This easy 2 Ingredient Chocolate Cake is a foolproof dessert. With a 3 Ingredient Chocolate Frosting, it couldn't be any easier! A secret ingredient gives this moist cake a subtle fruity ginger flavor, but you can choose another flavor if you like.
Aah, the smell of vegan chocolate cake permeating every inch of the house. It's enough to make your mouth water.
That's exactly what happened to me when I made this easy chocolate cake. I was downright drooling by the time I was shooting the photos.
This simple chocolate cake recipe is moist, fluffy, sweet, and rich. You may be wondering what the 2 ingredients are.
I used a gluten free vegan chocolate cake mix and my favorite flavor of kombucha: gingerberry, which is a mix of blueberries and ginger.
Kombucha adds a subtle fruity ginger flavor. When you taste this easy moist cake you can't quite put your finger on the subtle taste in the background, but if you taste gingerberry kombucha by itself, you'll totally get it.
The 3 Ingredient Chocolate Frosting is one that I've been making for years. Normally I use unsweetened almond milk and I add peanut butter so that it's a lot thicker.
That way I can eat it by the spoonful. It's my go-to chocolate treat when I don't have dark chocolate in the house.
Making a chocolate cake is unusual for me. I don't even eat cake on my birthday, instead I opt for vegan ice cream.
When I saw that you could make a 2 ingredient cake with cake mix and soda on the Food Network, I knew I had to try it with kombucha since it's also carbonated. I also figured that I would like a boxed cake mix more than the cake I've had in the past.
Another 2 ingredient recipe you have to try is my Ultimate 2 Ingredient Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge. It is melt-in-your-mouth good.
To be honest, I don't think I've had cake in the past 20 years since going vegan. The ones I had before were either store bought with bright colored frosting, which I always hated because that's all I could taste - the nasty dyed frosting, or they were flavors that I didn't like.
So now that I'm in control, I think things will be different. This 2 Ingredient Chocolate Cake has me loving cake! I've always loved easy desserts so this is right up my alley, and this couldn't be any easier.
I should note that this is sweet and rich. I can only eat a half a piece of cake in a sitting, so they are large pieces for me, but then I rarely eat dessert unless it's a small piece of dark chocolate.
Tips
- Choose a kombucha or soda that you like. It's just like cooking with wine - only cook with one you would actually drink!
- Follow instructions on the cake mix package for cooking times for your size baking dish - cooking times vary.
- Use the toothpick test; when it comes out easily and almost clean, it's done.
- Let the cake cool before frosting it.
- Refrigerate the frosting for at least 30 minutes before spreading. It gets thicker after being refrigerated.
- Add your favorite toppings: fresh fruit, vegan ice cream, whipped coconut cream, etc.
Variations / Additions
- Fold in chocolate chips or cherries.
- Bake in two baking dishes and make a layer cake. Top with your favorite frosting or use store-bought.
- Use vanilla cake mix and a fruit flavored kombucha.
Vegan Desserts
- The Easiest Dark Chocolate Hummus
- 2 Ingredient Mango Cake
- Banana, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Dessert Pizza
- 2 Ingredient Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Microwave Bread Pudding
Recipe
This vegan chocolate cake is perfect for birthday parties or potlucks. Why make cake from scratch when you can save time with this recipe!
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I love these Pyrex baking dishes! I used a 7 ½" x 9 ½" baking dish for this recipe. It's great because it comes with a cover, so I can put it in the fridge without having to switch out the container first.
2 Ingredient Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
2 Ingredient Chocolate Cake
- 1 (21 ounce) package Pamela's gluten free chocolate cake mix
- 12 ounces gingerberry kombucha (or other flavor)
- Coconut oil or oil spray
3 Ingredient Chocolate Frosting
- ¼ cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons full fat coconut milk
- Pinch salt
- Crushed chocolate for topping (optional) - I used chocolate almond bark
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- 2 Ingredient Chocolate Cake: Mix cake mix and kombucha well, but do not overmix. Pour into an oiled baking dish. Bake at 350° for the time on the package for your sized dish. Mine was 9 ½" x 7 ½", so I baked mine for 37 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out easily and almost clean. Let cool before frosting it.
- 3 Ingredient Chocolate Frosting: Mix all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then spread on cake.
Notes
Nutrition
*Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.
Cheryl Diane Swift says
Just to verify you only use 12 ounces of the Kombucha and not the whole 16 ounce bottle?
Willow Moon says
That's correct. I've tried this with the full 16 ounces when testing a different flavor cake and it was too much liquid.
Alēm says
Can you do this with making your own batter? I’m not a fan of gluten free, but am vegan and have a batter I prepare from scratch.
Willow Moon says
I don’t see why not. You may need to tweak a few things with your batter. The kombucha replaces eggs, water, and oil that a box mix normally calls for. You could also use a regular chocolate cake mix instead of gluten free.
Bridgette says
This was delicious. I split the batter between two 8” cake pans, iced, and stacked. Beautiful presentation. Although the taste was delicious, it was sticky, It tended to stick to the roof of our mouths. Is that normal, or should I have done something different?
Willow Moon says
It should be moist, but not sticky. It sounds like it needed more mixing.
Daphine says
I will have to give this a try! Looks amazing!
Belinda Maidman says
Hi,
To confirm that you do not add the oil and egg additional ingredients on the cake box mix and only the Kombucha?
Belinda
Willow Moon says
Yes, that is correct.
Ariel Shanelle says
You are my hero! I've been searching for vegan cake recipes for a while now. My son LOVES chocolate cake so I'm glad to have a recipe I can try. Thank You!
Willow Moon says
Chocolate cake couldn't be any easier when it's only two ingredients! I hope you and your son love it!
Marcy says
This is my new favorite way to make cake! Great recipe! Next time I'm going to try other flavors.
Willow Moon says
Thanks Marcy!
Chris Stanley says
This is a lovely quick recipe, thank you for the detailed recipe.
Kelly says
I LOVE kombucha so I had to try this recipe. Gingerberry is one of my favorites as well so I used that. I love the fruity flavor it gives! It is subtle like you said - very good! I will be trying other flavors in the future. I think strawberry or cherry would be really good!
Willow Moon says
Thanks Kelly! I will be trying other flavors as well. I think cherry will be the next one.
Nicci says
I’d like to try this recipe;however, I’m a little confused.
Do I add the drink to the cake mix and bake it for how long the box says to depending on my pan size? Or do I mix the cake according to the box directions and add the drink to the mix? Thank you for any help you’re able to provide.
Nicci
Willow Moon says
You only mix the cake mix and the kombucha (your 1st question) - literally two ingredients, so you don't follow the cake mix for the ingredients part, only the cake pan size part. Does that make sense? I hope so. I know it sounds too easy, right!