Few people in life don’t like chocolate cake, particularly if you tell them it’s cholesterol free ! There are so many varieties. I had to share this one with you, because my better half loves chocolate cake. But, and there is a big BUT here, he is very fussy about his chocolate cake. Nine times out of ten, when he orders it outside, he is disappointed – and the same applies to some of my own versions in the past. However, I have worked at perfecting this favourite (believe me, it was a challenge), particularly since it underpins a significant part of our marriage. “This one, though,” he exclaimed, “is to DIE for . . .” And that is why it appears here. After his 3rd slice, I knew this was a winner.
It’s simple, if you are a choccy lover, then you will love this. So come on, make it, bake it and cake it to the limit with this moister than moist, full flavour, light in texture, rich and mouth-watering frosting – the best I have ever concocted to date ! It’s just waiting to be devoured by your taste buds. Need I say more ? . . . . .
TIP FOR THIS RECIPE :
Please do not be tempted to use brown wholemeal flour for this recipe, as it will not come out as moist, fluffy or light – this one works with unbleached white flour. For those of you wishing to make this into a red velvet number, then here is a link for natural red colouring if you are using it at all http://www.souschef.co.uk/natural-red-food-colour.html
Serves 6-8 portions
INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE
- 2 cups of unbleached white flour
- 1 cup of unbleached self-raising white flour
- 1¾ cups of brown sugar (muscavado is great)
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¾ cup of unsweetened chocolate powder
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- ¾ cup of canola oil
- 1¾ cups of cold water
- 1 tbsp vanilla essence
METHOD FOR CAKE
First step is to preheat your oven to 190˚C, and take all your cake ingredients out on your work surface. Place some greaseproof paper around an 8” cake tin, then grease again (to prevent cake from sticking, which it is inclined to do).
Next, place all your dried ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and lightly mix them.
Now add wet ingredients in one at a time, starting with the oil, and pouring the water in lastly. Mix well with a wooden spoon until nice and thick, but don’t be tempted to over mix. You should be left with a nice, smooth and thick consistency.
Place in your hot oven, and allow to cook for around 50 minutes. Be careful not to over cook (and definitely don’t let it burn). The cake is ready when you can place a toothpick in it, and it comes out clean, or virtually clean.
Bring the cake out of the oven, and allow it to cool completely before removing the paper, and placing it on a cake container or plate, in readiness for frosting.
INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING
- 150g good quality dark chocolate
- 3 heaped tsp unsweetened chocolate powder
- 4 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 5 tbsp vegan margarine (such as Earth Balance)
- a pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp strawberry or blackcurrant jam (secret ingredient)
METHOD FOR FROSTING
Place the chocolate In a bowl, and heat the bowl up by placing it in a saucepan with a little hot water in it, so you will be using a bain marie method. Heat the chocolate on a low heat until it has fully melted. Meanwhile, whip the margarine and chocolate powder with a small whisk in a medium-sized bowl, whilst at the same time adding the icing sugar a little at a time, so that you have a nice thick cream consistency. Then add in the salt and the jam, and continue to mix.
Now, when your chocolate has melted, go ahead and add it to the rest of the frosting mixture, and mix it well until it is velvety, creamy and smooth.
Place the topping in the fridge for half an hour and then apply it on the cake with a spatula. Some people may prefer to do this as soon as the cake has cooled down a little (and while the frosting is still smooth), before placing in the fridge. That’s fine, if you wish for a looser consistency.
I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we did !!! It is sooooo easy to make !!!
. . . . . RESULT !!
All recipes, content & design © Miriam Sorrell www.mouthwateringvegan.com 2010
These are free recipes for your pleasure – all we ask in return is that you take a few moments to leave us a constructive comment !
How did you know I was a chocoholic with high cholesterol?
Lol!!
Seriously though, too good to share with your loved ones, just take the phone off the hook, turn off the lights and indulge!!!
You sure got into the spirit of it ! Happy to be useful in the lowering of your cholesterol and to give you the opportunity to indulge your passion in a healthy fashion. Enjoy !
being the sweet freak that i am, i will definitely be trying this very soon! sounds divine! i love this site, well done!
I hope that you enjoy this cake, that it fulfills your love for both sweet things in particular in this case chocolate – thanks a million also for your compliment of my site !
This one is made for my 8 yr old as he has such a sweet tooth and can’t get enough chocolate cake! Looks like it makes a great dessert. Thanks for sharing. Bound to be a winner and agree with your husband that those eaten out always disappoint or are just too sweet.
Having the added benefit of being cholesterol free, this cake is so light and the frosting is very moorish too. Hope it’s as enjoyed as we and our friends enjoyed it, in fact it’s high time I make another one soon ! Have fun making, baking and eating !
Hi Flavia, thanks for your comment. I find I prefer to use water in this recipe, as the cake comes out slightly less rich, and I don’t get to taste the soya, which for me doesn’t work that well in cakes. The key (and the magic) to this cake, is in the frosting – as it is the frosting that gets absorbed into the cake, and gives it the moist chocolaty flavour. Enjoy !
Thanks Flavia – hope you enjoy it as and when !
Definitely the best vegan chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever tried – so moist and the frosting is delicious – will make again and again for sure 🙂
Hi there sarah, thanks for the wonderful comment – it is a very tasty chocolate cake isn’t it – rich and yummy and yes, as you say a must make again and again ! Keep well ! Best to you.
A winner all round, moist and with so much flavour….another winner Miriam, well done and keep it going, its alot more fun than i thought!!
Hi Eva, thanks for your comment and glad you enjoyed it !!! Best to you !
Thank you so much for your yet-to-be finished recipe, Miriam!:D (it is currently in the oven and I am licking the bowl as I type – the batter is absolutely divine!!^-^ and I love how it`s not overly sweet!) ..I hope it`s alright that I`m making the recipe into cupcakes instead? (it`s a lil gift for my nextdoor neighbours)…
Best wishes to you! And I hope you continue to share your brilliant vegan cooking tips/ideas/recipes 🙂
NB: I`m a total fan of vegan food, especially due to my inclination towards animal welfare, and I only discovered your website recently and have been browsing your many amazing vegan recipes, longing to try them all!!(I`m currently living at a residential college, so we don`t get much of a chance to bake/cook, however I am currently home for the Easter break!)
Hi there Sy, I think that it’s pretty exciting to experiment with cakes into cupcakes etc, and hope that what you have tasted so far entices you to further immerse yourself into the vegan culinary experience. I post recipes weekly on my blog, so keep an eye open for it – the most recent being on the top front page, so all is there for you to choose (remember to go to my category section too) – look forward to your future comments too ! Best to you !
Hi again Miriam,
Sorry, I completely forgot to come back on to mention how wonderfully the cupcakes did turn out =D (guess I was too busy tasting them)!
Definitely hope to continue to try out your many other recipes!
Thanks for letting me know about the weekly recipes! Will definitely check out those out.
Thanks again and best wishes!
Hi there Sy, thanks for your comment and glad you enjoyed the chocolate cup cakes, well done !!! Enjoy my other recipes and keep well, best to you !
I tried this recipe a few weeks ago as it just looked so so scrummy and the end result was everything I thought it would be. I was firstly shocked at how big the cake came out, easily as big if not bigger than cakes made with eggs.The sponge was soft and moist and chocolicious.
Then the topping, oh my what can I say!!!! I used blackcurrant jam and the zing of the jam complimented the dark chocolate so well.My husband and children loved the cake, since turning vegan I haven’t made any cakes for them so I am so glad I found this website and can’t wait to try more scrummy recipes xxx
Hi Miriam,
Thanks for a wonderful website and truly sublime recipes. I have made this chocolate cake twice now and it really is heavenly! My partner is a ‘fussy’ chocoholic and loves every crumb. It’s delicious without the icing and it keeps really well – we pack a slice in our lunch box. In fact we think it tastes better the next day! Hard to believe something so delicious can be so easy to make (i.e. no need to beat eggs or butter and sugar!). Keep up the great work and thanks again, your efforts are appreciated 🙂
Tai.
Rachel Hi there and thanks so much for your comment and feedback. This is a cake that I have made for some time now, tried and tested and loved by all vegans and non-vegans alike. It’s great to find recipes that work, taste delicious, loved by all who eat them and there to be repeated with the same gratifying result – I bet the blackcurrant jam was awesome. Look forward to your future comments on my blog and welcome ! Best to you !
Tai Hi, thanks so very much for your feedback and comment, it’s great to hear back especially since you made it twice and enjoyed it both times with success, that is awesome ! Great to hear your fussy chocoholic husband loved it too !!! Very best to you Tai, and look forward to your future comments (there will be more cakes too soon). Cheers !
This looks delicious. Will definitely give it a try. Looks very easy. Well, after I figure out the measurements. Down here in Texas. LOL. I’m not vegan, sorry. But I like the sounds of a lot of your recipes. Just recently found your site because of being an animal lover. I’m going to try several of your ideas, but most definitely, this cake is gonna be first. And soon, I hope. Thank you.
I made this yesterday.it’s amazing,extra delicious, can’t get enough! I’m a big fan of your recipes 🙂 ♥♥♥ I tried all kind of different recipes from different websites, but yours are the best, honestly. I am from Romania, Europe and i like the Mediterranean cooking, I like the flavors you give to your meals. They resemble the kind of foods I used to eat before I became a vegan. thanks so much for sharing with us all these recipes!
Donna Hi and welcome to my site dear. Just google the measurements. Many people who are not vegan still share my recipes for the taste, health benefits and fun, and it’s good as they enjoy them to and expand their own menus – I hope you enjoy this and let me have your comments as and when, until then, keep well and speak again soon. Cheers !
Iulia Hi there and thanks so much for your welcomed and wonderful comment – I am so glad that you have found my site and are enjoying my recipes – it’s always a relief to find something you love and that is delicious and fulfilling to you. My mother was born in Romania (not sure which part, as her parents travelled a lot and she was there only for a couple of days), Mediterranean cooking style is awesome and I like to mix a little Eastern touches in some of them to spice them up and give them a little twist from time to time. Great also to know that my food reminds you of food you used to eat prior to being vegan. Great to have you here Iulia and look forward to your future comments too.
It’s wonderful Miriam! From now on this will be the only recipe I use for chocolate cake! Thank you so much.
Hi Rolanda, thanks for your wonderful comment. I am so glad that you love it as musch as you do ! Cheers.
hey can you tell me from where can I buy unbleached flour pls?
Hi MGrace, the local health food stores should sell it – Casa Natura or Good Earth if you are in Malta. Cheers !
Thanks 🙂
Welome MGrace.
Just made this now and it is delicious! Cannot wait to try some of your other recipes!
Hi Karen thanks for your comment and welcome. It’s a great and full flavoured moist cake, and never fails to please. Look forward to your future comments too – go to my category section and choose. Best to you !
Hello 🙂 Is this recipe ok for cupcakes too? I’m making a cupcake tower for a birthday and need a yummy moist recipe!
Karen Hi there, welcome to my site and thanks for your comment. The answer to that is I am not sure having not tried them myself, but that said, I seem to recall somebody else who tried them as cup cakes (slightly reducing the cooking time) and said they were great – I think she kind of made muffins from the mixture. I don’t see why they shouldn’t work, and they are indeed moist. Just make sure that you put some kind of a topping for decoration if you can, especially if it’s for a birthday ! Let me know how it goes if so. Best to you !.
Lovely cake, it was enjoyed by everyone! After two days it was still very moist and delicious! Could not taste it after more days since it was all gone!!!
Hi there Sandra and welcome to my site – that’s just so awesome, so glad it was enjoyed through and through ! Best to you.
Hello Miriam -I’ve just had to make this cake again, as it was so popular at work that some people were sad that they missed it (word got around!). Absolutely delicious, and good for surprising the vegan-skeptics!
Wow, Sarah to have made this again must have been a winner, it is indeed delicious and I agree great for surprising the vegan-skeptics, with the added bonus of no cholesterol too ! Cheers to you !
Hi! I was a bit disappointed when I tasted the dough because it had a strange flavor. Maybe it was the sunflower oil I used, didn’t have canola. But this flavor disappeared while baking. Together with the frosting, the cake turned out absolutely delicious!
Hi Miri – yes, I guess that these cakes are really designed to be eaten cooked/baked – glad that it turned out delicious ! Cheers to you.
Hi Miriam – I baked this twice! they were both really good but the second attempt were much better than the first. Let me tell you why. The outer layer of the cake from my first attempt was a little burnt because I simply set the oven to 190C and let it cooked for around 50mins and I didn’t keep an eye on what’s happening inside the oven and found that it was too long. And then I tried again for the second time with the exact same temp and oven setting. This time it’s better because I had a look every now and then inside the oven, and at about 35 minutes or so, it seemed ready (I skewered it like you suggested). so, this quicker baking time baffled me until I shared this story with my friend who knows more about oven setting. She said that because I was using a fully fan-assisted heating compared to ‘normal’ heating, it sped up the baking. I was wondering what she meant by ‘normal’ setting. She said that when using the fan-forced oven I need to lower the temp by apprx 20C and reduce time slightly. But I think I’ll just keep the same temp and keep a watch on the timing. what do you think Miriam? do you ever have problems with oven settings before?
Thsnx
Hi there Rid and thanks for your detailed comment. I am aware that as all ovens vary, the time I suggest is based on my own oven, which is not fan assisted in my case. That said, of course a fan assisted oven would take less time for obvious reasons. I think that whatever works must be recorded Rid, therefore, keeping an eye is the key here. The cake will then speak for itself – I have made many a cake in my time, and find that even recipes from cookery books over the years have been such that the cake I was baking needed either less or more time – so go with what worked for you and stick to it, bearing in mind that fan assisted ovens will need a watchful eye too ! Best to you !
yummy mouthwatering cake as it states!!! easy to make and well all my meat eating non vegan friends loved it and couldn’t believe it was vegan and i did it myself.. thanks for your precious healthy recipes xxx
Adriana many thanks for your wonderful comment. If your omnivore friends loved this cake as you said, then it doesn’t really get better than that for me. Many thanks also for your appreciation of my recipes. Very best to you indeed !
Hi, Miriam! I love your recipes and am going to make this cake for my beloved’s birthday this week~~I’m assuming “unsweetened chocolate powder” is what we call cocoa in the States? (just want to be extra sure!) Thank you for all you do!!
Hi there Sheree – thanks for your comment and you are welcome. You are indeed right, ‘unsweetened chocolate powder’ is the Cocoa I mean. Look forward to your comments on this cake. Cheers to you !.
Slow down Miriam, I have to wear a bib looking at your recipes, the saliva is now pouring out of my mouth ;-)))))))))))))))
Hi Ant – this cake rather has that effect, although there are others that conjure up a ferocious appetite – enjoy Ant and Cheers to you !.
I’ve made this and it really is yummy. Recommend to all..
Hi Rolanda, many thanks for your wonderful comment – so glad you enjoyed this cake. Cheers to you !.
Hi Miriam, I have made this cake and it was so delicious – I was so glad to have found a gorgeous chocolate cake recipe after first going vegan about 7 months ago. Thank you so much. I haven’t tried many of your other recipes yet, but they are in a folder and ready to try – they all look delicious and it’s fantastic to have such a choice of healthy, tasty, vegan recipes! Keep up the fantastic work!
Hi there Lucy, welcome to my site and thanks for your wonderful comment – am so glad you loved this cake and look forward to hearing your comments on my other recipes as and when you try them out. Cheers & Very best to you !
Hi Miriam, would love to make this cake for my other half birthday soon. Is there any alternative to canola oil? Also unsweetened chocolate powder, would carob be suitable? Thankyou very much. 🙂
Gina Hi there and welcome to my site – thanks for your comment here. I gather that you are making this cake for your other half – it is one of the best cakes I have created and has the best reviews – you have chosen well, and your other half will love you all the more for it. Now the only hitch with this recipe is that you must follow the recipe to the dot – by all means use another oil, if you prefer coconut try it – I leave that with you – remember per portion there is indeed a small amount – it’s the total that sounds a lot, and it’s also a one off treat, so that’s up to you. But unless there is a chocolate allergy, again, because this is a treat I wouldn’t meddle too much with it. I would really use the chocolate powder – if your other half loves it, then the treat has worked – after that if you wish to experiment with it, then do, try carob by all means, but the magic of this cake lies in the deep chocolate flavour combined with it’s moisture (from the oil). Let me know how it goes ! A big cheers to you and your forthcoming celebration !.
how do you make the strawberry or blackcurrant jam? What brand is it or how do you make it please? Thanks so much!
Hi there Ann and welcome to my site. I made this a while back so I cannot recall which jam brand I used at the time – it was either a sugar-free one, or Hartley’s strawberry jam – http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/food/hartley-s-best-strawberry-jam/1581288/ here is the link. By all means google if this is not enough. I don’t know which country you are in, but a safe bet would be to see what your local healthfood store stocks – give them a call, ask and see. Let me know how it all goes. Cheers to you !
Thanks Miriam! I will try to make this. This sounds delicious and want to make it for my friends who loves Red Velvet cake. Is white flour same as all purpose flour in your recipe? Can I substitute muscovado with dark or light brown sugar? I’m from the States. It think there’s a brand call Tree of Life for jams. Not much luck in finding a “good” jam. Would any stawberry jam would work? I enjoy your site and trying the vegan recipes. Great job! Keep in coming! =)
sorry to bother again, but what is the conversion of 150 gram of chocolate equal how many cups? Also what type of chocolate is good quality? 60-65% bittersweet? Which brand you use? Can I make the frosting a day in advance? I want to have enough time to decorate the cake since its’ for my good friend’s birthday. Thanks Miriam!
Hi Ann thanks for your comments – will try and answer you briefly. As we all live in different parts of the world it is not possible for us all to buy the same brands, therefore kindly check ingredients and see if the items are vegan by checking or asking the store manager or the manufacturers themselves – kindly note that although this is a wonderful cake, one of the best vegan chocolate ones around, that it is not a very prominent red colour – so by all means add more colouring if you wish. Now to answer your questions :- 1. Re the flour, so long as what you purchase is good for baking cakes you will be fine. 2. Re sugar : you may use dark sugar Yes. 3. I am not familiar with Tree of Life, but is sounds like a great name, if you have details you can call and see if the jam is vegan. Most strawberry jams would do the trick Yes, so no worries. So now you can go and make the cake and no worries. Cheers !
Ann Hi again – firstly chocolate powder is all good so long as all it contains is cocoa powder. The chocolate itself must be vegan, not containing any dairy products – again, so long as it has a high content of chocolate around 70% should do the trick. Meantime 150grams = approx just slightly under 1 cup. Good luck. Best to you.
Hi Miriam,
Thanks for the reply. I will def. try this. Just found out my friend does not like any fruit in red velvet cake or fruit flavor anything in her dark chocolate so if I omit the jam. Would it be okay? Thanks.
This cake was so good, I’m sure I could have eaten it all myself. I shared it with several people who weren’t vegan & all loved it. Thank you Miriam!
Marie Hi there and thanks so much for this wonderful compliment – great that non-vegans also loved and enjoyed it ! Cheers to you !
Hi there Ann – no jam needed – just melt some chocolate or pour a little vegan cream on it ! Let me know how it goes as and when. Cheers to you !
Hi Miriam, this cake looks delicious, and perfect for egg allergics! We live in Norway, and here we don’t know such a thing as self-raising white flour. Do you know what makes the flour self-raising? Maybe we have the same thing, only with another name?
Sigrun Hi there and welcome to my site. This cake has received wonderful reviews and hope you enjoy it too. Now, here is a link for you to make your own self raising flour http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/self-raising_flour hope this helps (it’s pretty simple so no worries). Let me know how it goes & Cheers to you !
Thank you Miriam, that was about what I expected. Thank you, I will try with normal white wheat flour and baking soda. My experience with (the Norwegian version of) canola oil is that it has a bit of a strange smell and also a bit of taste. Is this your experience of that oil, or do you have another quality of this oil in the UK or US (wherever you are)?
Hi Miriam, thankyou for your reply, I purchased coconut oil and the mixture is delicious, had to taste it before I washed the bowl! It is currently in the oven baking and I have taken heed of the advice on one the comments regarding the fan ovens. I shall check it at around 35 minutes. My husbands birthday is tomorrow and I am really excited to taste this lush vegan cake and also my vegan toddler can also enjoy as I know exactly what is in it. Shall comment soon on the tasters! Does this freeze well? I know most vegan food does with not having dairy ingredients. Though I dont think it shall last long to go into the freezer! You have amazing recipes, I have tried a few and they are delicious. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful talent to the vegans of the world. Have a lovely festive season and best wishes for the new year. Love and peace Gina xx
Gina Hi there and thanks for dropping by with your comment, I appreciate it. I don’t recall freezing this cake myself, but why not try ? As you said, it may not last that long anyway (It may be an idea to freeze a portion so that you find out anyway, that way you’ll know for next time). I very much look forward to your future comments on my blog. Thanks for all the compliments too, how kind ! Happy Holidays and a Prosperous & Peaceful New Year 2012 to you !
This was really good.. it’s a really great neat recipe that you can add different flavors to …. it was yummy!!…i made it for New Years dinner dessert. I’m have so many ideas for it… I wonder if it could be frozen?
Aisha Hi there and welcome to my blog – thanks for dropping by with your comment – glad you enjoyed it so much. I have not frozen this recipe of mine as yet, but if you do so before me (as there is never any left when i make it, and freezer space in my house is limited these days) if it works for you let me know. Cheers to you and look forward to your future comments on my blog. Cheers to you !
Miriam,
I was wondering if I could use Earth Balance coconut butter instead of the vegan margarine???
Hi there Kim and welcome to my blog. Thanks for your comment and the answer to your question is ‘yes, I don’t see why not’ – enjoy and let me know how it goes. Cheers to you ! (I have not tried it myself with that product, it’s all about experimenting to see, so good luck).
I Love a bit of choccy cake & will do my best to do this justice .. I live in England so some ingredients will be substituted & I’m not sure what a cup is ? Mind you I’m a bit cavalier with measurements as I don’t have a set of scales either :-S
Hi Lauren and welcome to my site. Thanks for dropping by here with your comment. 1 cup would be a cup and not a mug – a cup which one would use for a ‘cup’ of tea – you can use that as your measurement. I re-visited the ingredients and you will certainly find all the ingredients in England – the only one you need to look out for is when I say Canola Oil, in England you need to look for Rapeseed Oil as that is what they call it in England (which is were I come from too). You can leave the red food colouring out if you wish, and you’re there. Hope you do make it and enjoy it – that being the case do let me know as and when – Cheers to you in the meantime.
I made this last week, It was a huge hit with everyone. Very yum.
Helen Hi there and welcome here – I am so glad that everyone enjoyed this cake and that it was such a hit ! Well done and I look forward to your future comments on my blog.
I’ve just been looking through your recipes and my mouth really is watering! I can’t wait to go home and bake this cake! I’ll let you know how it turns out. Your recipes are wonderful. Thank you for sharing your talent!
Ilana Hi there and welcome here – thanks for dropping by here with your comment & compliment. I am delighted that you have chosen this cake to bake. Many others have enjoyed the flavour and texture of this and I look very much forward to your feedback and comment on it too. Meantime all the best and Cheers to you.
I made this cake the other day. I live with three other girls and within a day half the cake was gone! And I’m the only vegan! Such an amazing and simple recipe. Definitely making this again! Thank you so much… now I just need to decide which of your recipes to try next 🙂
Ilana Hi there and welcome here, so great to have received your comment and most of all that your other 3 non-vegan friends devoured it, what great news and a great success. Now if you are going to stick to a Chocolate recipe after this one, then it has to be my Chocoholics Cheesecake. Let me know how it goes, or indeed anything else that takes your fancy on my blog. Cheers to you in the meantime.
Hello,
I would just like to say that I followed all of your instructions carefully and the cake itself is wonderful, Very moist. However I encountered a big problem with the frosting. It was entirely too bitter and made the whole cake inedible. I was really looking forward to this cake and expected it to turn out good especially because the picture and the comments above talk about how great it is. I am sure it is if the frosting problem can be solved. I followed all of your instructions very closely perhaps the kind of chocolate was the problem? I bought 70% cacao Lindt dark chocolate. I am not great or big on baking so I didn’t know how to fix the problem I tried adding more powdered sugar, but it didn’t do much. I don’t want to give up on this recipe, it sounds delicious. So I would appreciate any suggestions as to how to fix the problem thank you so much!
Hello,
I would just like to say that I followed all of your instructions carefully and the cake itself is wonderful, Very moist. However I encountered a big problem with the frosting. It was entirely too bitter and made the whole cake inedible. I was really looking forward to this cake and expected it to turn out good especially because the picture and the comments above talk about how great it is. I am sure it is if the frosting problem can be solved. perhaps the kind of chocolate was the problem? I bought 70% cacao Lindt dark chocolate. I am not great or big on baking so I didn’t know how to fix the problem I tried adding more powdered sugar, but it didn’t do much. I don’t want to give up on this recipe, it sounds delicious. So I would appreciate any suggestions as to how to fix the problem thank you so much!
Hi Miriam,
This is by far my favourite cake recipe! I’m on the committee for the Coventry Green Fayre, which takes place in June in the centre of England. It promotes green and ethical living, and all food there is vegan.
Would you consider letting me put your recipe for this cake in there, if I credit you and your website? As we are trying to encourage people to take the cruelty free route, I’d recommend you as a good source for new vegans (which is very true!!)
Thanks!
Sarah Pain
Sarah Hi there and many thanks for taking the time to write your comment here. The answer is YES of course you may use this recipe for the Coventry Green Fayre – it’s great that the food there will all be vegan. Yes, credit myself and my website by all means and if you wish to put other recipes of mine there do. Spreading veganism is one of the best virtue in the world, so go for it ! Best to you and let me have a copy of a brochure of the venue as and when if you can. Cheers to you and best of luck with the outcome (I have no doubt it will do well and will be well attended) – feel free to send me any info so that I can post it up on my wall, FB page etc so that others in the UK can see the event – they may also attend if so – the more, the merrier).
Thanks Miriam! Much appreciated.
No worries Sarah, you are welcome. (drop by with some feedback and or venue info closer to the time). Best to you.
I made this for my daughters 11th birthday, there was none lef even though we doubled the quantities, amazing cake, thank you.
The first time I tried this recipe, I was worried that it might not rise, but boy was I wrong! I did place the frosting in the fridge but it became almost solid and I had to let it warm up again before I could frost the cake. When I made the cake again for Easter, I frosted the cooled cake as soon as the frosting was ready and it worked great. This has got to be the tastiest chocolate cake ever, and definitely easy to make. Love it!
Donna Hi there and welcome here. Thanks for your wonderful comment. The frosting can solidify depending on your fridge setting and general temperature – so best to take it out a little later for next time as you thought to do. But if it’s the tastiest chocolate cake you have ever had, and easy to make too as you said, then I too am happy with that ! Very Best wishes to you in the meantime and look forward to your future comments here !
Hi there SS (Sally), and welcome here, many thanks for dropping by here with your feedback. Great to hear that you doubled the quantities and there was none left – always a great sign ! Delighted it was all gone and enjoyed ! I look forward to your future comments on my blog ! Cheers & Best to you !
Hi! I’m a spanish girl that is very keen on the vegan statements. I would like all these recipes to be written in spanish as well. That way all the spanish speakers could join this necessary change.
By the way, do you guys know any website like this one written in spanish? Thank you so much!
Hi there Mel and welcome here. I am sorry that I have no Spanish translator at hand presently. I wish I did. Would love the world and every nationality to join in and make my recipes, but I don’t think that that will happen right now. I do hope that you can manage to make a few of my recipes in the meantime, and if so I welcome your feedback. Kind regards MWV.
Miriam, can u double this recipe? I wanna make this for my son’s 2nd birthday party, but guess 6-8 portions won’t be enough…thanks!
Silvi Hi there and thanks for dropping by here with your comment. Indeed yes, you may double the quantities for a larger cake, why not ! Do let me know how it goes, it’s a safe cake to make and everybody usually gives the thumbs up for it ! So hope all goes well and look forward to your feedback on this. Cheers to you in the meantime !
It was delicious Miriam, as always, as are all your recipes!!!! Thank you!
Silvi Hi there and thanks for coming back to me with feedback, am delighted this worked so well and thank for your wonderful compliment about all my recipes (how very kind). Cheers to you !
Hi Miriam,
So three things…
1. This is my favourite cake to make! It just comes out so good every time!
2. As well as the cake being devoured by my non-vegan housemates, I made this to sell in a bake sale along with non-vegan cakes and it sold out first for £1 per (admittedly very small) slice!
3. I would like to make cupcake versions of this, but I’m not sure about timings for baking and if I should keep the proportions. Do you have any suggestions?\
Thanks!!
Hi there Ilana and welcome here. Many thanks for dropping by with your comment here. I am delighted that this cake has been such a success in your culinary life ! With regards to cupcakes, I can’t say with any certainty how long they would take in the oven, but certainly between 20-35minutes I would imagine. Check them after 20 minutes and see if a toothpick or sharp object comes out clean after being inserted in the cakes – it’s going to be a little bit of trial the 1st time round, but hey, it may prove to be a worthwhile one ! Let me know what has worked for you ! Cheers !
Wow! We’ve tried other vegan sponge recipes before and they always came out more like biscuits than cakes, so we didnt have high hopes, but we were wrong!
This was such a nice cake and we’ve been fooling non-vegans with it and the cake was gone pretty quickly!
Time to get started on another one I think…..
Thanks for the great recipe
Hi there Martin and welcome here. Thanks for dropping by here with your comment. I am totally delighted that your resounding success now means that you can enjoy this recipe again and again. I also agree with you about non-vegans not knowing it is vegan and enjoying it just as much if not more than a dairy made one. It doesn’t usually last long when I make it either. I look forward to your future comment on my blog, until next time best wishes to you !
It is my first birthday as a vegan today and my mum made this for me, so good. Thank you.
http://www.beeftoleaf.com/2012/08/luscious-red-velvet-moist-chocolate-cake.html
Hi there Baz, I am delighted that this cake was a success and Happy Birthday to you ! I look forward to your future comments on my blog. Best wishes your way in the meantime !
Amazing cake! I was disappointed that we didn’t have any dark chocolate or jam in stock at the house so we couldn’t make this recipe 100% legit. However, as to the cake part it was out of this world. Extremely moist and rich.
Can’t wait to make this one again, but this time with all the right ingredients. Thanks!
Danielle Hi there and welcome here. I am delighted that the cake turned out ‘out of this world’ that’s awesome. I have to agree with you though Danielle that yes, you will need all the other ingredients to hand for the topping etc – it makes ALL the difference truly. Good news is it’s easy enough to make and next time you will make it ‘legit’. Kudos to you for trying it out though. Look forward to your future comments on my blog and best wishes your way in the meantime !
Hi Miriam – just wondering on the unbleached self rising flour. I checked a few places and couldn’t find it. I know you are overseas, but nothing here in the US, wanted to be certain if I can use bleached self rising.
Kemo Hi there and welcome here. Here is the link to an unbleached self raising flour for you, it’s found in the US and the wheat is milled from US wheat too. Hope this helps you. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/king-arthur-unbleached-self-rising-flour-5-lb Cheers !
I must make this. As soon as I get self raising flour.
Fawn Hi there. Hope you make and enjoy this as much as others have. Look forward to your feedback as and when. Best wishes your way in the meantime !
Pingback: Luscious Red Velvet Moist Chocolate Cake – Mouthwatering Vegan Recipes | Muskegonvegan's Blog
Thanks for the mention.
This was my first ever vegan cake and I loved it! The batter was the best ever, and the cake was big enough to share around – with very good reviews. The only vegan marge I can get hold of is very salty and I forgot about that so the frosting had a little too much salt in. next time I don’t add any. I can’t get self raising flour where I live either (Riyadh) so I just threw some extra baking powder in. This is a recipe I think will become a family favourite, thank you Miriam!
Also – I didn’t have any red colouring, but the cake was so chocolatey I don’t think it needed it…
Jamila Hi there and thanks for dropping by with your comment. I am delighted that you have made and enjoyed this recipe. How wonderful ! You did the right thing about adding more baking powder, that would have solved your not having self-raising flour available where you live. It is a very easy and rewarding cake to make. Kudos to you and for making it, and may you enjoy it many times over – I am sure your guests will have no objection to that ! Best wishes your way and I look forward to your future comments here !
No worries about the colouring Jamila – it’s not what makes the taste after all. Well done and glad all went so well !
Hello Miriam, I will be trying this recipe in the very near future. It sounds delicious. I am wondering, does this have to be hand mixed or can I use a mixer?
Thank you.
Hi there Breeda and thanks for popping here with your comment. It is one of those cakes that’s extra super easy to hand mix (I prefer to make my cakes in the food processor, but this is too easy for words – the time you spend mixing it is shorter than the time you spend washing an electric food processor and it’s easier, trust me). Let me know how it goes ! Best wishes your way !
good evening miriam. i live in switzerland and we don’t have self raising flour here. so what may i use instead? a cup of flour and a bag of baking powder [15 grammes] would that be possible? thank you for all these wonderful recipes….i just discovered them the other day and they look the best i have found till now.. merci et a bientot. liz
Liz Hi there and welcome here. Here is a link for making your own self-raising flour http://www.notdelia.co.uk/how-to-make-self-raising-flour/
there are other links also if you google ‘how to make self-raising flour’. Hope this works and that you make and enjoy my chocolate cake. Best wishes your way and I look forward to your future feedback and comments on my blog.
Is bicarbonate of soda the same thing as “baking soda” (in the United States)? Also, where to you find “unbleached” white flour and “unbleached self-rising” flour? We have all purpose, cake, and self rising, but they all seem to be bleached. Marty
mmmmm many thank you!!!!! to pubblish your magik!!!
Hi Miriam, I’m a friend of Eva and since I’ve got high cholesterol but can’t live without chocolate, I’d really like to try your cake. I’ve got the same question as Marty; where can I find ‘unbleached’ flour and vegan marg in Malta??
Hi there Theresa and welcome here. Provamel found in Health food stores is found in some of the health food stores in Malta (Casa Natura Sliema, Shanti Mosta and others), if I don’t find it (as it’s sometimes out of stock) I use Tofutti plain flavour instead. With regards to unbleached flour, Good Earth’s plain flour I believe is unbleached. Hope this helps and bear in mind all the recipes here are cholesterol free ! Best wishes your way and I look forward to your future comments on my blog.
Cannot wait to try this cake. I have been craving chocolate cake and this looks likes a winner!
Hi there Lindsay, I hope you make and enjoy this luscious chocolate cake ! Let me know how it goes as and when. Tip:- This is not so ‘red’ in colour, add more colouring or omit it according to your own personal preference. Enjoy !
I love this chocolate cake! I baked one last night and it turned out to be the most delicious, rich and moist chocolate cake I have ever baked! Thanks Miriam.
Trina Hi there and welcome here, I am delighted that you have made and enjoyed this cake so much. It’s moist and ever-so-delicious even if I say so myself, but your feedback is most important to me, so thanks for dropping by with it. I hope you enjoy my other recipes from here Trina and pop round again with your feedback ! Cheers !
This one this time for tea time. Someone suggested readin a book whilst eating this (or the lime coconut one)at tea time. Then you wouldn’t be able to enjoy the full taste of it!
Hope you enjoy it either way Joe !
Thank you Miriam for this easy step-by-step recipe. I made the cake for St. Valentines and it was a success! I don’t bake that much but it turned out awesome 🙂 And I think the secret ingredient really made a big difference. Thanks again!
Hi there Katya and welcome here. i am delighted to hear of your success – it really is a cake that works well. Best wishes your way & I look forward to your future comments on my blog !
this turned out great – thanks
Hi there Keryn, thanks for dropping by here with your feedback on my cake. I am delighted you made and enjoyed it. Best wishes your way in the meantime !
Today I had a piece of this wonderful cake and what followed was utter bliss. I couldn’t find words to describe it. I split it half and spread strawberry jam in the middle and decorated it with thin strips of orange zest which gives a contrasty twist to the choc taste. Your wonderful Miriam how you manage to create these miracles.
Even my two naughty doggies loved it except the frosting cos choc is poison for dogs.
Joe Hi there. That’s fabulous news, I am so pleased you made it (thanks for the pic, it looked delightful Joe) – it’s great with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Glad your doggies enjoyed it too ! Perhaps at some point you may wish to treat yourself to my new Cappuccino Cupcakes ! Very best to you as always and look forward to your future comments on my blog ! 🙂
Hi I made these cupckaes and they got stuck in silicone moulds remember? They had to be greased even though silicone!
Hi Joe – yes, I recall !
Hi Miriam,
I made this cake last week as I’ve been feeling the urge for a bit of choccy cake recently and it was truly scrumptious. However, having followed the instructions about putting the frosting in the fridge for half an hour, I then found myself confronted with a thick, unspreadable paste which broke my lovely cake up as I tried to apply it… Will definitely make this cake again, but bypass the fridge stage next time!
PS I’ve ordered your book and it’s in the post: can’t wait to see what’s in store for my tastebuds and my tumtum!
Hi there Sarah and thanks for your feedback. I am glad you made and enjoyed this cake. The frosting only need be in the fridge for some minutes. It depends on the setting of your fridge and the season. By all means by pass the fridge stage next time 🙂 – Thank you for pre-ordering my book and do let me know when you receive it ! 🙂
You’re welcome Cat. 🙂
Adrienne Hi, Apologies for the delay in answering this comment but this message went into my ‘others folder’ hope you have made and enjoyed this recipe. 🙂 And look forward to your future comments on my blog ! 🙂 It’s simple one should always taste frostings, it’s easy enough to add more sugar or agave syrup, or maple syrup to sweeten further – when it comes to salt or sugar we all have personal preferences.
Hi Miriam…Yesterday, I made this cake to celebrate my 20 years at my company. The cake turned out so amazing! People are asking me for the recipe. I’ve made it a few times before, but this time, I decided to share it 😉
In place of margarine, I used coconut oil and used Himalayan pink salt instead of sea salt (whatever I had at home). I used strawberry jam for the frosting…it almost made grown men cry! Thank you!!!
Voula HI there, that’s simply awesome news and so glad it was thoroughly enjoyed – love the idea of the strawberry jam. 🙂
This was awesome! Haven’t had a cake this good for ages. Will definitely be making this again and again. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
So glad you made and enjoyed this Rune. 🙂
I just call to your attention that the Canola Oil is a “bad” a oil to cook. Comes from a Genetically modified plant.
I point that out because i think you care with health.
Any other vegetable oil may be used Paulo, thanks.
Dear Miriam, I use this recipee many times and it always ends up with lots of lumps so i have to mix a lot to disolve them, i believe thats the reason my cake comes out with lots of big holes in it, how can i solve this problem??
Hi Claudia, you must be enjoying the taste if nothing else if you are still making this cake, but the texture will have some holes in it, as does mine, but mine is fine – may be you can mix it in a food processor (using the plastic ‘blade’ so as to incorporate the ingredients evenly, but not over mix by hand). However, if you have too many it could be for the following reasons :
The cake batter was mixed too much or not enough to incorporate all the ingredients evenly.
The temperature in the oven was too high.
The flour is too strong
The mixture is too stiff – add a little more liquid to soften slightly (but only a little)
Over mixing the ingredients
The batter may have curdled
Good luck with your next attempt & hope this helps you ! 🙂
This is a beaut recipe – seriously even if you weren’t Vegan why would you bake a cake with eggs and dairy if you could make one without. This was so quick to make – only substitutions I made were bran oil and three berry jam as I didn’t have strawberry or blackberry – wondered what cake would be like with few tablespoons of jam in it too.
Family really enjoyed this cake and decadent topping – think next time I’ll make it in steam oven for extra moistness.
Definitely worth making.
Hi Deb, that’s awesome news, so glad you made and enjoyed it and when you next make it in your steam oven, let me know how it goes. For a moister effect a tiny bit more oil ought to do the job too ! BTW here is my brand new YouTube Channel for you to subscribe to if you wish (I will be posting up weekly and you can receive notifications of the recipes too) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsZDePKRz3k 🙂