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Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache

February 11, 2016 By Richa 247 Comments

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Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache. Sogt, Moist Fudgy Chocolate Layer Cake! Use sunbutter or coconut cream to make nut-free. Vegan Soy-free Palmoil-free Recipe.   Jump to Recipe   

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache. Simple Chocolate Layer Cake. Add raspberry or apricot preserves. Soy-free Palm Oil-free Recipe | VeganRicha.com

Lets get on with some chocolate goodies for Valentine’s day, shall we. And Make this gorgeous vegan chocolate layer cake! I made this for our anniversary weekend and it worked like a charm to bring a huge smile on hubbs face with each bite. The cake is Moist, not too sweet and just the right amount of decadent for us.

This easy Vegan Chocolate Cake is layered with a smooth chocolate nut butter ganache glaze. I use smooth almond butter. Any smooth nut or seed butter should work. The cake ages really well and tastes best the next day as the ganache adds more moisture to it. Add fruit preserves like raspberry, apricot, blackberries between the layers. I use raw unrefined sugar in this cake, that I blend to powder in my blender before use. Use any fine or powdered sugar of choice.

This makes a big 8 inch layer cake. Don’t want the huge cake? make this individual Chocolate Layer Cake for One. No Bake.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache on a black plate kept on a Wood table

More chocolate goodness from the blog

  • Peanut or almond Butter, Chocolate Marble Cake. 
  • Brownies, loads of Brownies
  • Vegan Almond Butter Blondies with Chocolate Chips
  • Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Cake and Cake Mix In a Jar
  • Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake for One. No Bake. Made on stove top. 

Some No Bake Chocolate Pies here. 

These sharp and beautiful slices are by my new Kramer knife that hubbs got for me. He knows what will be appreciated! 

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache. Simple Chocolate Layer Cake. Add raspberry or apricot preserves. #vegan #Soyfree #PalmOilfree #Recipe | VeganRicha.com

And while you are here, please do read this National Geographic article about how the Tiger Temple in Thailand, one of the premier attractions which claims monks live in harmony with the tigers, is connected to Wildlife parts trade, drugging and abusing of these magnificent wild beings. Updates about the temple can be followed on this facebook page.  

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache. Simple Chocolate Layer Cake. Add raspberry or apricot preserves. Soy-free Palm Oil-free Recipe | VeganRicha.com

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache. Simple Chocolate Layer Cake. Add raspberry or apricot preserves. Soy-free Palm Oil-free Recipe | VeganRicha.com #glutenfree #veganricha #vegan
Print Recipe
4.93 from 40 votes

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache. Simple Chocolate Layer Cake. Add raspberry or apricot preserves. Soy-free Palm Oil-free Recipe
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time50 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: best vegan chocolate cake, Chocolate Cake Recipe, chocolate peanut butter frosting
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 315kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

Cake : makes two 8 inch pans

    Dry:

    • 1 cup (125 g) wheat flour
    • 1 cup (125 g) unbleached all purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup (43 g) cocoa powder
    • 1 1/2 tsp (1.5 tsp) baking soda
    • 1 1/4 cup (150 g) powdered vegan sugar , 2 Tbsp more for sweeter - blend raw sugar to fine powder to use or use wholesome sweeeteners vegan powdered sugar
    • 1/2 (0.5 ) scant tsp salt

    Wet:

    • 1 1/2 cups (366 ml) non dairy milk divided
    • 1/3 cup (60 g) non dairy chocolate chips or bar semi sweet chips, or dark chocolate for dark/bittersweet cake
    • 1/4 cup (1.98 oz) oil
    • 1 tsp vinegar apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
    • 1 1/2 tsp (1.5 tsp) vanilla extract
    • 3 tbsp maple syrup

    Glaze:

    • 1/2 cup (122 ml) non dairy milk
    • 1/3-1/2 cup (40 g) powdered sugar
    • 2/3 cup (116.67 ml) or more non dairy semi sweet chocolate like Enjoy Life
    • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
    • 1/4 cup (62.5 g) smooth peanut butter or almond butter or other seed or nut butter
    • Fruit preserves like raspberry apricot, cherry (optional)

    Instructions

    Cake:

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 170ºc. In a bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients for the cake really well.
    • In another bowl, heat 1 cup of non dairy milk and chocolate until just about hot (heat in the microwave or stove top). Whisk until chocolate is melted. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients and 1/2 cup non dairy milk and mix in until smooth..
    • Add the dry to the wet and mix to make a smooth batter.
    • Transfer batter to two greased or parchment lined 8 inch cake pans.
    • Bake at 350 degrees F / 170ºc for 32 to 34 minutes. or until toothpick from the center comes out clean. Do not overbake as the cakes can get crusty or dry.
    • Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and cool on the rack completely before adding a glaze or ganache. Cover the cakes with a towel while it is cooling to prevent drying out. To shorten the cooling time, cover the cakes with a towel or parchment or a lid and place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

    Ganache:

    • Heat the non dairy milk + sugar in a pan over medium heat, until just about hot. Mix well. Add in the chocolate, mix once and take the pan off heat. Keep mixing until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
    • Add in the vanilla and peanut butter or other nut butter. Mix until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes to thicken to desired consistency.
    • Pour some of the ganache on one cake. Spread using a spatula to even out if needed. Let the ganache set in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes or freezer for 10.
    • Add a thin even layer of fruit preserves on the other cake (optional) (warm the preserves to make them easier to spread if needed). Place this cake on top of the cake with the ganache glaze. Pour the rest of the glaze over the top cake. Spread using a spatula if needed. Let the ganache set in the refrigerator for half an hour. If you have more ganache left, pour over the set glaze for another layer. Cover the cake and let it chill for a few hours before serving.

    Video

    Notes

    For a nut-free ganache, you can also use more chocolate (add a 1/4 cup more when you add the 2/3 cup) and melt it in. Chill to thicken in the fridge or the freezer and use.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
    Amount Per Serving (1 g)
    Calories 315 Calories from Fat 117
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13g20%
    Saturated Fat 4g25%
    Sodium 238mg10%
    Potassium 123mg4%
    Carbohydrates 47g16%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 26g29%
    Protein 5g10%
    Calcium 85mg9%
    Iron 2.6mg14%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache. Simple Chocolate Layer Cake. Add raspberry or apricot preserves. Soy-free Palm Oil-free Recipe | VeganRicha.com

    Tips to make a great vegan chocolate cake

    • Chocolate cakes can tend to dry out or get hard edges if baked too long. If your cake tends to do that, reduce the baking time by 5 mins. Ovens heat differently, the pans, cocoa/chocolate brand etc add to the iffy behavior.
    • A ganache or glaze will help add moisture to the cake. Let the cake chill with the ganache for a few hours for best results of overall moisture. 
    • If the cake is overbaked (too dry). crumble it up, add some ganache and make into cake snack balls
    • Use good quality chocolate. It adds amazing flavor and texture.

    Filed Under: dessert, popular, soy free, valentines day Tagged With: chocolate, vegan



    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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    1. H. Guler says

      March 30, 2020 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      This cake recipe is pure genius. That is not hyperbole. I was afraid it would be too peanut-buttery, but I can’t even taste the peanut butter. Moreover, the raspberry jam gives it a lightness that prevents the cake from being overpowering.

      I’m not a highly experienced baker, but none of the chocolate cake recipes I’ve tried in the past have even come close to this one. One recipe I tried had a tofu-based icing; not only could I taste the tofu, but the icing dried up and cracked after one day. Another version used avocado, but the avocado taste was too obvious. The icing on this cake just tastes like chocolate icing, and it doesn’t seem to dry up.

      I had only one cake pan, which is deep and is made of porcelain. Since porcelain doesn’t conduct heat very well, I had to bake the cake for an hour and 15 minutes, using the toothpick method. I cut the cake in half horizontally to make it a layered cake, and I didn’t do anything about the dome on top. So, in the end, it ended up being a funny-looking cake, but the taste is amazing.

      Thank you for making it possible for me and my husband to have a proper chocolate cake again after seven years of being vegan!

      Reply
      • Richa says

        March 30, 2020 at 2:16 pm

        awesome

        Reply
    2. Dani says

      April 23, 2020 at 10:53 am

      Can this be made in 9 inch rounds? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support says

        April 24, 2020 at 10:44 am

        Yes just reduce the cooking time a bit and check on them.

        Reply
    3. Gabriella says

      April 23, 2020 at 11:12 am

      Hi, can I cover this cake with fondant icing for a birthday cake?

      Thaks,

      Gabry

      Reply
    4. Gabriella says

      April 23, 2020 at 1:32 pm

      What`s wheat flour?

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support says

        April 24, 2020 at 10:38 am

        Whole wheat flour

        Reply
    5. NC says

      May 24, 2020 at 4:22 am

      This is brilliant! I made this for my vegan friends birthday and it was a real treat! Thank you and I was successful with my first vegan cake!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support says

        May 24, 2020 at 12:16 pm

        I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by!

        Reply
    6. Dale says

      May 27, 2020 at 10:05 pm

      hello, do i need to use whole wheat flour or can I replace it with all purpose flour

      Reply
      • Richa says

        May 27, 2020 at 10:59 pm

        You can use all all purpose

        Reply
        • Yet says

          August 6, 2020 at 6:17 pm

          Can I use whole wheat pastry flour instead of whole wheat flour?

          Reply
          • Vegan Richa Support says

            August 8, 2020 at 2:45 pm

            not in this recipe as it contains way less gluten.

            Reply
    7. Skc says

      June 21, 2020 at 8:50 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for my steak and potatoes husband for Fathers Day. He loved it and said he’d never guess it was vegan. Our deal was I would make a chocolate cake for him but it had to be vegan so I could eat some lol.
      I used whole wheat pastry flour and raspberry preserves and it was great! I think next time I prefer the ganache all chocolate.

      It’s a hit and thank you again for a really good recipe I will do again and again!

      Reply
      • Wendy says

        September 7, 2020 at 5:08 pm

        Hi,

        Is it possible to use coconut flour instead of all purpose?

        Reply
        • Vegan Richa Support says

          September 9, 2020 at 12:27 pm

          it needs gluten so you can use a gluten-free baking blend like bob’s red mill gluten-free 1 on 1 or domata, or you can use the blend from my gluten-free banana muffins. Vegan Gluten free Banana Muffins
          Once the cake is done baking, cover it with a towel to cool.

          Reply
    8. Sarah says

      July 11, 2020 at 12:16 pm

      Hi Richa, could i bake this in a standard size rectangular pan instead of two rounds?

      thanks!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support says

        July 11, 2020 at 7:24 pm

        yes, check at 28 min it will take a little less time

        Reply
    9. Kayleigh says

      August 26, 2020 at 10:12 am

      Hi! This recipe looks amazing! I am trying it for a birthday, would it be possible to use a chocolate flavoured almond milk?
      Very excited will keep updated on how it turns out.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support says

        August 28, 2020 at 1:04 pm

        sure Kayleigh it will have an extra chocolatey taste!! – if it is pretty sweet you may reduce the sugar only if you like but not necessary

        Reply
    10. Meghan says

      September 8, 2020 at 3:24 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for this recipe! It was delicious and I made my own cashew butter. I’m surprised that you can’t taste the nut butter. I also made mine gluten free w/ a premixed gluten free flour & another flour–like almond- i think. It seemed to not rise as much as a normal cake would. Do you have any suggestions on what I could do to get more fluff?

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support says

        September 9, 2020 at 8:40 pm

        I would suggest trying this instead: https://www.veganricha.com/gluten-free-cashew-or-peanut-butter-chocolate-marble-cake-vegan-gluten-free-cake/“>Gluten-free Cashew or Peanut Butter Chocolate Marble Cake Vegan Gluten free Cake. yes, unknown flours will definitely affect the rise / fluffiness.

        Reply
    11. Tara says

      September 13, 2020 at 1:00 am

      I followed the recipe, however adjusted for 10 servings and then used a 16 cm cake pan twice.

      Sadly, my cake did not turn out as moist as I’d like and it didn’t rise much either. The ganache turned too watery so I had to add 100g chocolate to thicken it up. Not sure what I could have done differently.

      But my friends seemed to enjoy the cake nonetheless.

      Reply
      • Richa says

        September 13, 2020 at 10:15 am

        I am not sure how you adjusted the recipe measure. Although all the recipe widget on the blog has option changing servings and adjust the amounts accordingly it just multiplies The values. But baking is not straightforward to scale up or down. You would have to go by the feel of the batter. If the batter didn’t rise much it is either that there was too much moisture to flour Ratio in the batter. Or the baking powder was really old. For the frosting it depends on the brand of the chocolate so if it isn’t thickening you can reheat it and add more chocolate chips to the frosting to help thicken. Hope this helps

        Reply
        • Tara says

          September 13, 2020 at 11:25 am

          Thank you for your reply, Richa! I might try to make the full recipe once and see how that goes. You’re definitely right about baking not being straightforward 🙂

          Reply
    12. Nidhi says

      October 3, 2020 at 12:45 pm

      I have two 9 inch (2 inch high) pans. Can I use the same quantities for the cake? Want to make this for my husband’s birthday next week and am willing buy 8 inch pans (that are 2.5 inch high) if you think this recipe works best with 8 inch pans! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Richa says

        October 4, 2020 at 6:34 am

        They will work fine. The cakes will be thinner that all. Check a few minutes earlier if they are done baking

        Reply
    13. Nidhi says

      October 11, 2020 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      WOW! I made this for my husband’s birthday. Baked it in two 9 inch pans, done in 25 min. Cannot believe how simple but delicious this turned out to be! Tasted even better after setting overnight in the fridge.

      Reply
      • Richa says

        October 11, 2020 at 8:52 pm

        Yay! Yes some Chill time helps the overall moisture and texture

        Reply
    14. Dhara Mehta says

      October 29, 2020 at 1:57 pm

      I just have one 8 inch pan. Would it work if I put the complete mix together to bake and cut the cake in half ? If yes, how would the timing vary?
      Should I adjust anything else?

      Reply
      • Richa says

        October 29, 2020 at 6:11 pm

        Yes it will work but will make a really tall cake so you want to use a pan that is high enough. Bake 10 minutes longer and check from the middle of the pan

        Reply
    15. Jini says

      November 13, 2020 at 7:53 am

      5 stars
      Superb

      Reply
    16. Saman Sandhu says

      November 17, 2020 at 3:54 pm

      My cakes did not rise. I made them. In 9in round pans and took.them.out in 23 minutes. They look more like chocolate pancakes.

      Reply
      • Richa says

        November 17, 2020 at 4:53 pm

        Did the rise a bit and fall or did not rise at all? If they did not rise at all then it’s baking powder, it’s probably old

        Reply
        • Saman Sandhu says

          November 17, 2020 at 7:25 pm

          It did rise a little. I added baking soda as per recipe, shiukd i add baking powder aswell?

          Reply
          • Richa says

            November 17, 2020 at 8:47 pm

            No I meant baking soda. It’s probably old

            Reply
    17. Pam says

      January 28, 2021 at 6:37 am

      When I made this, it was extremely heavy and dry. Found the recipe puzzling without any flax eggs or baking powder.

      Reply
      • Richa says

        January 28, 2021 at 7:17 am

        It has 1.5 tsp baking powder. Right there in the top with the flours. Without it the batter will bake into a brick.

        Reply
        • Pam says

          January 28, 2021 at 8:26 am

          Actually the online recipe says baking soda- that is why I was confused.

          Reply
          • Richa says

            February 4, 2021 at 7:27 pm

            Yea baking soda. That works better with chocolate. The cake will rise well with either. But it needs leavening. Without either of those there is no leavening

            Reply
    18. Pam says

      January 29, 2021 at 12:47 pm

      Think you meant to say baking powder instead of baking soda- my cake came out dry and hard, but the frosting was delicious!

      Reply
      • Richa says

        February 4, 2021 at 7:29 pm

        If you used some leavening(baking soda or powder), then a dry cake means it was over baked. Ovens can run hotter and darker or thinner pans will also shave off a few mins of baking time. So a couple of the things together would mean 10 mins less baking time.

        Reply
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