• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Plant Based School
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Us
  • All Recipes
  • Mains
  • Pasta
  • Sweet
  • Collections
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Desserts

    Chocolate Brownie Cake

    Published: Oct 13, 2021 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    This chocolate brownie cake is an easy recipe made with 5 simple ingredients. Packed with chocolate flavor, it can be served warm, with ice cream, or at room temperature.

    It's made without eggs, milk, or butter but you won't be able to tell. It's rich, delicious and it melts in your mouth.

    fallen chocolate cake
    On this page:
    • What to expect
    • Ingredients & Substitutions
    • Instructions
    • How to scale this recipe?
    • Dinner Ideas
    • Storage
    • Recipe

    Check out our best plant-based dessert recipes!

    What to expect

    fallen chocolate cake

    I wanted to make a brownie cake that was 100% plant-based (vegan), but at the same time easy to make, with the simplest ingredients and that won't cost you a fortune.

    For this recipe, you won't need fancy ingredients like extracts, aromas, espresso powders, or several types of chocolate.

    Also, I wanted this cake to taste delicious. Just like a great non-vegan brownie cake. No compromise on taste and texture here. My close-to-80-year-old picky Italian father loved this one!

    So believe me, if you like chocolate and brownies you'll love this vegan brownie cake. It has a full, rich dark chocolate flavor, it's light, and it literally melts in your mouth.

    You can serve it warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Or you can also serve it at room temperature with some tea or coffee.

    Ps. For this recipe, I took inspiration from an Italian chocolate cake called "torta tenerina", one of my favorite chocolate cakes in the whole world.

    vegan brownie cake

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Dark chocolate: I like to use 70% + dark chocolate in bar form. Try to get a brand you like as this is going to give the chocolate flavour to the cake.
    • Vegan butter or vegan margarine: either works. If you are not vegan you can of course use regular butter, but I encourage you to try the vegan one if you can.
    • Sugar: I like to use plain white sugar.
    • Aquafaba: this is the water from a can of chickpea and I use it to replace the eggs.

      Trust me, you won't be able to taste it in the cake. I add it because it adds a moist, melty texture to the cake, and it helps bind the other ingredients together.

      Note that you can use aquafaba from a can of salted or unsalted chickepeas. I like to use aquafaba from a can of salted chickpeas.
    • All-purpose flour: you can replace it with semi-whole wheat flour if you like.

    Equipment

    • Electric hand mixer (electric whisk).
    • Cake pan, preferably with removable bottom, also known as springform pan (9 inches - 23 cm)

    Instructions

    Preheat the oven to 350F or 180C. Then line the springform pan (cake pan) with parchment paper.

    To make the parchment paper stick, you can first brush the inside of the cake pan with butter or oil.

    buttering the springform pan

    STEP 1: melt the dark chocolate with the vegan butter.

    To melt chocolate and butter, I use the double-boiler method. That is, in a pot add a couple of inches (5cm) of water. Add another pot or a heat-resistant bowl on top.

    The top pot (or bowl) should not touch the water in the bottom pot.

    Add the dark chocolate, chopped into pieces, to the top pot (or top bowl). Then add the butter. Also chopped in pieces.

    melting chocolate in a double boiler

    Turn the heat on and bring the water in the bottom pot to a simmer.

    As the water heats up and steam is released, the steam stays trapped between the two pots and will melt the chocolate and the butter.

    Stir with a spoon while the chocolate melts.

    melting the chocolate

    You can also melt chocolate and butter in the microwave. To do that, chop them up and add them to a bowl.

    Then heat them up in the microwave in intervals of about 30 seconds each on low power. Stir them at every interval, and continue until they are melted.

    melted chocolate and butter

    Once the chocolate and the butter are fully melted set them aside and move on to the next step.

    STEP 2: beat up aquafaba and sugar

    Strain the water in a can of chickpeas into a bowl. Make sure there are no chickpea pieces.

    The chickpea water, called aquafaba, is a perfect egg replacement in many desserts. It acts as an efficient binder in vegan meringues and vegan ladyfingers too. You will not taste the chickpea flavor, I promise.

    straining the chickpea water

    Add the sugar to the same bowl. Then with a hand mixer, beat up sugar and aquafaba for about 5 minutes.

    mixing sugar and aquafaba

    You should get a slightly foamy, thickish liquid.

    liquid mixture of sugar and aquafaba

    STEP 3: add melted chocolate to aquafaba

    Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl with the aquafaba and mix with the hand mixer for just a minute, till fully incorporated.

    adding chocolate to aquafaba
    mixing with a hand mixer

    STEP 4: add the flour

    Add the flour to the mixture. I like to sift the flour to remove lumps. Mix with the hand mixer for about 1 minute until the flour is fully incorporated into the liquid.

    Do not overmix, or your cake will get hard and gummy.

    sifting in the flour
    mixing with hand mixer

    STEP 5: bake

    Transfer the cake batter into the springform pan. Make sure you lined it with parchment paper beforehand.

    pouring the cake batter into the springform pan

    Bake for 30 minutes at 350F or 180C. Then take out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing taking out the bottom from the springform pan.

    just baked brownie cake

    You can serve this cake warm (but not hot) with some ice cream or whipped cream. You can also serve it at room temperature.

    chocolate brownie cake

    How to scale this recipe?

    This recipe is easy to scale. We calculated the scaling number for you. Pick the springform pan that you want to use for your cake, then multiply all the ingredients in our recipe box by the scaling number in this table.

    Springform pan sizeScaling Number
    4 inch (10 cm)0.22
    5 inch (13 cm)0.31
    6 inch (15 cm)0.44
    7 inch (18 cm)0.60
    8 inch (20 cm)0.79
    9 inch (23 cm)1
    10 inch (25 cm)1.23
    springform pan sizes and how to scale recipe
    vegan chocolate brownie cake

    Dinner Ideas

    We like to serve this chocolate brownie cake with a light and cozy dinner made with:

    Roasted butternut squash soup | creamy and plant-based

    roasted butternut squash soup

    Red cabbage slaw with candied walnuts and apple

    red cabbage slaw with apples and candied walnuts

    Storage

    Store this easy chocolate brownie cake at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can keep it under a cake dome.

    This cake is also suitable for freezing. Put it in a freezer bag, then freeze for up to two months. To thaw, either use a microwave or thaw in the refrigerator until soft again before eating it.

    For many more easy dessert ideas, check out our desserts category page.

    Recipe

    brownie cake with ice cream

    Easy chocolate brownie cake

    Author: Nico
    This chocolate brownie cake is an easy recipe made with 5 simple ingredients. It's packed with chocolate flavor and it can be served warm, with ice cream, or at room temperature.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 4 votes
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 12 slices
    Calories 261 kcal

    Equipment

    • Hand mixer
    • Cake pan, preferably with removable bottom, also known as springform pan (9 inches - 23 cm)

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 7 ounces dark chocolate 70% minimum
    • 3.5 ounces vegan butter or margarine
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 8 tablespoons aquafaba the water from a can of chickpeas
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350F or 180C. Line your springform pan (or cake pan) with parchment paper and set it aside.
      preparing the springform pan
    • In a bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter together. You can use a double-boiler or a microwave.
      melting chocolate in a double boiler
    • In a separate bowl, add the water from a can of chickpeas (aquafaba) and the sugar. Mix with a hand mixer for 5 minutes till you get a foamy, thickish liquid.
      mixing sugar and aquafaba
    • Add the melted chocolate to the bowl with the aquafaba sugar mixture. Mix with your hand mixer for 1 minute to incorporate the chocolate.
      adding chocolate to aquafaba
    • Add the flour to the mix, sifting it first for best results. Mix with your hand mixer for another minute till the flour is fully incorporated.
      Important: do not over-mix!
      sifting in the flour
    • Transfer the batter into the springform pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350F or 180C.
      pouring the cake batter into the springform pan
    • Let cool down for 10 minutes before opening your springform pan. Then serve either warm or at room temperature.
      Ice cream and whipped cream (plant-based if possible) are great with this vegan chocolate brownie cake.
      chocolate brownie cake

    Notes

    For more comprehensive step by step instructions see "how to make chocolate brownie cake" chapter above.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy chocolate brownie cake
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 261 Calories from Fat 126
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 14g22%
    Saturated Fat 5g31%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
    Monounsaturated Fat 5g
    Cholesterol 1mg0%
    Potassium 131mg4%
    Carbohydrates 32g11%
    Dietary Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 21g23%
    Protein 2g4%
    Vitamin A 6IU0%
    Vitamin B6 1mg50%
    Vitamin E 1mg7%
    Vitamin K 7µg7%
    Calcium 14mg1%
    Folate 19µg5%
    Iron 2mg11%
    Manganese 1mg50%
    Magnesium 40mg10%
    Zinc 1mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

    If you liked this recipe, you might also like:

    • vegan brunch recipes including vegan frittata, french toast and vegan egg salad
      25+ Best Vegan Brunch Recipes
    • 43 plant-based desserts including vegan custard and apple cake
      43 Plant-Based Desserts
    • vegan custard
      Vegan custard (pastry cream)

    « Italian Biscotti (Vegan)
    Hasselback baked apples with cinnamon »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. chefmac

      March 02, 2023 at 3:55 am

      wow am surprised ...and very hppy ..so responsive and flexible to cater for the querries.thanks so much

      Reply
    2. Beatrice Lee

      December 08, 2022 at 11:12 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Nico,

      The brownie cake looks amazing! I can't believe I found an egg-free recipe for my daughter!

      Can this cake be prepared using a mixer? If so, are there any adaptations needed?

      Thanks!
      Beatrice

      Reply
      • Nico

        December 10, 2022 at 7:37 am

        Hi Beatrice,

        Thanks for your comment. Do you mean stand mixer? If so, yes, you can use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment; it might take a few minutes longer to beat the aquafaba than with a hand mixer.

        Thanks,
        Nico

        Reply
        • Beatrice

          December 10, 2022 at 7:53 am

          Yes, a stand mixer. Also, can I use gluten free (1 to 1) flour instead?

          Reply
          • Louise

            December 12, 2022 at 6:43 am

            Hi Beatrice. Yes, you can use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment; it might take a few minutes longer to beat the aquafaba than with a hand mixer. We have never tried making the brownie cake with gluten-free flour, but a few of our readers have and loved the result. I hope that helps, let me know if you have any more questions. Kindest, Louise

            Reply
    3. Susan

      October 07, 2022 at 6:34 am

      Is it possible to substitute cacao for the chocolate? By blooming it and adding more butter? Or don’t bother and use the proper recipe? It would be nice to make with pantry ingredients.
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Nico

        October 07, 2022 at 9:03 am

        Hi Susan, thanks for the feedback! We tried with cacao and found that it didn't give the kind of brownie-chocolate flavor we were looking for. But that being said, we will remake this cake soon and test again with cacao powder. Have a wonderful weekend! Cheers, Nico

        Reply
        • Olivene Clavon

          January 14, 2023 at 9:58 pm

          I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it does look promising. Can I use carob chips instead of the chocolate?

          Reply
          • Louise

            January 15, 2023 at 5:53 am

            Hi Olivene,
            I'm so happy you like the recipe!
            Yes, I believe you can use carob chips instead (1:1 ratio). Be mindful that the flavor profile of the cake is different as carob is less bitter than chocolate and has a naturally sweet flavor (carob chips are without added sugar).
            Let us know how it turns out!
            Kindest, Louise

            Reply
    4. Alice

      January 30, 2022 at 7:29 pm

      Questa torta è pazzesca!! Complimenti!! Sono vegana da anni ma da quando ho scoperto il tuo blog faccio solo le tue ricette, sei imbattibile! Hanno ingredienti semplici, sono spiegate benissimo, sono infallibili e soprattutto buonissime! Siete bravissimi! (Vado a tagliarmi un'altra fetta di torta 😄)

      Reply
      • Chef Nico

        February 02, 2022 at 4:16 pm

        Grazie mille Alice,, sono felicissimo che ti sia piaciuta! Ci fa troppo piacere che ti riescono bene le nostre ricette 🙂 Allora buon appetito!!!

        Reply

    Leave a comment and star rating :-) Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

    Hi, we are Nico and Louise, and we love cooking! Welcome to our blog.

    Here we share veggie-packed recipes for the whole family.

    Omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans, you are ALL WELCOME to this community.

    More about us →

    Trending

    • lentil curry with basmati rice
      Lentil Curry
    • vegan mushroom pasta
      Vegan Mushroom Pasta
    • cauliflower lentil salad
      Cauliflower Lentil Salad
    • chickpea soup with bread
      Chickpea Soup

    Seasonal

    • Roasted sweet potatoes on white platter
      Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    • broccoli pasta with fork
      Broccoli Pasta
    • roasted cauliflower soup
      Cauliflower Soup
    • lentil bolognese
      Lentil bolognese

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Top Recipes
    Vegan Custard
    Potato gnocchi
    Easy Focaccia
    Rice salad
    Vegan Ricotta

    Top Compilations
    Best Tofu Recipes
    Vegan Pasta Recipes
    Easy Dinners
    Best Plant-Based Desserts
    Vegan Appetizers

    Most Shared
    Eggplant Parmigiana
    Vegan Mayo
    Vegan melted cheese
    Hummus
    Roasted sweet potatoes

    HOME ABOUT RECIPES SUBSCRIBE PRIVACY POLICY NUTRITION DISCLAIMER IMPRINT

    Copyright © 2023 The Plant Based School