Chocolate Vegan Bundt Cake

If you’re looking for a dessert that’s equal parts impressive and simplistic, Chocolate Vegan Bundt Cake is the recipe for you! It’s rich with chocolate flavor, moist as can be, and delightfully easy to make. 

When you have that chocolate craving that just won’t go away, don’t ignore it! Treat yourself to all of the chocolatey goodness you’re 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 you’re headed to a potluck or party, one thing’s for sure – just about everyone in attendance will love homemade chocolate cake. While you can’t go wrong with regular Vegan Chocolate Cake, making a bundt cake is just so much more fun! You’re going to love this easy vegan bundt cake recipe. 

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. 
• It’s rich with real chocolate flavor. Chocolate lovers, rejoice! Dark cocoa gives this cake its signature flavor and it’s made even richer by hot coffee. 
• 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, it’s 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. 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. 
• Sugar – To sweeten this cake, you’ll need some granulated sugar. Coconut sugar works as well if preferred. 
• 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. Natural works as well.
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Oil – Use a neutral flavored oil like canola or avocado. 
• 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 – You’ll need one cup of your favorite hot coffee to really enhance the chocolate flavor in this cake. You can use boiling hot water instead if you don’t want to use coffee.

For the ganache: 

• Vegan Chocolate – You’ll need to chop it up so it melts easily. Chocolate chips also work, if you don’t want to chop anything. 
• 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 350°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 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 for 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

• What’s the difference between a bundt cake and a regular cake? I’ll let you in on a little secret… The pan is the only true difference! Bundt cakes have that famous round shape that’s always so beautiful to present, while other cakes are typically layered or served as a single sheet. 
• 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. 
• 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