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Home » Recipes » Cake Recipes

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe made with Coconut Oil

Published: Dec 18, 2012 · Modified: Feb 11, 2024 by Chef Dennis Littley

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This is the most delicious Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake you’ll ever taste!

slice of Chocolate Fudge Cake with Whipped Cream on a white plate on a red and white striped napkin


 

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One of my great childhood memories will always be chocolate cake for breakfast…sigh. It was a wonderful thing! But that was in the days of Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker when mixes somehow began taking the place of homemade cakes. Now I’m not knocking the mixes, everything has its time and place, and they did come up with some pretty darn good cakes. But even as good as they were, they’re not homemade.

I came across an old recipe for a Vegan Chocolate Cake, although at the time they had no idea it was Vegan, or even what a Vegan was, but they knew what delicious was! It was a simple recipe using oil, and vinegar instead of eggs and butter….who knew?

Well evidently those bakers from the depression knew, and when they couldn’t get eggs or butter, they still came up with a recipe for the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.

With my quest to eat healthier, I’ve been changing my dietary intake whenever possible, using Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream and sour cream, and using coconut oil instead of other oils.

overhead shot of Chocolate Fudge Cake with Whipped Cream

So what could I do but make my favorite chocolate cake of all time, using coconut oil.

I decided to throw a fudge layer in between the layers and used coconut oil instead of butter and it was fudgelicious!

To keep the cake Vegan I finished it with mounds of whipped coconut cream…….. it was a beautiful thing!

overhead shot of Chocolate Fudge Cake dusted with powdered sugar

If you’re not into whipped coconut cream you can always dust the cake with powdered sugar.

If you enjoyed this recipe you may also like these:

  • The Original Pumpkin Crunch Cake
  • Chocolate Valentines Cake
  • Pomegranate Mousse Cake
  • Chocolate Mousse Cake
Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chef Dennis Littley
You’re going to love this over the top fudgy and delicious chocolate cake.  And if you leave off the whipped cream it’s completely vegan… 
4.79 from 33 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Listen to the Post
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 516 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Cake

  • 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup Coconut Oil
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups cold water

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

  • 1 cup coconut oil
  • 1 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon hot coffee

Whipped Cream

  • 14 oz Coconut cream
  • ⅓ cup confectioners sugar (10x)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  • Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.
  • With your mixer on low speed beat in the coconut oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water until smooth.
  • Pour the mixture into the two 9″ prepared pans, coated with pan spray.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Do not over bake the cake. It should be firm to the touch, and a cake skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean.
  • Put the cake pans on cooling racks and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans to cool completely.
  • Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

  • mix all ingredients in the bowl of your mixer and whip until well blended

Whipped Cream

  • Refrigerate can of coconut cream, 8 hours or overnight. Place a metal mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator or freezer 1 hour before making whipped cream.
  • Open the can of coconut cream, taking care not to shake it. Scoop out the coconut cream solids into a cold mixing bowl. (Reserve remaining liquid for another use)
  • Beat the coconut cream using an electric mixer with the chilled beaters on medium speed for a few minutes then turn to high speed. Beat until stiff peaks form, about 7 to 8 minutes.
  • Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract to coconut cream; beat 1 minute more.

Assembly

  • place one layer on cake plate and add layer of chocolate fudge.
  • place second layer on cake and fill in any spots in the chocolate fudge layer.
  • coat sides of cake with chocolate fudge (wet the blade of your spatula while smoothing it will help)
  • top cake with whipped cream, cut and serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 516kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 5gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 293mgPotassium: 225mgFiber: 4gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 290IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 2.8mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!

Comments

    4.79 from 33 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. irmina says

    January 13, 2013 at 7:55 am

    Se ve delicioso.
    Un saludo.

    Reply
  2. Christine says

    January 08, 2013 at 8:21 am

    Found you on Pinterest… This cake sounds delish! I want to make for my husbands birthday this week but had a question. The cocoa in the cake ingredients, is that the powdered, unsweetened kind? Just wanted to clarify since it said that for the fudge part but not the cake. Thanks for your help! Going to try making the whipped cream from canned coconut milk (another pinterest recipe). Yum I can hardly wait!

    Reply
    • Chef D says

      January 08, 2013 at 9:01 am

      Thanks for stopping by Christine and yes the cocoa in the cake is just regular unsweetened, I use Hershey’s most of the time, but any brand will do. You can also substitute olive oil or any other oil in the cake instead of the coconut oil, if you like. The coconut oil, did make the cake a little more firm when chilled.

      If my wife liked coconut, I would have topped the cream with some toasted coconut too….sigh I love coconut, but if mama ain’t happy, nobody happy!
      let me know how it turns out.
      Dennis

      Reply
      • Christine says

        January 14, 2013 at 4:16 pm

        5 stars
        Ooh, this turned out so good! The fudge frosting was amazing. I used Agave instead of Maple syrup since I was almost out. I couldn’t control myself from sampling, I was hoping there would be enough left to frost the cake ! Thanks for a yummy cake my whole family can enjoy together (I’m vegan, hubs not, and one kiddo with egg/dairy allergy). And the ingredients are staples in most kitchens. Kudos!

      • Chef D says

        January 14, 2013 at 5:30 pm

        I’m so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the cake! It’s one of the first cakes I teach my students since its so easy and so good!
        thank you!

  3. sanam says

    January 06, 2013 at 1:31 pm

    Your website and the blogs I found on it have been my newest obsession for a few months. What makes it so special is the stories. There’s a down to earth, homey charm to them that makes every recipe a little treasure. Too bad they don’t sell coconut oil where I live. Can I just use canola instead or maybe butter?

    Reply
    • Chef D says

      January 06, 2013 at 2:05 pm

      Thank you, I’m very happy to hear that you enjoy my blog! You can use canola oil, or olive oil in the cake, and I would use butter in the fudge.

      Cheers
      Dennis

      Reply
      • sanam says

        January 11, 2013 at 11:04 am

        5 stars
        Thanks, I did as you said and it turned out great! I just had to try it because there were no eggs involved. Everyone at home thought it was going to be a failure, and they were absolutely amazed at how it turned out! I felt like a magician haha And the frosting… to die for!

      • Chef D says

        January 11, 2013 at 12:18 pm

        Thanks for letting me know how well it turned out! It is a wonderful cake, its also the first one I teach my students. They’re always amazed at how good it is!

  4. Katherines Corner says

    December 28, 2012 at 11:03 am

    5 stars
    Oh how divine ,I think it would be perfect for breakfast too, giggle. What a fun memory to share. I love the idea of this healthier recipe. I invite you to share your yummy recipes at my Thursday hops ( it’s still open today) Hugs P.S. thank you for your friendship on Google plus.

    Reply
    • Chef D says

      December 28, 2012 at 3:07 pm

      Thanks Katherine, It’s been a pleasure getting to know you, and I hope to see you in our community when you have time.

      Reply
  5. Cocina Silvia says

    December 27, 2012 at 3:38 am

    5 stars
    Una receta genial, me encanta como ha quedado. Fantastica. Felices Fiestas!!!!

    Reply
  6. Dionne Baldwin says

    December 23, 2012 at 8:06 pm

    5 stars
    I LOVE vegan recipes and inspirations. This cake would make both Yannick and I happy. He loves chocolate. 🙂 Merry Christmas to you my friend!

    Reply
  7. vanillasugarblog says

    December 21, 2012 at 8:45 pm

    that is a gorgeous cake dennis!

    Reply
  8. Rita says

    December 21, 2012 at 9:56 am

    5 stars
    I have not been here is a very long time; so nice to see you on Google+ Your chocolate cake is a master piece. I also have been using coconut oil; really healthy and tasty. I can imagine it would work really well with a cake recipe. Glad I found you again; always enjoyed your journey at the Academy.
    Rita

    Reply
  9. Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says

    December 20, 2012 at 9:02 pm

    Dennis, that’s a beauty! I have developed a number of vegan recipes for friends. And it’s a good thing – another family I know (parents and teenage son) have just gone vegan. I’ll have to share this post with them.

    Reply
  10. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    December 20, 2012 at 1:00 am

    How stunning, I love the fudge layer!

    Reply
  11. chitra says

    December 20, 2012 at 12:32 am

    Wow, wonderful cake. I am planning to try. Please suggest me an alternate for maple syrup and shall i use ordinary coconut oil. Mine is not extra virgin .. Thanks chef 🙂

    Reply
    • Chef D says

      December 20, 2012 at 5:44 am

      hi Chitra,

      regular coconut oil should be no problem, and you can use honey in place of the maple syrup, or any liquid sweetener that you like, Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  12. Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says

    December 19, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    It looks fantastic! So rich and decadent.

    Reply
  13. Paula @ Vintage Kitchen says

    December 19, 2012 at 3:07 pm

    It´s so sad that I can´t get coconut oil here. I still think it will catch on at some point and I will be able to get it everywhere. A fabulous chocolate cake!

    Reply
  14. Diana @ The Chic Life says

    December 19, 2012 at 1:11 pm

    Lol – I made vegan desserts and then put whipped cream on them, too! 😛 Looks wonderful!

    Reply
  15. Wendy Irene says

    December 19, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe Chef Dennis! I am thinking I could make it with coconut milk whip cream on top and that would be wonderful too 🙂 One of my friends made some for me the other day by whipping the coconut cream from the top of the can with confectioners’ sugar. It was delicious. Happy Holidays, my friend!

    Reply
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My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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