This beautifully decadent Chocolate Cake recipe is not only amazingly delicious, but it also happens to be vegan and completely sugar-free (with an unrefined sugar option also available). It’s ideal for celebrations such as birthdays, parties, and holidays!
When you think of a vegan AND sugar-free cake, you may expect it to be dry and boring, but that is not the case with this delectable chocolaty slice of paradise.
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’s difficult to believe that this masterpiece has been completed. absolutely zero sugar It’s not in it, but it’s true! Neither the cake or the icing has any refined–or even unrefined–sugar included (unless you want it).
For those who are not sugar-free, unrefined sugar can be substituted for the dates The recipe card below includes instructions and measurements.
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 gives it a sweet flavor is Date Paste!
Date Paste is a healthy natural sugar substitute That’s the ideal option for baking delectably sweet treats, and it’s very simple to produce with only two ingredients: water and dates!
What’s in the frosting?
Sweet potatoes (yep, you read that correctly), cocoa powder, almond butter, whole dates, plant milk, and vanilla make up the frosting for this cake. That’s it!
Dreena Burton’s sweet potato frosting inspired this recipe. Sweet Potato Cake I’ve been cooking this dish for years since it’s delicious!
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 say that I was surprised that the frosting tasted just like Dreena’s original!
The entire list of ingredients, as well as measurements and directions, may be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
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 believe that is an excellent opportunity. get those For this, hesitant chefs and even children in the kitchen are used.
Make some date paste and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Making date paste in a blender or food processor is a breeze. 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 look, but it is quite simple. Just add dates and water to a blender or food processor and mix well.
When the date paste is done, leave it aside to be quickly combined with the wet ingredients.
Making the cake
Place all of the dry ingredients In a large mixing basin, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
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. As seen below, it should be beautiful and thick.
Decide which size and type of pan or pans you would like to use. Personally, I like nonstick cookware. silicone baking pans since they don’t need any oil and work wonderfully 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 adore my heart-shaped pan for Valentine’s Day and other special events. The batter will make approximately two 8″ round cake pans.
Muffin pans are also a great way to make cupcakes. In the Tips section below, I’ve included some pan-specific cooking time modifications.
Bake @ 350°F for 30-35 minutes for round 8-9′′ pans.
Because oven temperatures vary, take the cake out of the oven about the 25-minute mark and test for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the middle point to do this. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done; otherwise, return to the oven for 5-10 minutes and try again.
Remove the cake and/or cupcakes from the oven and set aside to cool before icing.
These heart cupcake pans are also great if you would like to make cupcakes instead of cake. They are nonstick and silicone.
Making the frosting
This frosting is so easy, it doesn’t even require a bowl! Making the icing while the cake is baking is ideal.
I like to cook my sweet potatoes fast by punching a few holes in them with a knife, putting them in a moist paper towel, and throwing them in the microwave for 5-6 minutes, depending on the size of the potato.
Remove the peelings and use the potato flesh in this frosting recipe after it’s done.
In a blender or food processor, combine all of the frosting ingredients, including the cooked sweet potato, and mix 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 If you have a less powerful machine, you will almost certainly need to stop and scrape the sides down. and continue to blend until smooth.
Once the cake and/or cupcakes have completely cooled, 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. Sprinkle a bit on top if you really want to go all out. 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 .
- The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the pan used. Cupcakes should take around 25 minutes, and 8′′-9′′ pans should take about 30-35 minutes. Temperatures in the oven vary.
- When making this into cupcakes, an ice cream scoop with a trigger is ideal for scooping into muffin cups without using a spoon or your fingers.
- To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake or cupcake and remove. The cake is done when it comes out clean.
- 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, an unrefined sugar can be substituted. The recipe card below includes measurements.
Other great chocolate desserts
- Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake
- Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
- Chocolate Hummus
- Best Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes
We’ve produced a FREE guide for those of you who are new to the whole food plant-based diet. 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 appreciate hearing from you!
If you attempt this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment to let us know how you liked it. We’d love to hear from you!
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 (3/4 cup unrefined sugar if not sugar-free)
- 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 pitted dates (3/4 cup unrefined sugar for those who aren’t 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 at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare the 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. Please consult the notes in the article above for further information. When the date paste is done, leave it aside to be quickly combined with the wet ingredients.
3. Place all of the dry ingredients In a large mixing basin, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. 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, combine the wet and dry ingredients in a large mixing basin and thoroughly whisk them together.
6. Pour the cake mixture onto a silicone baking pan (or line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper). parchment paper to prevent sticking) and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. This recipe yields two 8-inch round cake pans.
7. Oven temperatures vary, so around the 25-minute mark, remove the cake from the oven and test for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the highest center point to do this. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done; otherwise, return to the oven for 5-10 minutes and try again.
8. Remove the cake or cupcakes from the oven and set them aside to cool before icing.
9. The heart cupcake pans are also great if you would rather have cupcakes.
Frosting
1. I prefer to take the simple route and microwave my sweet potatoes for 5-6 minutes, depending on their size.
2. Once finished, I remove the peelings and utilize the potato flesh in this frosting recipe.
3. In a blender or food processor, combine all of the frosting ingredients, including the cooked sweet potato, and blend until smooth. More frosting ideas may be found in the preceding post.
4. Once the cake or cupcakes have completely cooled, ice and serve!
Notes
The post above has detailed directions, in-process images, and my own helpful advice.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
236 calories 6g total fat 0g trans fat Sodium content: 275mg 38g carbohydrate 6g fiber 8g protein
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. It is primarily your responsibility to ensure that any nutritional information supplied is correct, thorough, and informative.
Related Questions
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Will a cake rise without sugar?
Your baked items will not rise correctly if you do not use enough sugar. Creaming butter or eggs with sugar is an important step in many baked goods. It incorporates air into the batter or dough, helping them to puff up. Sugar reduction will limit the quantity of air entering!
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Why is my vegan cake not fluffy?
Getting your vegan sponge cake fluffy
As I mentioned above, a key to a fluffy vegan sponge is making sure you don’t overmix it. STOP when the batter has come together and is smooth. Too much mixing means the gluten in the flour develops and it becomes tough. Less is absolutely more in this scenario. -
What makes a cake more fluffy?
How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake
- Make use of Cake Flour. Reach for cake flour instead of all-purpose flour.
- Add Sour Cream.
- Room Temperature Butter / Don’t Over-Cream.
- Add a Touch of Baking Powder or Baking Soda.
- Add Oil.
- Don’t Over-Mix.
- Don’t Over-Bake.
- Brush With Simple Syrup/Other Liquid.
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How can I sweeten a cake without sugar?
How to bake a cake without sugar!
- Syrup made from barley and rice. Barley and rice syrup are a great substitute for liquid sweeteners like honey, maple syrup etc.
- Dates. Dates are naturally sticky, moist, and fibrous, making them a popular sweetener for both raw and baked desserts.
- Coconut Sugar.
- Lakanto.
- Stevia.
- Xylitol.
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What happens if you don’t put sugar in cake?
After baking, sugar keeps cakes moist. A completely sugar-free cake will dry out quickly, so wrap cooled cakes in cling film to prevent moisture loss.