Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake

4.73 from 65 votes

This vegan chocolate fudge cake is so simple to make and is dripping with the best ooey-gooey chocolatey topping of your dreams.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time1 5

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 143kcal

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 35 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Ovens vary, so if your sauce isn’t quite thick enough, lower the temperature 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.

Tips for making this cake

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.