Chocolate Yogurt Bundt Cake

Makes one 12 cup Bundt, serves 12 to 16

Bundt cakes are always having a moment. There is something about the shape alone – that dramatic ring, the ridges, the hollow center just waiting to be filled with fruit – that makes a bundt look like you did a little extra. Dust it with powdered sugar and it becomes and absolute work of art, no piping required. Add strawberries and it looks like a glamorous photo shoot. It is the most effortlessly impressive thing you can bake and nobody needs to know it came together in one bowl in about fifteen minutes and that the pan really did most of the work. 

This easy vegan chocolate bundt cake is deeply chocolatey, moist, and gloriously glossy. The secret is the yogurt. It does the same job that sour cream does in a classic chocolate pound cake: keeping the crumb dense, moist, and almost fudgy without being heavy. One reader said it reminded them of exactly that, a sour cream chocolate cake their grandmother used to make. That is the highest compliment a cake can receive and this one earns it. I want to be your vegan grandma!

This is a chocolate lovers dream: a full cup of cocoa powder in the batter, plus a cup of chocolate chips folded in. The boiling water added at the end blooms the cocoa and gives it that dark, deep color and flavor. The crumb is tight and beautiful, the kind you just have to photograph before you eat it.

Then you flip it out. That moment — when you set the plate on top of the pan, hold your breath, and invert — is one of the great small joys of baking. The cake releases, it lands, it is perfect. Dust it with powdered sugar and let it snow. Pile fresh strawberries in the center hole, or any fruit that’s in season. Or nothing. It needs nothing. That’s the lesson here. 

That said, if you do want to douse it in ganache, use the ganache recipe from these cupcakes.

Now get out there and bundt it up!

EASY VEGAN CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE FAQ

What kind of yogurt should I use? Any plain or vanilla vegan yogurt works here. Coconut, soy, almond — all good. So Delicious and Cocojune coconut yogurt are both reliable choices. Tofutti sour cream also works great if that’s what you have.

What about the boiling water? Make sure to measure it after boiling, not before, since some evaporates. It’s a small thing but it matters.

Can I make this without a bundt pan? Absofrigginlutely. Two 9-inch round cake pans work well — reduce the baking time to about 30 to 35 minutes. A 9 by 13-inch pan also works at about 40 to 45 minutes. You’ll lose the dramatic flip but the cake will still be delicious.

Can I make this easy vegan chocolate bundt cake gluten free? Yup. Several readers have had good results with a 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend. The texture will be slightly different but still very good.

Can I use a different oil? Fer sure. I like olive oil a lot. Melted coconut oil works great, too. Safflower oil never hurt anyone, either.

Can I make cupcakes with this chocolate cake batter? You can but the batter is thick and rich — it works better as a bundt or layer cake. If you go for it, fill the liners about 2/3 full and bake for about 20 to 22 minutes. I’d say the texture is a little more muffiny when it’s in cupcake form.

Does it need frosting? Nope. Powdered sugar and fresh fruit is all it needs. But if you want to go there, the ganache recipe is totally worth it. Pour it on and watch the magic drips happen.

How did I end up here? Searched “vegan chocolate bundt cake” maybe? Or “vegan chocolate cake easy,” “dairy free chocolate cake,” “egg free chocolate cake.” Could have been “moist vegan chocolate cake” — that one gets people every time. You’re in exactly the right place.

Chocolate Yogurt Bundt Cake

Isa Chandra

A deeply chocolatey vegan bundt cake with a moist, dense crumb. Chocolate lovers only! One bowl, one pan, no occasion required. Dust it with powdered sugar and call it a day.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Baked Good, Bundtcake, Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 to 16 slices

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 1/4 cups plain or vanilla vegan yogurt (see note)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

To decorate:

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Fresh strawberries

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 12-cup Bundt pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, milk and canola oil until smooth, about a minute. Mix in the vanilla.
• Sift in about half of the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Mix until almost smooth, then add the remaining flour and hot water. Mix again until smooth. It’ll be relatively thick.
• Fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared Bundt pan and bake for 55 minutes to an hour. A knife inserted through the center should come out clean, but because of the chocolate chips it might be hard to tell. Just make sure there’s not a bunch of batter on it.
• Let cool for 20 minutes or so, then invert on to a cooling rack to cool completely. Because the cake is so moist it may take a little tapping to get the cake to release.
• Once completely cool, dust with powdered sugar and serve with strawberries!

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!