As you have probably noticed I am not a vegan, but I needed to make a cake for a dear friend whose son has a severe egg allergy. I found this recipe that just happens to be vegan and tweaked it slightly. The cake is really moist and chocolatey and we never missed the butter and milk. My whole family loved it. I took one to my in-laws house and my husband’s grandmothers almost got in a fight over it. It’s great as a snack cake with no frosting or to layer and decorate for a special occasion. It is a bit more crumbly than a typical cake, so if you plan on making multiple layers and applying frosting be very careful.
I prefer it with no icing straight out of the 9×13 pan. A dusting of powdered sugar makes for a pretty presentation. I have made this cake 3 times now and I can get it mixed up and in the pan before the oven is heated. It’s super easy, simple and delicious. It might also be healthy (as healthy as chocolate cake can be).
Vegan Chocolate Cake
2 cups white sugar- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup olive oil (or canola or vegetable oil work too)
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9”x13” pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl stir together dry ingredients, sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa. Add water, olive oil, vinegar and vanilla. Beat by hand with a fork until combined. Batter should have a uniform appearance with no lumps. Pour into the prepared 9’’x13” pan. Bake in middle rack of oven for 45 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. You can also bake this in two 8”x”8 pans for 35 – 40 minutes.
This sounds delicious and like a great alternative if you want to have something up your sleeve for vegan or allergic friends. Do you really use olive oil, though? I somehow can’t imagine that in a sweet dish or does it add the special something?
I like to use olive oil because its better for you than other oils. I don’t think it changes the flavor, the original recipe called for vegetable oil, which I think is more traditional in a cake. I just really like to use olive oil for everything. We buy the huge jug at Costco:) Thanks for the question!
I only ever have olive oil as well, though mostly because I tend to cook somewhat mediterrenean (if I cook at all, shame on me). I never would have thought to put it into cake but why not actually.
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