Decadent Indulgence: Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe (from Germany) You Will Love

There is a symphony playing in your mouth. The notes for it are right here: this Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe.

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EVERYBODY loves this DECADENT INDULGENCE!

The CHOCOLATE MOCHA CREAM lusciously envelopes the rich and moist HAZELNUT BODY. In the middle lies an unexpected, vibrant surprise: the SWEET-TARTE RASPBERRY LAYER. This cake is a masterpiece, a testament to the artistry of flavor composition. The elements work together, balance each other out, harmonize and dance together in your mouth.

Close your eyes and hear the music.

Listen to this classical playlist starting with Chopin Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 or to my absolute favorite classical piece: Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 23.

Let the flavors and the music transport you into another dimension!

There are many recipes for chocolate cakes out there but this one really stands out.

This is THE BEST Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe!

Yes, it does take a little more time and effort to make.

BUT let me tell you: it is SO WORTH it.

Because it is a very special cake, more like a torte, it is perfect for the special moments in life.

Holidays, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries… or just a Sunday afternoon coffee time. “Kaffee und Kuchen”, as we would say in Germany.

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Notes on Ingredients
2. Equipment
3. Techniques
4. FAQ’s

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Notes on INGREDIENTS for Vegan Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

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The original, German recipe for this decadence is not vegan.

I spent hours figuring out the exact ingredients and composition to make this cake something truly unforgettable.

Here are notes on ingredients for this Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe.

Aquafaba- crucial in this Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

The original recipe was asking for beaten egg white foam, we are using aquafaba instead.

What is aquafaba, you ask? Translated it is the “aqua” = water of the “faba” = bean.

Aquafaba is the “bean brine” in cans.

The best / most neutral form of aquafaba comes from canned chickpeas.

I prefer using the brine from Trader’s Joe’s organic chickpea cans (see image above).

These are the ones I buy when I buy online:

365 by Whole Foods Market, Beans Garbanzo Organic (affiliate link). However, I still MUCH prefer the ones from Trader Joe’s.

Kala Namak

In order to get that “eggy” flavor we can use the Indian black salt, called “kala namak” (affiliate link).

It has a sulfur like taste. This comes as close as you can get to the “egg” flavor without using eggs!

Absolutely worth it (I love it in tofu scramble- it’s excellent!).

HAZELNUT MEAL – the star in this Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

This is the star of our show.

Ground up hazelnut meal or hazelnut flour can be expensive.

Sometimes it is $20 per 14 oz bag. I recently saw a better price: as saw as low as $8 per bag.

Here is a good option from Amazon fresh: Bob’s Red Mill Finely Ground Hazelnut Flour (affiliate link).

I have tried buying whole hazelnuts and grinding them, however, the process is very cumbersome and time consuming.

It also is not easy- often we make it into a hazelnut butter rather than fine meal / flour.

The technique matters and you can’t over-grind.

A regular processor may make it into nut butter.

A nut grinder might be preferred (I have this nut and spice grinder: Cuisinart SG-10 Electric Spice-and-Nut Grinder; affiliate link).

However, those have small reservoirs and make the job very tedious!

In the end I figured that it really is worth paying the price of the pre-ground hazelnut meal.

Since the hazelnut meal can be expensive this whole cake can be quite expensive.

This is why this Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe really is mostly for very special occasions.

COFFEE – best supporting ingredient in this Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

The Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe uses an indulgent chocolate-butter-mocha cream.

The mocha cream requires a touch of coffee flavor. The amount of coffee used is small.

It gives that special kind of essence to the cake.

Since I bake for adults and kids I use only decaf coffee, however, that is not a must.

You may want to choose a regular coffee.

The coffee should either be an instant coffee or VERY FINELY ground.

I have a small electric coffee mill and I can make it very, very fine.

If you don’t have a mill, consider the best quality instant coffee you can find.

Another option is to got to an artisinal coffee shop and ask them to finely grind you some coffee beans.

A coffee mill is not too expensive. It can be used for other items, such as nuts, seeds, spices as well.

Or just for that delicious, freshly ground coffee!

My mill is no longer available but I have one very similar to this highly rated option.

Cuisinart Coffee Grinder (affiliate link).

Decaf Coffee Option

I would recommend decaf coffee that has been decaffeinated by the Swiss Water Process.

This is the gentlest way to get the caffeine out of your coffee.

My ABSOLUTE favorite decaf coffee is the Chocolate Fish Decaf Coffee (affiliate link).

It is incredibly mild, smooth and absolutely delicious. Best coffee EVER!

One option for instant decaf coffee on Amazon: Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Decaf Coffee (affiliate link).

Coffee Concentrate Option

Alternatively, you can use a liquid coffee concentrate.

Trader Joe’s has good and affordable options, however, they are not decaf.

I checked Amazon but they all are so expensive that I would not buy nor recommend them. Not worth it.

Another option would be to make a HIGHLY CONCENTRATED, VERY STRONG coffee and use that in the recipe.

You just don’t want to add too much liquid.

FLOUR

The Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe is using a very small amount of flour in the cake body.

How to make it gluten free?

Replace regular flour with gluten free flour and add 1/8 teaspoon of xantham gum to the mix.

I trust and use the Anthony’s brand, so you might want to check this out: Anthony’s Xanthan Gum, (affiliate link).

However, it is quite the large bag.

It would only be worth getting this if you are gluten-free and baking a lot.

An easier solution would be to use a pre-mixed “gluten free flour blend” instead.

A good option: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour (affiliate link).

The Butter

Nothing like Miyoko’s European Butter (affiliate link).

But of course, I am probably biased, as this is the type of butter (European) that I grew up with.

Even non-vegan friends of ours have started buying this “butter” because of its delicious taste.

As an alternative: Trader Joe’s has a vegan European style butter which is a little less expensive.

The chocolate for this Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

No Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe without chocolate!

The chocolate is OBVIOUSLY very important here and as a 🇩🇪German🇩🇪 I take the quality of chocolate VERY SERIOUSLY! And wouldn’t you believe it: one of the best (and also most affordable) options comes from Trader Joe’s! It’s the Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar! It is not only delicious (especially for a dark chocolate) but also organic and economical! I ❤️ TJ’s

The chocolate chips that Trader Joe’s has are also “accidentally vegan”. However, I think for this high-end cake the Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar from Trader Joe’s works much better.

No Trader Joe’s near by? Target has dark Lindt chocolate and is a more exclusive chocolate. Lindt Dark Chocolate (affiliate link). Click the link to check it out, but consider buying it at the store. Chocolate can melt during shipping and then harden again… not a really nice experience (been there!). FYI, this is THE BEST VEGAN MILK CHOCOLATE out there: Lindt Oat Milk Bars (affiliate link). Again: I would not actually buy these online. Target has them as well and often at a great price (compared to Safeway or other super markets).

The Raspberry Preserve

Of course, you can “go fancy” here. Fancy options: Stonewall Kitchen Red Raspberry Jam (affiliate link) or the Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves (affiliate link).

However, I have found that the Raspberry Preserve that Trader Joe’s has is actually quite excellent! It can totally keep up with its more expensive competitors. I use the Trader Joe’s preserve.

The EQUIPMENT For Vegan Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

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Mixer

I suppose you could use a whisk and hand-whisk the aquafaba foam. I remember seeing my grandmother do that! However, I would recommend using a mixer.

Handheld should be fine if you don’t have a standalone mixer.

However, it can take quite some time to make the aquafaba foam.

If you have a stand alone mixer you can have it working on the side while you move on with other preparations.

Ideally, we will also need a hand-held mixer and a small mixing bowl.

When we make the chocolate-mocha cream we use only a very small amount of aquafaba.

It might be a bit more difficult for your larger stand alone mixer to mix such a small amount.

Hand-held Mixer

Consider the trusty and affordable hand mixer by Hamilton. Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer with Whisk (affiliate link). It has great reviews and ratings on Amazon and should be in the below $30 (prices may vary).

For below $60-70, you could get the high quality Cuisinart HM-50 Power Advantage 5-Speed Hand Mixer (affiliate link). It has a fantastic reputation and great reviews.

And now for the Mercedes among the hand-held mixers. KitchenAid 7-Speed Hand Mixer (affiliate link) by a trustworthy brand with excellent reviews. It should cost around $80-100. If my trusty Black & Decker mixer ever breaks (it has been working well for YEARS) I would get this one myself…

Mixing Bowls

If you do use a hand-held mixer, then I would recommend using mixing bowls for optimal results. One example: Cuisinart Mixing Bowl Set of 3 (affiliate link).

Standalone Mixer

The queen among standalone mixers is the KitchenAid head stand mixer. You really can’t go wrong with these, however, this is definitively an investment piece. I thought about buying this one for at least 5 years. And I am so glad that we did. I have the bright yellow 6 QT and it brightens up my day with its joyous color.

LARGE KitchenAid Mixer

This large one is gorgeous and at 7 QT a great tool for larger batches and big families. Check it out: KitchenAid NEW 7 Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer with Double Flex Edge Beater (affiliate link).

I love my KitchenAid mixer, it has been through so much with us and keeps on going. It is robust, has amazing quality and is long-lasting. With a variety of optional attachments and accessories available, this stand mixer is incredibly versatile. From pasta makers to food grinders, you can expand your culinary repertoire. And you can experiment with different cooking techniques, all with one powerful appliance.

MODERATE sized KitchenAid Mixer

There are smaller capacity than this one which has 5 QT. However, I do wonder whether it makes as much sense to have the much smaller one. Small capacities can be whipped up with a hand mixer (a hassle but certainly possible). I would probably not get one that is smaller than 5QT (Like the 4.5 QT one; affiliate link). This one has EXCELLENT ratings of more than 16,000 customers. It comes in a gorgeous aqua color that is sure to liven up your kitchen! KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield (affiliate link).

Whisk

When we make our chocolate-mocha cream we will use a large spoon or, ideally, a whisk (affiliate link).

Hot Water Bath Pots

For our “Bain Marie” technique (see below) we will need a small “bain marie pot”. I would only use STAINLESS STEEL products for this (generally I prefer stainless steel for its non-toxic quality and durability).

A sturdy, temperature resistant glass might also work. However, I am paranoid about dropping and shattering it. Therefore, I use stainless steel.

Most basic option: Browne 1-1/4 qt Stainless Steel Bain Marie Pot (affiliate link). Very reasonable price.

However, the pot will get VERY HOT and you have to be VERY CAREFUL when handling it. At the very least you will also need good oven mitts! These are high quality and work well: Gorilla Grip Heat and Slip Resistant Silicone Oven Mitts (affiliate link).

I personally have this Fino Turkish Warmer Coffee Pot (affiliate link) and use it for my Bain Marie needs

I still need my good grip oven mitts, though. It does get quite hot!

You probably already have a small (1-1.5 QT) saucepan with handle. Example: Cuisinart 8919-14 Professional Series 1-Quart Saucepan with Cover (affiliate link). So, you can just use the one you already have.

Larger Sauce Pan

You will also need a slightly larger (around 3QT) pot to set up the Bain-Marie (see technique below). Example: T-Fal 3QT Stainless Steel Sauce Pan (affiliate link)

Baking Pan

You will need one or two 9 inch springforms for baking (2 for faster results). I do not like the old style non-stick pans as I have concerns for leaking of toxic substances. But of course, if you use it only rarely it should be fine. You can also figure out how to put baking sheets in there. I use: If You Care Parchment Baking Paper (affiliate link). However, I would probably avoid buying the coated non-stick pans now. A healthier non-stick alternative is the ceramic technology. I recently ordered the casaWare 9-inch Springform Pan Ceramic Coated NonStick (affiliate link) but have not yet tried it out. I will update this post once I have used it.

Option 1: Use one 9″ pan and bake the two layers one after the other (see techniques below).

Option 2 (preferred): Use two 9″ pans to simultaneously or in quick succession bake the two layers. If you have one 9″ pan and one 8″ pan that should work as well.

MEASUREMENT HELP

Scales

Owning a kitchen scale is super useful, we use ours EVERY DAY. If you take baking, cooking or dieting seriously, I would HIGHLY recommend investing in a kitchen scale. You can find high quality scales for less than $35. (We use kitchen scales so much that we have 3! One extra large ones and two regular sized ones)

This is our regular sized, reliable scale. It is sturdy, practical, easy to clean, easy to use and super long-lasting. OXO Good Grips 5-lb Food Scale with Pull-Out Display (affiliate link). The pullout display is AMAZING and makes it a breeze weighing larger bowls. Just pull out the display and your vision is not obstructed! Voila!

Measuring Cups

If you don’t have a kitchen scale you can always use measuring cups. And they do come handy.

We also use them on a DAILY basis (for warming up water or almond milk in the microwave, measuring etc.).

These are the ones we own: Pyrex Glass Measuring Cups (affiliate link).

We use them many times every day and the wear and tear is showing.

After 6 years of HEAVY DUTY use and of putting them in the dishwasher the markings are fading.

The marking are on the outside and there is nothing that comes in contact with your food except the glass.

They are sturdy and non-toxic, however it is getting more and more difficult to read the markings.

If you use them less frequently or are more gentle when it comes to cleaning them, these are excellent.

I would buy them again and would still give them 4.5 stars.

Measuring Spoons

A must for every serious baker! I have these kind of measuring spoons and I like them very much Hudsons Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons (affiliate link).

I love OXO products and these OXO Measuring Spoons (affiliate link) look amazing, good grip, magnetic snaps! However, they don’t have the 1/8 tsp measurement. That doesn’t work for me (although I have been tempted to buy them still… 😅)

Side Note

WE DON’T NEED THIS HERE but I recently discovered these and wanted to share. Measuring spoons for the teeny tiny amounts we might use in cooking / baking. A drop, a pinch, a dash: Small Measuring Spoons Set (affiliate link)

Colander

You will need a colander to drain the chickpeas. I love these little stainless steel colanders from RSVP (affiliate link) SO MUCH that I have 3 of them. We use them EVERY day for fruit cleaning, draining etc. They are so handy!

Coffee Mill – OPTIONAL (ONLY IF NOT USING INSTANT COFFEE OR COFFEE CONCENTRATE)

If you don’t use instant coffee or a coffee concentrate then you might want to get a coffee mill. Check this out about the coffee use.

A coffee mill is not too expensive.

Option: Cuisinart Coffee Grinder (affiliate link).

Can Opener

We can’t get to the aquafaba without a can opener.

Here’s the one I wish I had: OXO can opener (affiliate link)

Here’s the one I have: OXO soft grip can opener (affiliate link). I love it a lot and it is sooo easy to use BUT it doesn’t have the built in bottle cap opener which I use to loosen tight lids from glass jars.

Oven

Of course, you can (and should) use whichever oven you have.

We have a large gas range oven that heats up the whole kitchen when in operation. It takes a super long time to warm up and bake things.

After years of fretting over this, we finally bought the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (affiliate link).

We have not used our gas range ever since.

It looks compact but it does have SO MUCH SPACE!

We do our baking, convection baking, broiling, air frying, dehydrating, warming up with it.

It does have a toast function for “bulk toasting”.

Overall, I am very happy with this stovetop oven and couldn’t cook without it anymore!

We use it EVERY DAY.

Of course, you need the countertop space for it, so keep that in mind.

Also, the top gets VERY, VERY hot and is not safe to be left uncovered.

Breville makes a Breville Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link) that is meant to be kept on top of the oven.

It is made to allow air to circulate but also protects you from accidentally touching the top.

We use it only as a cover NOT as a cutting board. I don’t think that is practical, hygienic or pretty to also use it as a cutting board.

The Techniques For Vegan Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

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Aquafaba Foam

The hazelnut cake body is created by hazelnut meal and aquafaba foam. This is a vegan replacement for egg white foam. See info on ingredients.

When making aquafaba foam it is VERY IMPORTANT that your mixing bowl is FREE OF ANY GREASE!

Be extra sure that it is squeaky clean before starting.

Making foam out of aquafaba (see info about ingredient above) takes some patience.

It takes slightly longer than beating egg whites, however, the effort is well worth it.

I don’t recommend doing this by hand (you’ll get carpal tunnel 😅)

First drain the chickpeas and set aside. You will not use them for this recipe. You can roast them in the oven with some spices for a very tasty protein snack.

Place all the aquafaba into your clean bowl.

Add the kala namak and the sugar and with the mixer on high start beating the aquafaba.

You will see it becoming slowly foamy, continue beating it until there is a solid, stiff foam.

Baking & Layering

The non-vegan version was supposed to be baked all in one baking pan.

Then it was supposed to be cut horizontally into a bottom layer and a top layer.

I experimented with this A LOT.

The best solution for our vegan version is to bake the bottom and the top layers separately.

Prepare the hazelnut body mass and then divide it up into two equal parts.

I use two springforms and bake them both at once or one after the other (while the other cools down).

It certainly takes less time this way.

If you have only one springform you have to bake the first half of the mass.

Let it cool down well, remove it, clean the pan.

Then then bake the second layer, let that cool down and then take it out.

Certainly more cumbersome but doable. Just plan extra time for this.

Bain-Marie (say “bane mah-REE”)

Bain-Marie is a french term and fancy for “hot water bath”.

This is what we need to do in order to melt the chocolate.

I have tried melting chocolate in other ways.

Warm it directly in a pan, in the microwave, on top of a hot area, in the oven.

None of these things work- so no wonder that we come back to the “Bain Marie” technique.

This is a gentle technique of applying heat evenly around your food and is THE GO TO when melting chocolate.

The setup can also be called a “double boiler”:

Put water in a medium-large saucepan (around 3QT, see equipment).

Put enough to cover the floor but not so much that it reaches up to the second, smaller vessel.

Insert a smaller vessel Bain-Marie pot or small Turkish Coffee pot (see equipment above) into the water.

Put the unmelted chocolate into the smaller pot.

Heat on low-medium heat.

The water will get increasingly hotter and the chocolate will start melting.

Make sure to wear your oven mitts while handling this as it gets very hot.

Make sure that the water doesn’t reach into the smaller vessel or gets into the chocolate.

If the water starts boiling, reduce the heat somewhat to keep it simmering but not actively boiling.

The Occasions For Vegan Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

This cake or rather torte is a culinary masterpiece that takes time, effort and money to make.

We call it “Haselnusstorte” in 🇩🇪German🇩🇪, “hazelnut torte”.

The end product is well worth the effort!

However, it is more of a “special occasions” kind of cake.

Here are some ideas for when to serve this delicacy:

FAQs About Vegan Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

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What is the best chocolate to use?

That is a very important issue for this delicacy. The chocolate is one of our superstars in this Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe. Check out the details above.

How can I make This Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe gluten-free without compromising taste?

This cake is pretty easy to make gluten free as we are using a very small amount of flour. Check out the section on ingredients here to read about the gluten free alternatives. It should not compromise the taste at all. This is actually a great GF option!

Can I substitute ingredients Of this Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe if I have allergies?

That really depends on the ingredient.

Gluten

You can definitively substitute the regular flour for gluten free flour (see here).

Chickpea

If you have an allergy to chickpeas then you could try using the brine of canned white beans instead. I read that this should work as aquafaba, however, I have not tried this out myself.

Hazelnut

If you have a hazelnut allergy you could try and make this with almond flour.

BUT the whole cake characteristics will change.

This cake works so well because of the magical combination of hazelnut and chocolate (think Nutella).

It would absolutely not be the same if hazelnuts were not to be used.

Ingredients in the vegan butter

If there is a problem with the vegan butter you can substitute it with an allergy friendly margarine

How long can the cake be stored, and how should it be preserved?

The aroma and flavors intensify on day 2.

It is a great idea to prepare this one day before you plan to serve it.

This way all the flavors have combined for maximum enjoyment!

The chocolate-butter-mocha cream is very temperature sensitive.

This cake must be stored in the fridge and taken out about 15 minutes before serving.

I have not tried freezing it and I doubt that it would do well.