour/
hi can use dare syrup instead date paste ?
Hi Mahi- I think date paste would work just fine in this recipe.
Hi Terri,
I cannot seem to find sugar-free applesauce in the shops. Would it work if I make my own by boiling then blitzing the apples?
Hi Erin- I found this really simple recipe for sugar-free applesauce that should help. https://minimalistbaker.com/3-ingredient-applesauce-no-sugar-added/#wprm-recipe-container-51103
Hi I made the cake as little cupcakes, the batter looked and tasted great but the cakes came out quite rubbery and gummy sadly. I wonder what went wrong 😬
Hi Amanda- I would try reducing the amount of applesauce to see if that helps.
What size is the sweet potato?
Hi Peggy- Around one cup cubed should be about right.
@Terri Edwards, thanks! I saw the measurement after I posted the question. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
I am not a regular baker and this was my fist cake that I made. I made this for my husband’s birthday and trust me it came out so so well. Thank you so much, my husband is health freak so I wanted something with natural ingredients and it was so perfect. Also my frosting is left, could you please tell me what can I do with the left over frosting. Thank you so much, you made our day😀😀😀
Hi Deepshikha- I’m so glad to hear that this made the perfect healthy birthday cake for your husband. That’s terrific news! I love to use any leftover frosting for dipping apple slices. Yummy!
Hi there … I’m about to make this but am in the UK and never sure about cup conversion with the different types of ingredients – do you happen to have the recipe in metric?
Hi Vicki- I don’t have the metric conversion right now, but the recipe plugin developer is working on that and hopes to have it available soon. So sorry that it doesn’t help right now, but it’s coming.
@Terri Edwards, Hi Terri – thanks very much for your reply … do you think it’ll be done by Xmas? (was planning to make it for Xmas day) …
Vicki- I don’t think it will be added by Christmas. From what I can tell with conversion online, it looks like this should be about right.
226 grams whole wheat flour
4 grams baking powder
3 grams baking soda
3 grams salt
50 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
190 grams date paste
188 grams applesauce
296 ml plant milk
8.4 grams vanilla
17 grams apple cider vinegar
Frosting
50 grams cooked sweet potato
120 grams almond butter
130 grams dates
59 ml plant milk
50 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 grams sea salt
13 grams vanilla
@Terri Edwards, Many thanks Terri
I made this today for my Awesome Landlord and it turned out really good! I was hoping the cake would be a bit taller and fluffier, but given the ingredients, i’m happy. I’m amazed actually. Great Job!
So excited to try this recipe along with the frosting! I noticed you mentioned changes to the ratio of applesauce and milk but the written recipe was not changed. Which one should I go with?
Thanks!!
Hi Peg- I went back to see the applesauce and milk comment that you mentioned but can’t find it. Where did you see that?
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. We all love it. Can you tell me if we can freeze it please?
Hi Alison- I am so glad that you love the chocolate cake recipe! Yes, this should freeze well.
Hi Terri!
I’m super excited to make this recipe for my daughter’s 1st birthday. I’m just wondering if you used vanilla essence or vanilla extract? I hope it isn’t a silly question, here in Australia sometimes we use different names for things, so just thought I’d check. Thanks!
Hi Bianca- I use vanilla extract for this cake. Hope you enjoy it, and happy 1st birthday to your little girl!
@Terri Edwards, thank you so much for your quick response! I’ll be making it this weekend so I’ll let you know how it goes 🙂