Please note: This is a home-baking recipe article. Anges de Sucre no longer produces vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free or egg-free physical cakes. Our kitchen handles gluten, dairy, eggs, soya, peanuts and tree nuts, so we cannot guarantee bakery cakes are free from traces of allergens. For home baking, see our digital Vegan Hero Sponge Recipe.
A good chocolate drip should set with a slight sheen, hold its shape on a cold cake and still cut cleanly. This vegan version uses dark chocolate and plant fat rather than dairy cream.
Vegan Chocolate Drip Recipe
Ingredients
- 100g dark chocolate
- 40–50g vegan block margarine, vegetable shortening or refined coconut oil
Check the label of every ingredient. Dark chocolate is not automatically vegan; some bars contain milk ingredients. Choose a chocolate and fat that meet the dietary requirements of the people eating the cake.
Method
- Chop the chocolate finely and place it in a dry, heatproof bowl.
- Melt gently over a bain-marie, or microwave in short bursts, stirring between each one.
- Stir in about 40g of the plant fat until smooth. Add a little more only if the drip is too thick.
- Let the mixture cool until it is fluid but no longer hot.
- Test one drip on the side of a well-chilled frosted cake. If it races to the bottom, let the mixture cool or thicken it with a little more chocolate. If it barely moves, warm it very gently or add a small amount more plant fat.
- Once the test drip behaves properly, work around the edge with a teaspoon or piping bag, then cover the top if desired.
Why test the drip first?
Chocolate percentage, room temperature, cake temperature and the fat you choose all change the viscosity. A fixed temperature cannot guarantee the same result with every brand, so one test drip is more useful than chasing a single number.
Can you use coconut oil?
Yes, but use refined coconut oil if you do not want coconut flavour. Coconut oil can set quite firmly when chilled, so add it gradually rather than assuming the full quantity will be needed.
Can you use vegan margarine?
Yes, preferably a firmer block-style product. Soft tub margarines contain varying amounts of water and can make the final texture less predictable.
How should a vegan drip cake be stored?
The chocolate drip does not determine the safe storage life of the whole cake. Store the finished cake according to its most perishable component.
- If the cake contains a shelf-stable sponge and stable frosting, follow that recipe's storage guidance.
- If it contains fresh fruit, a perishable plant-based cream, custard, mousse or another chilled filling, refrigerate it according to the ingredient or recipe instructions.
- Freezing may be perfectly safe for a suitable cake, but condensation can dull or mark a finished chocolate drip as it defrosts. That is mainly a cosmetic issue, so freeze only when the rest of the cake is suitable and protect it well.
Want the sponge recipe too?
Our Vegan Hero Sponge Recipe is a digital home-baking recipe with flavour variations.
If you are looking to order a celebration cake rather than bake one, browse our current chocolate cakes. Please note that the bakery range is vegetarian but is not vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free or egg-free.
Reshmi xoxo
Hello I made your chocolate vegan cake with the vegan buttercream and the chocolate drip. I had to use copha and nuttlex as I’m in Australia 🇦🇺
I was dubious as most recipes that say there “the best” or “the perfect cake” are usually a let down but this cake was actually amazing no one knew it was vegan cake (my daughter is anaphylactic to eggs nuts and dairy) everyone came back for second servings, you know it’s a good cake when everyone’s plate is empty and you have no cake left over
Only problem I had was I put the chocolate drip on and it was a bit hot so it ran a bit but first time attempting this cake was a success
Really lovely recipe and so easy to do. I used the shortening to make this and found it a little runny initially but once I left it to cool for a couple of minutes it was perfect to use. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi
I’m looking for the whole recipe for this cake as going to make for birthday for my son 1st
I have tried to make the drip 3 times and everytime i add the butter it just goes hard. the chocolate is hot enough and the butter is at room temp, and im adding a tiny amount at a time but it immediately goes hard. what am i doing wrong?
Hi Lesli, you can use either or a mix of shortening & coconut oil should you wish. I prefer using only shortening as the coconut oil imparts a coconut flavour to the chocolate drip which on some cakes may not work very well in terms of flavour pairing etc x
Hi Katriona, sorry to hear it made a mess! Ganache drips are best worked with at around 28-32 degrees celcius, which does make it quite runny. I’d advice using a little at a time to drip for more control, and of course, a very chilled buttercreamed cake so the drip sets best.
I hope you have better results next time xoxo
Do I only use the chocolate & shortening or coconut oil to make the drip ?
Do I only use the chocolate & shortening or coconut oil to make the drip ?
This came out very runny for me and just made a mess :( tasted OK which is the main thing!