Vegan Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake – Simple & Moist!

Indulge in this rich and decadent vegan salted caramel chocolate cake! Moist, fluffy, and packed with deep chocolate flavour and filled with gooey caramel centre, this cake is a decadent dessert with a perfect balance of sweet and salty! This easy dairy-free and egg-free chocolate cake is frosted with vegan caramel frosting and topped with silky vegan chocolate sauce, perfect for birthdays, and celebrations, and is sure to wow everyone!

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I made it guys! The ultimate caramel + chocolate cake that will be loved by anyone and everyone – it’s vegan salted caramel chocolate cake! Undoubtedly, chocolate and caramel are the best match made in chocolate dessert heaven, and this vegan salted caramel chocolate cake proves it all! I honestly could not stop eating this cake, the cake is moist, rich, and fluffy with a deep cacao aroma, perfectly balanced with the sweetness and saltiness from the salted caramel. I’m drooling just typing this. And as usual, it’s completely dairy-free and egg-free. Can you believe that!?

This cake is frosted with my vegan caramel buttercream frosting with a gooey caramel centre in between the layers and drizzled with vegan chocolate sauce, which makes it extra indulgent and pretty to everyone’s eyes!

Main ingredients and substitutions

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Plain Flour: Regular plain flour is the base of this chocolate cake, it’s the most versatile flour to bake cakes. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, you can swap it for gluten-free 1:1 flour and just follow the recipe instructions.

Cacao Powder: I always use unsweetened 100% cacao powder, it gives a rich chocolate flavour to baked goods. You can also use unsweetened cocoa powder if you prefer, or dutch processed cocoa powder works as well. Just make sure that it’s unsweetened and 100% made of cacao.

Caster Sugar: My go-to sugar is caster sugar. It sweetens the cake and also, makes a soft and moist texture. If you can’t find caster sugar, granulated sugar or light brown sugar works as a substitute. Feel free to use less refined sugar like coconut or date too.

Vegetable Oil: I used vegetable oil in this cake recipe to create a moist texture. Other oils such as rapeseed or sunflower will be fine to replace it too. Melted coconut oil would work too if you prefer to use coconut oil in baking, just note that the texture will be slightly different when cooled or in the fridge.

Soy Milk: Almond or oat milk also works perfectly in this recipe. I use soy milk mainly in my baking recipes as it makes great vegan buttermilk.

Soy yoghurt: I used plain soy yoghurt for this recipe to add moisture and it also acts as a replacement for eggs in vegan baking. Feel free to use other plant-based yoghurt as an alternatives if soy is not available to you.

Cornflour: Cornflour is an excellent ingredient in vegan baking as it helps bind like eggs do and also helps balance the gluten content in the flour. Other starchy flour like arrowroot, potato, or tapioca can be used instead too, cornflour is just something I can buy easily at my local supermarket!

Apple Cider Vinegar: Why add apple cider vinegar? Because it reacts with baking soda so it helps rise the cake and create a fluffy texture. White vinegar or lemon juice works too.

Other ingredients: my vegan caramel sauce, vegan caramel buttercream frosting, chocolate sauce, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Note: Substitution may change the final taste and texture of this recipe.

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

Mixing Bowls: I use at least 2 bowls for recipes that use plain flour, one for mixing all dry ingredients and one for mixing all wet ingredients. Depending on the recipe, though. This is because if I make cake batter in one bowl, which is a popular method because washing dishes would be easier, it makes even distribution of ingredients in the batter a bit difficult for recipes with plain flour. So, for this recipe, I used two bowls.

Whisk & wooden spoon or silicone spatula: I have a small whisk for mixing my vegan butter milk and a big one for mixing dry ingredients. A large wooden spoon or silicone spatula is great for mixing/folding the cake batter gently.

18cm(7in) cake tin: This recipe uses three 18cm(7in) cake tins but one size bigger would work too. Just bake them for a little less time about 5 mins and check doneness with a toothpick test. 

Parchment Paper: Always use parchment paper to protect your cakes from sticking to the cake tins!

Cake Stand and spatula: I have a few cake stands, one is a rotating one for easy frosting and decoration and some are pretty ones that are perfect for presenting cake and for photography. Use a palette spatula to spread the frosting.

Piping bag and star tip: If you want to decorate the cake, use a piping bag and your favourite star tip.

How to make vegan salted caramel chocolate cake

Step 1: Preheat and Prep

Let’s start making the cake! First, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). And then line the bottom and side of your cake tins with parchment paper to ensure the cake is removed easily after baking. You need three 18cm (7in) cake tins for this recipe. Also, make your vegan buttermilk by mixing the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together and set aside. Easy peasy!

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a bowl, whisk together the plain flour, cacao powder, cornflour, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt until they are thoroughly combined. Whisking everything thoroughly ensures the ingredients like baking powder and cacao powder are evenly distributed, which helps the cake bake uniformly and have an even flavour in every bite.

Step 3: Make the Batter

In another large bowl, mix the vegetable oil, soy yoghurt, vegan buttermilk, caster sugar, and vanilla extract with a whisk until smooth. The mixture should be very well combined and slightly glossy.

Carefully pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and gently fold until just combined. Be careful not to overmix my friends! Gently folding is key, this keeps the cake light and fluffy. A few small lumps in the batter are totally fine!

Step 4: Bake

Pour the batter into your prepared tins evenly and smooth the top with a palette spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 mins until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean with moist crumbs. If it comes out with wet batter though, bake another 5 mins and test again. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cake is delicate, so handle with love and care!

Step 5: Frost and Serve

Make vegan caramel sauce while the cakes are cooling down if you are using homemade caramel sauce. You will need 1-2 batches.

Once the cake is completely cool, make this vegan caramel buttercream frosting with a pinch of salt to make it salted caramel frosting! Frost the first layer with the buttercream frosting with a palette knife, and using a piping bag and round star tip, draw a circle on the edge to make a little frosting wall around the cake.

So you have a frosting wall and a well in the middle for caramel sauce! Fill the well with vegan caramel sauce and sprinkle a pinch of salt on the caramel if you like, to make it extra salty.

Repeat for the second layer and finish with the third layer with just the caramel buttercream frosting. I frosted the top of the cake using a piping bag and my favourite star tip, and drizzled it generously with vegan chocolate sauce which turned out super delicious. Slice and enjoy!

Serving tips and ideas

• If you are feeling extra fancy, top a slice with a scoop of vegan vanilla or caramel ice cream! I never say no to a slice of cake with some ice cream on. So good!
• You can add a pop of colour and freshness with fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Berries always pair nicely with chocolate cakes.
• A bit of crunchiness might be something you want? Crush some digestives or Biscoff cookies and sprinkle on top of the cake, it adds lovely texture and also looks extra professional!
• If you have some ripe bananas that need to be used up, make caramelised banana coins by cooking slices of bananas with a bit of sugar, cool them down and top the cake with them. Salted caramel chocolate banana cake there you go!

Expert tips and tricks

Use thick caramel sauce for the filling and buttercream frosting

If you are making your vegan caramel sauce from scratch following my recipe, ensure to cook the sauce as instructed in the recipe so that you will get the right consistency for the buttercream and filling. Thin caramel sauce can thin out the buttercream frosting and get soaked up in the cake, which can make it difficult to assemble and cut. If your carael buttercream frosting seems to be thin, add more icing sugar to the frosting or try setting the cake in the fridge for 1 hour before serving.

Don’t overmix

As I always say in most of my recipes, mix the batter gently, always. Fold the batter until just combined to avoid a dense and rubbery cake.

Cool completely

The caramel buttercream frosting is prone to heat so let the cake cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting and caramel sauce from melting. When I am in a hurry, I put my cake in an airtight container when it’s slightly cooled down and rest it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.

Sift the cacao powder

Some powder ingredients like cacao powder and cocoa powder tend to make lumps in the package, so make sure to sift all of your dry ingredients before making this recipe. This prevents lumps and ensures a smooth batter and perfect tender texture in the final product.

Use a digital scale to weigh ingredients

Always use a digital scale rather than measuring cups when you are baking. It’s so much more accurate and measuring correctly is very important to achieve the best result.

Recipe variations

• Double chocolate is in order! If you want to add more chocolatiness to the cake fold in about 1/2  cup of vegan dark or milk chocolate chips. Tastes extra indulgent!
• Add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter for the crunch and nuttiness! I love adding nuts to my cake batter, it adds such a lovely texture to my cakes.
• If you are a mocha lover, mix 1 tbsp powdered instant coffee into the wet ingredients for a lovely chocolate mocha flavour.

How to store

• Room temperature: The buttercream frosting is prone to heat so I don’t recommend keeping the cake at room temperature as it can spoil the buttercream and cake.

• Refrigerator: If you want to store the cake for more than 1 day, refrigerate the whole cake or slices in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. Serve straight from the fridge or bring to room temperature before serving. The cake soaks up the caramel sauce so the texture will be more moist, but it’s still really tasty!

• Freezer: For a longer storage period, wrap slices individually in clingfilm and store in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving. You can freeze after assembling the whole cake or freeze the cake, frosting, and caramel sauce separately.

*Although you can store this recipe in the fridge or freezer, it’s always best to consume it fresh and as soon as possible.

Q and A

You will LOVE this vegan salted caramel chocolate cake because it is:

• fairly easy to make
• decadent
• great cake for parties
• chocolate lover’s dream

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious caramel, chocolate and dessert recipes you might enjoy!

• Chocolate banana cake
• Caramel cake
• Chocolate loaf cake
• No-bake chocolate tart
• Peanut butter cake
• Oreo cake
• Chocolate chip cake
• Caramel Muffins

Visit the cakes and cupcakes page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe with 5 stars in the comment section below if you like the recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!