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Baking · American

One-Bowl Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting

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A moist, deeply chocolatey layer cake that needs no eggs, dairy or mixer, topped with a glossy chocolate fudge frosting. Reliable enough for birthdays, easy enough for a Tuesday.

Recipe byitsvegan Kitchen
Oct 29, 2026
Prep20 min
Cook30 min
Total50 min
Serves12
LevelEasy

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F / gas 4). Grease two 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
  2. Stir the vinegar into the plant milk and set aside for 5 minutes to curdle slightly.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt.
  4. Add the curdled milk, oil, hot coffee and vanilla and whisk just until smooth; the batter will be thin.
  5. Divide between the tins and bake for 28–32 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  6. Cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely, at least 1 hour.
  7. For the frosting, beat the vegan butter until creamy, then gradually beat in the icing sugar, cocoa, salt and vanilla, adding milk a spoonful at a time until fluffy and spreadable.
  8. Place one cake on a plate, spread with a third of the frosting, top with the second cake and cover the top and sides with the rest.

Tips, storage & swaps

Coffee intensifies the chocolate flavour without making the cake taste of coffee; use hot water if you prefer. Use a firm vegan butter block, not a soft spread, for frosting that holds its shape. Keeps covered at room temperature for 3 days; unfrosted layers freeze well for 2 months. Halve the recipe for a single 20 cm cake or 12 cupcakes (bake cupcakes for 18–20 minutes).

Every recipe on itsvegan is 100% plant-based: no meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey or gelatin. Always check packaged ingredients such as chocolate, bread and wine for hidden animal products.

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Recipe from itsvegan.org — https://itsvegan.org/recipe/one-bowl-chocolate-cake