Vegan Chocolate Cookie Dough Fudge Cake is creamy, yet dairy-free and oil-free and full of chocolate richness, cookie dough bits and a nice texture from the coconut butter. Only 8 ingredients!
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VEGAN CHOCOLATE COOKIE DOUGH FUDGE CAKE
Now, before you all get mad as a hornet at me for posting another decadent dessert after just posting those wildly already popular Double Chocolate Sunflower Brownies last week, I have a few good reasons. First, I have a huge birthday coming up in about a month and I want to be prepared with a good dessert on hand. I’m turning the big 40 you guys! Yikes! Ok, is that a good enough reason for this cake?
Or, maybe because we all love chocolate. This raw vegan chocolate fudge cake is not for the faint of heart. Now, it only takes about 20 minutes to make it, but it is quite the impressive chocolate dessert. The texture is just phenomenal.
First, we have a super chocolatey filling made from coconut butter, almond butter, maple syrup, raw cacao powder and some plant milk. Then it is adorned with tiny chunks of raw almond chocolate chip cookie dough throughout the filling. Yeah, I know. Then it is topped with crunchy raw cacao bits for a nice bit of crunch. Totally optional, but I loved having the contrast of a crunchy topping to the smooth filling.
Can you believe you only need 8 ingredients to make this spectacular raw chocolate cake (+ salt and optional espresso)?! It’s magic I tell ya.
The inspiration for this cake came from a raw chocolate fudge espresso cake I had at a restaurant a few weeks back. It came out cold, firm, sweet, fudgy and extremely chocolatey. I have NO clue what ingredients they used and I didn’t care, I just knew I was inspired to create something like it.
Then of course I added this amazing new product that Rawguru sent me to try out and review, Rawmio Almond Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. It basically just sent the cake straight into the heavens. Surprisingly, this cookie dough doesn’t taste at all what you think of in regards to traditional cookie dough. It is not nearly as sweet, but more of a deep flavor than a sugary flavor, so it works well in the cake. You can totally leave it out though, as the cake is amazing on its own.
OTHER VEGAN CAKE RECIPES TO TRY:
- Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Funfetti Cake
- Vegan Mango Caramel Cheesecake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake
- Vegan Cinnamon Caramel Bundt Cake
- Vegan Gingerbread Cake
Vegan Chocolate Cookie Dough Fudge Cake
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 cup (140g) raw unsalted sunflower kernel seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons (12g) raw cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons (40g) maple syrup
FILLING
- 3/4 cup (180g) melted liquid coconut butter
- 3/4 cup (180g) plant milk
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (180g) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (96g) roasted creamy almond butter (sunbutter for nut-free)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (48g) raw cacao powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- Optional: 3 tablespoons chilled Rawmio "Almond Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough"
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- First, prepare the crust by adding the sunflower kernels to a food processor and process for about 30 seconds until it is a flour consistency. Add the salt and cacao powder and process a few more seconds until blended. Add the syrup and process for about 10 seconds or so until large clumps form. Do not over process. Press the dough into a 6 inch springform pan lined with parchment paper sticking out from the sides for easy removal later. Press out evenly to the sides.
- Next, add all of the "filling" ingredients to a food processor and process until completely smooth. You must make sure your coconut butter is completely melted to a runny liquid before measuring the 3/4 cup, to ensure accurate results. Scrape the sides as necessary and process again until the mixture is completely smooth. The batter is not overly sweet, so taste it and if you want it sweeter, add a tablespoon or so of coconut sugar, but keep in mind it will taste a tad sweeter after it has set and chilled. Also, if you garnish it with chocolate, it will also be sweeter. I thought it was just perfect in the final result.
- Pour the smooth batter over the prepared crust.
- If using the cookie dough, take your chilled cookie dough and break it into 9 balls, about 1 teaspoon each. If you are using the Rawguru cookie dough, make sure to chill it in the fridge because it becomes very firm (it is soft at room temperature) and you can easily roll it into little balls this way. Drop the cookie dough bits over the filling and gently press down into the batter completely. The batter should be thick enough so they won't sink.
- If desired, garnish with cacao nibs or chocolate or chocolate chips. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight until completely firm and well chilled. Release the cake from the pan.
- Slice and serve and eat in ecstasy. Serve with fruit if desired. This awesome cake will stay firm at room temperature for about an hour or so, which is a huge benefit for parties.
I just wanted to say this is a *great* recipe. My partner asks me to make it constantly, and I’m totally happy to do so–it’s easy and so yummy. I sometimes sub out the sunflower seeds for almonds, and often use coconut oil instead of coconut butter…and I’ve never actually added the cookie dough stuff! But yeah, it’s awesome. Thanks for sharing it!
Wonderful to hear Brantley!
could you use a cheesecake pan? I’m having a hard time finding a 6 inch springform pan.
Does this freeze well?
Yes. You will need to let it sit out a bit to thaw though, as it will get much harder than in the fridge.
This is my family’s absolute favourite cake! I made it the other night for a potluck dinner and the compliments are still pouring in! Some said it was the best thing they had ever tasted while someone said it tastes like heaven, a total success! I make it for birthdays, holidays and any other time I want to look good. It’s also great to say that there is no added oil or any other kind of junk in it, just clean, pure ingredients. 😊 Brandi, you’ve done it again!
Beverley! This review makes me so happy to hear and your pic was beautiful of it!!
I made this cake a few days ago and it is absolutely delicious!! I’d never tried cacao nibs before and loved the crunchy chocolate-y addition to this cake. I made my own cookie dough but honestly the cake would be fantastic without it.
Next time I make this I am thinking of substituting silken tofu for the coconut butter to make it lower in fat. I will let you know how it goes…
Hi Josie! Oh, that makes me so happy to hear, thank you for the lovely review!
Oh and coconut butter is what helps the cake to firm up and set, so tofu will make it a much softer mousse like consistency, just fyi.
Hi, Brandi! I want to make this for my chocoholic boyfriend’s upcoming birthday … but we’re kind of like Jack Spratt and his wife – I pretty much never make or eat sweets (except fresh fruit). So this recipe is pretty much Greek to me, LOL! Can you clue me in on a coconut butter to buy? (Your listing it as “melted liquid coconut butter” kind of throws me off – am I looking for a product that says “liquid” in the name?) I see MaraNatha, Artisana, Kevala, and lots of others online – are those all fine? Do you have a favorite?
Hi Laurie! Sorry for the delay! For the coconut butter I put liquid, which simply means in a melted liquid state, since coconut butter gets pretty hard at room temperature. I have noted in the directions to warm it up to a complete liquid. The MaraNatha brand is good, I’ve bought that one! Just when you get it, unless it’s already really melty, you are going to need to remove the lid and then warm the jar up for 15 secs or so until it’s warm enough to stir it all around from the bottom before measuring. Otherwise too much of the natural oils will separate from the coconut meat part. So really make sure it’s well mixed and smooth and runny like a liquid. Just heat it in small sec increments because coconut can burn if you cook it too long. I hope that helps and please let me know of any other questions and after you make it! 🙂
This is literally the best raw vegan cake I have ever made. Even my boyfriend loved it over his go-to Safeway cheesecake. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Oh wow, thank you so much for this amazing feedback! That is quite the compliment and you made my day! Thank you!
Hi Brandi, I wanted to add a comment from 2016!😀 I made this cake (my children call it a pie) for Thanksgiving this year and it was amazing. I made my own cookie dough with a quick recipe I found on the internet and everyone loved it! There was a little bit leftover as the majority of my family was out of town but we all fought over it at breakfast the next day 😜 I will be making it again for either or Christmas or for our Boxing Day party. This recipe is easy, made with little mess and looks and tastes like I have been slaving all day (we’ll keep that our little secret) ☺️
Oh Beverley, so sorry I missed this comment before! I’m so very happy to hear you loved this cake so much, thank you very much for the wonderful feedback!!
Hi. Just letting you know that this recipe is listed under nut-free and it clearly uses nuts.
Hi Josie, that is because there is a nut-free option by using sunbutter instead of almond butter, listed under NOTES. I have listed at the top of my “nut-free” category that all nut-free and nut-free options would be listed there, only if they can be nut-free as well. Hope that helps!
hi, my son has many many food allergies, so I’m used to finding substitutes for his allergens, but on this cake I’m stumped! He’s allergic to sunflower seeds and almonds (as well as all tree nuts and peanuts). Any ideas for what I could substitute? Looks amazing and I’m bummed I can’t make this. Thanks, would love your input 🙂
Hi Tara! Wow, that’s a bummer! Is he allergic to coconut? I have lots of delicious recipes that have coconut and no tree nuts in them.
You’re turning 40?!?! I thought you were 25 at the most. But anyways, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! This cake looks amazing and I hope you have an amazing day 🙂
Omg you are so sweet Sarah!! Thank you so much for that compliment!! And thank you about the cake, I hope you get to try it!