Everything Free Indulgent Chocolate Cake
Ok, I know what you might be thinking, “everything free???” Sounds like no fun. For the heck of it, I decided to make something vegan. I’ve never tried it before and I’d say it was a success. But, not only is it vegan, but it’s also gluten-free and sugar-free. It’s dense, moist, fudgy, and still tastes just like normal cake with a creamy chocolate buttercream that satisfies all my chocolate cravings. To be honest, I really shocked myself because I always thought stuff like this was gross, but this everything free indulgent chocolate cake is something else. Along with that, I’m normally not a big chocolate person, so you know this is the real deal. Only a few secret ingredients away from tricking your family… into something delicious. 😁
Along with that, it’s a perfect chocolate option for valentine’s day rather than $12 chocolates. (Sorry fererro rocher, you’re still good.)
what is special about this everything free indulgent chocolate cake
This cake isn’t like other cake, not just because it’s everything free, it’s super easy and delicious. I found it a little dry in my first test try, so I added a little dairy-free yogurt and that did the trick. A lot of cake recipes have sour cream or yogurt to make them moister, so why not try that?
If you know someone with an allergy, this is the perfect cake, or if you just want to try something new, this cake is for you!
inspiration for the everything free chocolate cake
I am actually quite excited about this vegan (+ gluten free + sugar free) chocolate cake because I was so shocked that it actually tasted good. I know not all vegan stuff is bad, but I just thought hmmm.
A lot of fellow bloggers I follow have posted vegan or “healthy” recipes lately and I thought, what the heck, let’s give it a try. Along with that, all of the special ingredients I needed from the store happened to be on sale or I had a coupon. (Bonus, because it turns out vegan/gluten free/sugar free stuff isn’t super cheap, but it’s all worth it.)
I secretly made my dad try it thinking it was just chocolate cake and he liked it. Coming from the man that really dislikes gluten-free and “healthy” desserts. I’ll admit, it was a little dry at that point because it was 2-3 days old, but hey, the same day it was amazing. I’m not sure if that is a “healthy” dessert thing, but it really only tasted the best within the first 3 days. It’s certainly not bad after that, just not as fresh. You know how it is for desserts.
I went with the name “everything free” because I thought it was fun and there’s a lot missing (but in a good way 😁)
Even if you’re not vegan, this cake is still amazing and worth a try.
special ingredients to buy
Now, there are quite a few things that are different about this cake compared to regular chocolate cake because of all the limitations, but it doesn’t limit flavor. Most of them can be found in a regular grocery store or an organic store. Heck, you could even sub some regular ingredients for these and you would be just fine.
Vegan butter – I used Earthly Balance vegan butter sticks because they act just like normal butter and are mostly made of oil anyway.
Plant-based eggs – Yeah, I know it sounds a little sketchy and gross, but trust me, it works. I used Just Egg. They are practically eggs that have been pre-whisked. If you didn’t want to do this you could also substitute 3 tbsp flax seed + 9 tbsp water.
Oat Milk – Apparently oat milk is kind of the rage right now. I would say that it definitely tastes better combined with something and it works perfectly in this cake. I used planet oat original.
Gluten-Free Flour – This is easy to find and is easily substituted in place of regular flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free baking flour.
Dairy-Free Yogurt – This yogurt helps to moisten the cake and is in the place for regular yogurt or sour cream. There are many dairy-free yogurt out there and you can use any original or vanilla flavored one. I used Silk plain dairy-free almondmilk yogurt.
Sugar Replacement/Sugar Free Powdered Sugar – Since this cake is sugar free, you’ll have to buy an alternative for normal sugar. I bought the Kroger brand, Apriva, but stevia, truvia…things like that will work too. For the buttercream, you can use the same thing or get sugar free powdered sugar as well.
Look at how indulgent and delicious it is. I love when a cake is easy to make, and this is just that. 2 easy layers and a simple chocolate buttercream. It’s perfect to make for a birthday, celebration, or a treat for your favorite vegan friend. I keep referring to it as vegan, but really it is sugar-free and gluten-free too!
No fancy equipment needed or an entire day to make. It’s made in an hour and ready to eat in two.
I was really having some chocolate cravings last week, so that was part of the inspiration for this deliciously easy cake, which is so funny, because I’m not a big chocolate person! Sorry 😬
finishing buttercream
The final touch to this everything free chocolate cake is the creamy chocolate buttercream. Whip together a few things and spread it all around. Another thing I love about this cake is how easy it is to assemble and decorate. I just went with a few simple swirls for a rustic/minimal look.
Cream your vegan butter, then add sugar free sugar. Mix. Mix in your cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and a little oat milk if needed.
Buttercream is made with powdered sugar, but since this is sugar free, I just used plain sugar free sugar. If you really want to stick to a normal cake, try looking for a sugar free powdered sugar instead, which will make it even more creamy and smooth.
To be honest, I took the lazy route and just used the sweetener, which is a little chunky, but I like how it turned out. You could also pulse the sweetener a few times to make it smooth before creaming with the butter.
Are you a chocolate lover? Check this out:
Did you make this recipe? I would love to hear how it went. Let me know in the comments below or on Instagram @tuesday.treats.
Everything Free Indulgent Chocolate Cake
Course: Cakes and CupcakesCuisine: DessertDifficulty: Easy10
servings20
minutes25
minutesThis everything free indulgent chocolate cake is surprisingly delicious, fudgy, easy, and just happens to be vegan, gluten free, and sugar free. Just as good as normal cake!
Ingredients
- Chocolate Cake
2 cups gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour)
2 1/3 cups sugar alternative (I used Kroger brand Apriva, but stevia, truvia… will work)
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder (Generic will work too)
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup plant based eggs (I used JustEgg)
1 cup oat milk (I used Planet Oat original. Almond, coconut…etc will work too)
1/2 cup dairy-free plain yogurt (I used Silk plain dairy-free almond milk yogurt)
1/2 cup warm brewed coffee
- Chocolate Buttercream
1 cup vegan butter, room temp (2 sticks) (I used Earthly Balance sticks)
3-5 cups sugar-free powdered sugar (Or just pulse your sugar replacement)
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-6 tbsp oat milk (Use as much as needed for the right consistency)
Directions
- Chocolate Cake
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 F. Grease two 8 inch circle baking pans with non-stick spray or butter. Set aside.
- Whisk dry ingredients including flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In another medium bowl, whisk eggs, oil, vanilla extract, yogurt, and oat milk until evenly combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until just combined, leaving a few streaks. Lastly, pour in brewed coffee and whisk until combined.
- Evenly pour batter into the two pans, tap to even out and get rid of the bubbles. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and top springs back when you press it with your finger.
- Remove cake from pans and let cool fully on a rack. While cooling, whip up the buttercream.
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Add butter and powdered sugar/sugar alternative to a large bowl and beat until creamy and smooth. Next, mix in your cocoa powder and vanilla extract until fully combined. Lastly, add a few teaspoons of oat milk if your buttercream is too thick.
- Place your first cake layer on a cake stand or whatever serving tray you want. Add a few bigs scoops of buttercream to the first layer of your cake. Smooth around with a knife, spatula, or offset spatula all the way to the edges. Place your second cake layer on top of that. Add the remaining frosting on top and the sides. Continue to smooth until even. (I went for a clean look with a little bit of cake showing on the sides. To do this, fully smooth the cake and scrape the sides so a little bit is showing. On top, swirl your offset/spoon in a circular motion to create a swirl.) Enjoy!
Notes
- The special ingredients (oat milk, gf flour, sugar alternative, plant based eggs, vegan butter, df yogurt) can be replaced with normal ones if you want a regular cake. If you do change it, the baking times may change a little bit.
- I used the regular sugar alternative for my frosting, but for a creamier one, use sugar free powdered sugar. If you can’t find any, pulse your sugar alternative for a minute until it’s finer.
- Store your finished cake covered in the fridge for 3-4 days or 2-3 on the counter. It’s best eaten within the first 1-2 days.
That looks delicious! I’m so glad you and your dad enjoyed it! 😀