This is the best Vegan Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake you make at parties, for guests, when you want to wow them and shock them that vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free can be so darn delicious!
VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE VANILLA CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE
This Vegan Chocolate Chip Cake is so buttery, moist and fluffy and absolutely perfect for parties, especially birthdays! I love a classic vegan vanilla cake but this chocolate chip cake is such a fun special cake!
The inspiration for this cake is my love for the classic chocolate chip cookie. So, I created a cake based on that classic cookie. Chocolate chip cookie becomes chocolate chip cake with a wonderful vanilla flavor. It has that same rich, sweet, buttery flavor that you get from the cookie, but in cake form.
This cake is moist, buttery and rich and using mainly oat flour, gives it a wonderful texture. I ultimately decided on my oat and starch flour combo that I’ve used a few times here on the blog, but instead of potato starch (too crumbly and dry), I swapped it with tapioca for better structure and that was the winner. I wanted it nut-free, so that’s why I trialed so much.
Just skip this recipe if you cannot have oats. No two gluten-free flours are alike. I have another vanilla cake recipe on the blog that is just 2 flours, so you can always make my Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cake if you don’t use oats.
The topping is a firm, fudgy ganache, not an oily icing or frosting, but literally like biting into the center of a truffle.
The cake itself is just 8 ingredients (+ salt & water) and just a few minutes prep. The ganache recipe is just 1 extra ingredient needed (plant milk) to complete the whole masterpiece, as the remaining ganache ingredients are repeat ingredients that are also used in the cake.
The secret ingredient used in this cake to make it buttery and moist? Coconut butter! There is just enough to give the cake some needed fat for texture (doesn’t work on applesauce alone!) but not too much, so it doesn’t taste like coconut.
MORE VEGAN CAKE RECIPES TO TRY
- Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Funfetti Cake
- Vegan Mango Caramel Cheesecake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cookie Dough Fudge Cake
- Vegan Cinnamon Caramel Bundt Cake
- Vegan Gingerbread Cake
- Vegan Almond Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Note: This recipe used to be sold as a cake kit through Cake In A Crate, however, they are no longer in business. Enjoy the free recipe below!
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Gluten-Free Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 1/4 cups (160g) superfine oat flour (use a scale! see NOTE, use certified gluten-free oats if necessary)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (48g) tapioca starch/flour (this is the ONLY starch that works, do not sub)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (200g) pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (120g) unsweetened applesauce, room temperature, or slightly warm
- 1 tablespoon (15g) vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (30g) warm water
- 1/4 cup (60g) warmed and melted liquid coconut butter
- 1/2 cup (120g) dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)
GANACHE
- 1 cup (180g) mini semi-sweet dairy-free chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons canned “lite” coconut milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch fine sea salt
OPTIONAL CHOCOLATE CURLS
- 1 bar dark chocolate
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- As I always recommend, use a scale for accurate results. If you must use cups, make sure to scoop the flour with your cup, lightly pat down and then level off, so there are no gaps. If you want to make cupcakes, then I would suggest making these with my Truffle Frosting instead. Double the recipe for a double layer cake.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8 inch round (9 will yield too short a cake) cake pan with nonstick spray. Place a round piece of parchment paper on the bottom.
- Add the oat flour, tapioca, baking powder and salt to a large bowl and whisk well.
- It is important to make sure your liquids are not cold, or it will cause the coconut butter to harden. The oil tends to separate from the coconut meat in the jar and be very hard, and it's imperative that it's mixed back up properly before measuring. Otherwise, you run the chance of getting too much of just the oily part or just the meaty part, which will affect the end result. So I like to slightly warm up the jar (like 10 seconds) and empty the coconut butter in a separate container, warm up for just a few more seconds if too chunky still in the microwave until it is warm and soft enough to stir. It should be soft, but don't overheat the coconut butter or it will burn and ruin it. As you stir it, the warmth will melt it and make it more runny. Stir until completely smooth and runny, like the consistency of oil, then measure the weight.
- Make a well at the bottom of the bowl and pour in the syrup, applesauce, vanilla, warm water and lastly, the melted coconut butter. Whip with an electric whisk or beater, starting slow and then gradually increasing. You only need to mix it for about 15 seconds, just to ensure it’s a smooth batter. Otherwise, use a large spoon to gently mix the batter until all moistened and no more flour is visible. Do not over-beat the batter. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least 45 minutes before removing to firm up.
- Place the cooling rack over a large plate before adding the ganache. This is necessary so that the excess ganache can drip through the cooling rack and keep your cake mess-free.
- For the ganache, add the chocolate chips and milk into a bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir and then another 15-30 more seconds until it’s almost melted. Stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Pour all the ganache over the cooled cake, directly over the center. Using the back of a spoon, gently spread the chocolate out to the sides evenly, dragging the spoon gently back and forth, while guiding it along to drip down the sides. Take a knife and drag along the sides to smooth the edges.
- Place in the fridge to firm the ganache for about 30 mins. Then keep covered in a cake dome container or loosely secured with foil at room temperature until serving.
- To make the chocolate curls, simply place a bar of dark chocolate on a plate and place in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, just to soften it enough to make the curls. Use a peeler and drag it along the sides of the chocolate, making curls.
Since beginning with the plant-based way of living last summer, I have not made even one sweet dish – cake, pie, cookies, etc. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE chocolate, but I’m afraid nothing will taste like the “real” thing. I might try the recipe you have here after reading all of the comments posted!
Since beginning with the plant-based way of living last summer, I have not made even one sweet dish – cake, pie, cookies, etc. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE chocolate, but I’m afraid nothing will taste like the “real” thing. I might try the recipe you have here.
I love all your recipes, so easy and always incredibly delicious! I’ve always been hesitant about baking in general, especially with experimenting with new ingredients and being new to vegan. I wanted to make this cake to show my family you can have a healthy lifestyle and still have desserts that are actually vegan and yummy! Once again, you hit it out of the ballpark with this! Please don’t stop creating and sharing because you have made my transition to being vegan very yummy and easy and now my kids and hubby have become vegans!
Thank you so much Jenn! I’m so very happy to hear you are loving the recipes and they help so much! I’m so glad to hear this recipe was such a hit too, thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it!
Seriously one of the best gluten free, vegan and refined sugar free cake recipes I have ever tasted! It’s easy, delicious and totally amazing!!!! I made the cupcake version and they were devoured within 10 minutes. 100% recommended!!
Yay! So happy to hear that Morgan, thank you so much for letting me know and sharing it on Instagram!!
This looks incredible! My birthday is coming up and I want to make this for my family.
Ps. Theo chocolate is my favorite! I have a soy allergy so Theo has been a lifesaver! 🙂
I would make this for an upcoming family gathering, and win them all over to vegan living [including our gluten free family members!] <3 Thanks so much for all of your amazing recipes, Brandi!
A quick update. These cupcakes were a great success with my coworkers. Therefore another set of 5 stars 😋
Thank you so much Milda, I am so happy to hear that!!
When I make this cake I plan on sharing it with my co-workers so they can taste how awesome plant based is😋
This cake looks really good! My mother, husband and myself all have a birthday within 10 days of each other. I think this will have to be our birthday cake this year. You can’t go wrong with anything chocolate!
I have just come across your website and Facebook page and look forward to exploring many more of your recipes. I also love that most are gluten free. Thanks for sharing your talent with us!
First let me say how FANTASTIC it is that Cake in a Crate is offering others the opportunity to find out how scrumptious vegan, gluten & oil-free baking can be, but more importantly, how amazing YOU are, Brandi! While I continue to spread the word about you, your site, and your magic recipes, I am only one person. 🙂 I am incredibly excited for you, Brandi! You definitely deserve this recognition and opportunity and I wish you all the best.
I made this recipe using the cupcake option and made your chocolate truffle frosting (sans the espresso) as a good luck for my daughter with an important appointment she has today. She was delighted! The coconut flavor was devine with the truffle icing (which, btw, is phenomenal beyond words!) and was super easy to put together! Thanks so much for adding the link to make coconut butter, because it had been a few months since the last time I used your method to make some and it was very convenient not to have to search for it. You’re always thinking of your readers. :0)
This recipe will be bookmarked like so many others of yours. Thanks, Brandi!
Thank you so much for the amazing feedback Colleen, so glad you loved this cake as cupcakes and the chocolate truffle frosting so much!
Thank you so much for your sweet words, I truly appreciate it and all of your wonderful comments you continue to leave on my blog!
I would make this for my family – just because! We are die hard chocolate chip cookie fans and this recipe sounds amazing!
delicious looking recipe! I would make this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday coming up in August, he has a dairy allergy so this would be perfect!
I would make this cake for my sister who is five months pregnant and CRAVING sweets!
Looks delicious! And just in time for my birthday!!
I would make this cake for my boyfriend because he has an incredible sweet tooth and he will eat literally anything!! 🙂 Thank you for the giveaway!
A wonderful family member ordered a Cake in a Crate for my birthday! I am so excited to try this cake and I know I will have all the ingredients on hand – LOL. You go girl!
Hah! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it Peggy!
I would definitely make this for myself (I’m craving all the chocolate just looking at the pictures!!), though I would most certainly share with my non-vegan family. It looks awesome. Need to make this soon!
I am soooo trying this cake! Love the idea of using oats flour, I’ve used oatmeal in cake before, and it was delish, so I can only imagine how good this must taste! And how awesome is the idea of cake in a crate!?! Well done Brandi! X
This sounds sooo exiting, Brandi! Congrats!! 🙂 And this cake simply looks amazing!
This is so much fun! It really takes the intimidation factor out of gluten free baking. If I won, I’d bake a cake for my birthday later this month.
Mini chocolate chips…necessary? I can’t find the mini dairy free ones by me (I could order the others if I have to). Can’t wait!
Hi Vanessa, no you can use other vegan regular ones! Some may have a slightly different melting effect, but Trader Joes has a good one and there are other dairy-free ones out there at stores, you just have to read the label. Make sure to get ones without milk in them. The ones with cocoa butter cocoa powder or chocolate liquor are best.
What a gorgeous looking cake. I just love chocolate and vanilla together! What an exciting venture working with Cake In A Crate is for you. It’s such an awesome idea!
Made this cake and it turned out perfect! Tastes sooo good! My hubby loves it too!
Yay Lil!! Thank you so much for the feedback, so glad to hear you and hubby loved it!
i would make the cake for my parents!
I’d make this for my parents and my in-laws, who are just beginning to see that vegan baking can be just as good as traditional!
I made this cake a few days ago and everyone loved it. We polished it off and my kids are vegan converts ( at least with desserts). I added some rum extract to the chocolate which was divine.