If youโre looking for a dessert thatโs equal parts impressive and simplistic, Chocolate Vegan Bundt Cake is the recipe for you! Itโs rich with chocolate flavor, moist as can be, and delightfully easy to make.ย
When you have that chocolate craving that just wonโt go away, donโt ignore it! Treat yourself to all of the chocolatey goodness youโre daydreaming of with recipes like Vegan Chocolate Muffins, Vegan Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies, and Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes.
The Best Chocolate Vegan Bundt Cake
Sometimes, you just need a trusty chocolate cake recipe to save the day. Whether youโre headed to a potluck or party, one thingโs for sure – just about everyone in attendance will love homemade chocolate cake. While you canโt go wrong with regular Vegan Chocolate Cake, making a bundt cake is just so much more fun! Youโre going to love this easy vegan bundt cake recipe.ย
What makes this cake such a showstopper?
- The shape is always impressive! You really have to grease every nook and cranny of the bundt pan, but the gorgeous results are always worth it.ย
- Itโs rich with real chocolate flavor. Chocolate lovers, rejoice! Dark cocoa gives this cake its signature flavor and itโs made even richer by hot coffee.ย
- THE GANACHE! You only need 3 simple ingredients to make the chocolate ganache that covers this rich bundt cake. Trust me, though it may be simple, itโs also downright drool-worthy.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
For the vegan bundt cake:
- Soy Milk – Try to use unsweetened if you can.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Just a splash of this vinegar helps the cake rise beautifully.ย It’s mixed with the milk to make buttermilk.
- Flour – All purpose flour is what gives the bundt cake its structure. If needed, you can swap it out for your favorite gluten free flour.ย
- Sugar – To sweeten this cake, youโll need some granulated sugar. Coconut sugar works as well if preferred.ย
- Cocoa Powder – I like to use dark cocoa powder for this bundt cake recipe, as it really makes the chocolate flavor as rich as can be.ย Natural works as well.
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Oil – Use a neutral flavored oil like canola or avocado.ย
- Applesauce – The applesauce should be unsweetened to avoid an overly sweet cake. This is your egg substitute and it works perfectly for chocolate cake.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is best.
- Hot Coffee – Youโll need one cup of your favorite hot coffee to really enhance the chocolate flavor in this cake.ย You can use boiling hot water instead if you don’t want to use coffee.
For the ganache:
- Vegan Chocolate – Youโll need to chop it up so it melts easily. Chocolate chips also work, if you donโt want to chop anything.ย
- Soy Milk – May use another non-dairy milk or even full fat coconut milk for a thicker ganache.
- Refined Coconut Oil – This ingredient is optional, but it does add a nice shiny quality to the ganache.
How to make a vegan bundt cake
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF and grease a non-stick 10-12 cup bundt pan. Stir the soy milk and vinegar together in a glass measuring cup and set aside to curdle. This is your vegan buttermilk.
In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well to combine. Now add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and milk/vinegar mixture. Mix on medium speed with a hand mixer until well combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Lower the speed and carefully pour in the hot coffee, continuing to mix into the cake batter until combined. The batter will seem very runny at this point but it will bake up perfectly.
Pour into the greased bundt pan and bake forย 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack. Let cool completely before glazing.
Now, for the fun part – make the ganache!
Add the chocolate to a medium sized bowl. Place the soy milk in a glass measuring cup or microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute, watching to make sure it doesn’t bubble over.
Pour the warm milk over the chocolate and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Do not stir yet! You can use full fat coconut milk instead for a richer, thick glaze, like I do in this Vegan Chocolate Ganache recipe.
After 2-3 minutes, whisk the chocolate and milk together until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the coconut oil, if using, for a shiny glaze.
Let it cool for 15-30 minutes or so, until it’s thick enough to pour over the cake without being too thin. But don’t let it sit for too long or it will become too thick. I like to stick the bowl in the fridge or freezer, stirring frequently, to speed up the thickening.
Make sure to place a piece of parchment paper under the cake on the rack to catch any drips.
Drizzle generously over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Cut and serve.
Frequently asked questions
- Whatโs the difference between a bundt cake and a regular cake? Iโll let you in on a little secretโฆ The pan is the only true difference! Bundt cakes have that famous round shape thatโs always so beautiful to present, while other cakes are typically layered or served as a single sheet.ย
- Is a bundt cake the same as a pound cake? Not exactly. Pound cakes are much denser than bundt cakes and are typically baked as loaves, not as round shapes.ย
- How long will my Chocolate Vegan Bundt Cake stay fresh? In an airtight container at room temperature, this ganache covered masterpiece will stay fresh for about 3 days. It freezes well.
Craving more vegan cake?
- Vegan Strawberry Cake
- Vegan Pound Cake with Lemon
- Vegan Tres Leches Cake
- Vegan German Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Yellow Cake
- Vegan Lemon Blueberry Lavender Cake
Chocolate Vegan Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil canola or avocado
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee or boiling hot water
Chocolate ganache
- 8 ounces vegan chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 1 cup soy milk or full fat coconut milk, other milk
- 1 teaspoon refined coconut oil optional for a shiny ganache
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a non-stick 10-12 cup bundt pan.
- Stir the soy milk and vinegar together in a glass measuring cup and set aside to curdle. This is your vegan buttermilk.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well to combine.
- Now add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and milk/vinegar mixture. Mix on medium speed with a hand mixer (or stand mixer with the paddle attachment) until well combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Lower the speed and carefully pour in the hot coffee, continuing to mix into the cake batter until combined. The batter will seem very runny at this point but it will bake up perfectly.
- Pour into the greased bundt pan and bake forย 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack. Let cool completely before glazing.
Prepare the ganache and glaze the cake
- Add the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl. Place the soy milk in a glass measuring cup or microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute, watching to make sure it doesn't bubble over.
- Pour the warm milk over the chocolate and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Do not stir yet!
- After 2-3 minutes, whisk the chocolate and milk together until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the teaspoon of coconut oil if using and stir in to make the glaze shiny.
- Let it cool for 15 minutes or so, until it's thick enough to pour over the cake without being too thin. I like to stick the bowl in the freezer or fridge, stirring every few minutes to speed this up. Don't let it sit for too long or it will become too thick.
- Make sure to place a piece of parchment paper under the cake on the rack to catch any drips. Drizzle generously over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Cut and serve.
Notes
- You may not use all the ganache for the cake, so save it and serve on vegan ice cream, pancakes or anywhere else you like.ย
- Instead of soy milk, you can use any other plant milk in the cake as well as the ganache. For a thicker, richer ganache, use full fat coconut milk.
- May use natural cocoa powder as well, though your cake will be a bit lighter in color.
- Use boiling hot water instead of coffee if desired.
Really delicious! Highly recommended!โค๏ธ
i can’t state enough how much i like this recipe. it always works and is completely delicious. top with some blueberries and your guests will be over the moon.
Hi Brad. I’ll try it with blueberries! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review! I’m thrilled you are loving the cake!
As a kid, I was obsessed with the chocolate loverโs delight cake Costco used to sell. I stopped eating it when I went vegan 6 years ago, and this recipe was just as moist and gooey and perfect like that cake was!! Thank you for making me (and childhood me) very happy with your brilliant recipes!!
You are welcome, Anne. I love learning that you are able to enjoy an old favorite again! OMG, thank you for sharing this awesome feedback and review! Wishing you happy cooking!
Hi I was wondering if gluten free flour would work for this recipe?
Gluten free flours work pretty well in this recipe, but to make it better, I’d use the cake recipe from my Gluten Free Chocolate Cake and just make it in a bundt pan.
I’ve made this incredible cake several times. What a cake!!!! What is the best way to freeze it? I thought I could freeze it for a few days and put the ganache on it when I’m ready to serve it. I look forward to your advice. Thank you.
I’m glad you enjoy the cake! You can freeze it by placing it on a plate and then wrapping it well.
Amazing cake! Easy to make. Itโs very moist and flavorful and light. Often when using applesauce in baking, the item becomes stodgy. Not in this recipe! Please try this!
I did not have any applesauce on hand so I cooked down one apple and one pear and mashed them. It worked great!
Thank you for taking time to share your awesome reiew and baking experience! I’m so glad you loved the cake! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Could you use hot tea instead of coffee?? Thanks!!
I’m not sure what that would do to the flavor of the cake, but it will work otherwise. Or just use hot water.
This bundt cake is absolutely amazing! I think I may have let my ganache cool a little bit too long, so I had to spread it onto the cake, but that might have actually made it easier. I will for sure be making this again!
Hi Juliet. I appreciate your wonderful review! Thank you for sharing!
I am wondering if there is anything to sub for the apple sauce in this recipe, or in vegan recipes in general? I find that when I buy apple sauce to bake with, it gets moldy before I use it all.
Thank you!
You could use vegan yogurt instead, or even two flax eggs. More oil would also probably work.
For the applesauce querry:
suggest individual applesauce cups, sold in packages of four.
Hi Cassie, I used to have that same problem with my applesauce spoiling before I used it up. Now I just use what I need and place the rest in the freezer until I need it again, then set it on the counter to defrost for my next use (or place jar in warm water to speed up the defrost) ๐
BTW this chocolate cake recipe was DELICIOUS!
Thanks for sharing your great idea, Jeannine! I’m glad you love the cake!
I have a question: can I use coconut oil instead of canola/avocado?
Yes, just make sure it’s melted first.
Very delicious. Made to share with a on New Year’s Day. Recipe was clear and easy to follow and everyone enjoyed this incredibly moist cake (including the non vegans). Seriously, an amazing cake. Thank you.
You are welcome, Melisa. Thank you for your fabulous review! I’m thrilled you love the cake!
This is the best chocolate cake Iโve ever made. I got so many compliments from vegans and non-vegans alike! Super moist, not too sweet, and not difficult to make. I will be making this over and over! Thank you
You are welcome, Nicole! Thank YOU for sharing your fabulous review and feedback! I am so glad you loved the cake!
My daughter really wants to make this into cupcakes instead, do you think that would work and how long would you bake it for?
Yes, that should be fine. Bake the cupcakes for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. Happy baking!
I’m trialing my Nordic Ware Braided loaf pan. I’m thinking a 6-cup Bundt pan recipe would be perfect. Please advise on a 6 cup version of chocolate cake or pound cake. Thank you.
Mary
Hi Mary. This cake makes enough batter for a 10-12 cup bundt pan, so I would suggest splitting the batter into two 6 cup bundt pans or decreasing the ingredients by half. Hope this helps!
I also had to bake mine for almost an hour, and my oven runs hot – but by the time the inside was cooked enough, the edges were crispier than I’d like.
Also, my cake had a ton of air pockets (evenly distributed). I’m wondering if letting it rest first, or banging the cake pan before baking would help with the texture.
Had to comment and say this might be the best vegan chocolate cake or even chocolate cake Iโve ever made/had! So decadent and rich, so much flavor. Several people who arenโt vegan enjoyed it as well. As always, your recipes never disappoint, Nora!
I’m thrilled you and your guests loved the cake! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback and review!
What a fantastic chocolate cake and so easy to make. I’ve made it a few times and everyone enjoyed it. It was a complete surprise to my guests who are not vegan. They couldn’t get over the taste and texture and commented that they didn’t know that a vegan cake could be this good. It;s my all time go to chocolate cake recipe for my guests whether vegan or not. . Thanks Nora.
You are welcome, Louise! How awesome the cake was a hit! I appreciate your wonderful feedback! Happy cooking!
Super awesome recipe. I did a glaze frosting. Making this for Easter this weekend.
I’m thrilled you loved the cake! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review!
This was so easy to make and delicious. Froze individual slices and ate frozen.
Hi ๐๐ผ I have a bundtini pan, what would the cooking temp/times would you recommend? Iโm terrible at guessing this stuff ๐คฆ๐ปโโ๏ธ thank you ๐
Hi Nora! Oh my gosh yet another winner from your collection of recipes. Wow, delish! made this chocolate Bundt cake last night and so good I had a sliver at breakfast lol. I reduced the sugar and swapped out some for brown sugar just because we are cutting down, and still awesome. Iโd take this cake to a gathering and Iโm not normally confident about my baking so thank you!! Question – should I refrigerate the cake or can it stay out on the counter? Though likely wonโt last very long anyway lol. Thank you again, Nora!! Xo
I’m so glad you enjoyed the bundt cake! You can leave this one on the counter, no problem. Thank you!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Would almond milk be an acceptable substitute for soy milk for the cake?
Hi Judy. Yes, almond milk will work just fine! You’ll find tips about using other plant based milk down in the ‘notes’ section of the recipe. Hope this helps!
This is a truly amazing recipe. It is a flawless chocolate cake recipe – moist and rich – and cooks up perfectly in a Bundt pan. I have made a few times now with a high powered convection oven and it still needs more like an hour to cook – 45 min and it’s still wet.
Do you think olive oil work ok in this recipe?ย
Probably, but I haven’t tried it to know for sure!
Absolutely AMAZING!!!
Almost everyone in my family is allergic to gluten, dairy, and eggs, but I have had such success with your recipes!! I usually use King Arthur gluten free flour to replace the regular flour listed in the recipe and about 95% of the time it works out!
I did the same thing with this recipe, and my family said it was one of the best cakes Iโve ever made!! That is saying something because Iโve baked a lot of chocolate cakes for them!
Thank you so much, Nora, for making such delicious and easy to follow recipes! Iโve enjoyed trying every single one!
Blessings,
Ellie
Hi Ellie. You are welcome! I’m so thrilled that you and your family loved the bundt cake! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and feedback!
Another 5 star recipe. ย This is so simple to make and yet so amazingly delicious!
Hi Lori. I’m so glad you found the cake simple to make, and delicious! Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful feedback!
Nora does it again!ย
I saw this on your instagram and immediately had to make it!!! My entire family loved it.ย
I did not have the correct pan but I did use my donut pan, ย in little batches baked for 10 mins and oh man theyโre perfection. Perfect little individual delicious โdonut cakesโ ย Iโm a work with what youโve got kind of person and I made this work! I also used leftover batter to make a regular 8X8 round cake. Yum! Youโre the best!ย
Hi Trish. I can just imagine the little donut cakes! I love the idea! Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful feedback and review! I’m thrilled you and your family loved the recipe!