Impress your friends, family, and roommates with this super-easy vegan chocolate cake recipe, sometimes referred to as "wacky cake." Chances are you probably have most of the ingredients already lined up in your pantry. Be sure to try a variation of the recipe and make a rich frosting to accompany it!
Serves 6
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup cold water
Mix the dry ingredients until well blended. Add the wet ingredients. Stir just until smooth. Bake in 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Frost when cool or sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
The fun part about this cake is how easy it is to customize. For example, the water can be replaced with chilled, brewed coffee and extra cocoa can be added the make it really rich, dark chocolate. Another idea is to use raspberry vinegar instead of white vinegar, or to add almond or banana extract to the batter. You can even leave out the cocoa and add extra flour and sugar to make a white cake–the possibilities are endless!
Note: If you want to frost the cake out of the pan, grease and flour pan heavily before pouring in batter, so the cake does not stick.
Optional Chocolate Frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2/3 cups cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup vegan soy margarine
- 5-6 tablespoons soymilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, butter, 2 T. soymilk and vanilla in small mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in remaining sugar and soymilk until smooth. Makes 2 cups (more than enough for 8×8 inch cake pan).