Who doesn’t love chocolate cake? I know I do, but I’m sure not looking to eat a piece that’s full of sugar, eggs, butter, or oil. Vegan chocolate cake can not only be made healthy, but also made delicious! It’s all about using ingredients that are healthy, full of flavor, and that lends a hearty texture. The best part about making vegan chocolate cake is that there are products and foods you can use that transform a boring, bland cake into one that replicates the typical chocolate cake most of you probably grew up eating.

Just remember that cake is a dessert, not something to be eaten several times throughout the day. Make chocolate cake something for a special occasion, such as a birthday, a promotion at work, or some other type of celebration. Or even consider taking it to the office to share with your co-workers or perhaps with your family, but leave out the tidbit that it’s vegan. They’ll never know the difference and you can enjoy sharing something with them that’s indulgent and cruelty-free, without a bit of sacrifice in flavor.

1. Use Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder

Most all cocoa powder is vegan (check labels to be sure milk powder isn’t added) but I prefer using Dutch-processed (dark) cocoa in recipes because it lends a richer, fudgy texture. It’s also a perfect way to add that traditional chocolate cake flavor you’re looking for in a cake recipe. Use fair-trade brands as much as possible.

2. Use Applesauce Instead of Eggs or Oil

You can use applesauce in chocolate cake and you’ll never know it’s there – I promise! It has this amazing sweetness and a lovely binding texture to it as well. I like to use it in place of oil to lower the fat content, along with using it to replace eggs. Use unsweetened applesauce in a one-to-one ratio for oil and about 1/4 cup per egg. You can also learn to make your own to keep on hand at all times.

3. Use a Vegan Binder

Though applesauce makes a great vegan binder, I always like to use some additional binding support in cake recipes. Try using a flax or chia egg, or you can use a vegan egg replacement powder, too. This will help ensure your cake doesn’t fall apart and it will improve the overall texture.

4. Use Vegan “Butters”

Vegan butter products are fantastic to use in your icing recipe or in the cake itself. These are free of saturated fats and cholesterol, yet will lend that same buttery flavor you’re looking for, not to mention they’re free of GMO ingredients. However, if you really want to make things healthy, use avocado as the base in a chocolate frosting recipe or in the cake itself to replace the butter called for. You can also try using almond, cashew, or coconut butter as another option.

5. Use Pureed Fruit Instead of Sugar

Here’s a really special tip that you’re going to love: use pureed prunes (dried plums) or pureed dates in place of sugar. It lends the sweetest, most amazing flavor when combined with chocolate that eliminates the need for sugar at all. I suggest actually buying pureed prunes from the baby food aisle (I’m not kidding) since it lends a marvelous moisture that dried prunes don’t. Or, you can soak either prunes or dates in boiling water to let them sit for fifteen minutes and then puree them to use as another option. Raisins or figs would also work. Just remember if you soak them, to drain off at least half the excess soaking water first.

If you’re looking for specific vegan cake recipes, check out these 10 vegan chocolate cake recipes to give you some great ideas to get started.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Unfortunately, dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer, and has many side effects. 

For those interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend purchasing one of our many plant-based cookbooks or downloading the Food Monster App which has thousands of delicious recipes making it the largest vegan recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!