Fluffy and decadent vegan zebra bundt cake with swirls of chocolate and vanilla cake topped with an easy chocolate ganache! This is an impressive but easy and versatile vegan marble cake recipe.
Why you'll love this vegan marble cake
FLAVOR: If you like chocolate but don't want something too rich, this vegan cake recipe is perfect for you! The alternating layers of vegan chocolate cake and vegan vanilla cake make this a well-balanced dessert. But it's decadent enough for a special celebration!
APPEARANCE: Vegan bundt cakes are shaped so beautifully that they don't need anything extra. If you don't have a bundt pan, you can use a round or loaf pan and your cake will still be beautiful.
DIFFICULTY: The cake uses only common pantry ingredients and comes together in just two bowls! If you can mix dry and wet ingredients together, you can make this cake.
CROWD-PLEASER: I've served this cake to non-vegan guests at parties and it was loved by everyone! You need to try it!
Ingredients you'll need
Notes about the ingredients
Sugar, preferably regular white sugar or cane sugar. I'd recommend a light-colored sugar for this cake to keep the vanilla cake layers light in color.
Dairy-free milk such as soy milk, almond milk or oat milk. However, any non-dairy milk will work!
Oil which keeps the cake moister compared to butter! According to Bon Appetit, it also keeps a cake tender!
Cocoa powder or raw cacao powder. I prefer the taste of classic cocoa powder for cakes as it's less bitter and provides a more nostalgic chocolate flavor.
Baking powder and soda. We're using double baking agents to give the cake a lovely light crumb with no dense spots!
Vinegar (either apple cider or regular) which reacts with the milk to make buttermilk. This makes the cake fluffier and more tender.
Even though this is an eggless cake, we don't need any egg replacers or flax eggs. I've tested this recipe with egg substitutes and it doesn't make a difference.
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Easy way to prepare a bundt pan to prevent sticking
You can use a couple of pantry ingredients to make any bundt pan non-stick. It even worked for my intricate Nordicware bundt pan (10-cup)!
To prepare a bundt pan, I'd suggest you:
- Throughly brush inside of the pan with melted vegan butter. Make sure you reach all the nooks and crannies! I prefer using butter rather than oil as the latter sometimes leaves 'puddles' when used for greasing. Alternatively, you can use an oil spray to coat your bundt pan.
- Lightly dust some cocoa powder on top.
- Invert the bundt pan and tap it on your kitchen bench or side of your sink a few times. This forces the excess cocoa powder to fall out.
If you don't have a bundt pan, you can use a loaf tin or 2 x round cake pans for this vegan marble cake!
Preparing the cake batters
First you need to prepare an unflavored cake batter for your vegan bundt cake. You may use a whisk or spatula for this step.
Add the flour, sugar, raising agents and salt to a large bowl and mix until there are no lumps. Then add dairy-free milk, oil and vinegar and mix until JUST combined (or just before it's combined).
Some lumps in the cake batter are fine! Please avoid over mixing the cake batter at this stage as we're mixing it more later.
Evenly divide the batter into two bowls. The batter should weigh about 780g in each bowl.
Add your vanilla to one bowl of cake batter and gently stir in it. Set this aside.
To the remaining second bowl, add some cocoa powder and plant-based milk. If your cocoa powder is lumpy, I'd recommend sifting it in! Then gently fold the ingredients together.
To make the pattern for the vegan marble cake, both cake batters need to be the same consistency in order for the marble pattern to work.
However, cocoa powder makes the chocolate batter slightly thicker. To counteract this, I added in a little extra dairy-free milk to the chocolate batter so it's the same consistency as the vanilla batter.
How to assemble vegan marble cake
Once you've prepared your cake pan and cake batters, you can assemble your vegan zebra cake!
It's much easier than it looks. All you have to do is:
- Spoon ½ cup chocolate cake batter in one spot in your cake tin. I started with the chocolate batter as we dusted the tin with cocoa powder.
- Then spoon ½ cup vanilla cake batter right on top of the chocolate batter. The weight of the vanilla batter will force the chocolate batter underneath to spread out and so on.
- Repeat until you have used up all the cake batter!
The two-toned appearance of zebra cakes or marble cakes is automatically created when you layer and alternate the two batters.
The batters will not mix together IF the batters are the same consistency/thickness (see my tips above on preparing the cake batters).
After you've assembled the marble cake, you don't need to use a knife to swirl the chocolate and vanilla layers together. There are enough layers in the cake for a stunning visual effect!
It takes about 50-60 minutes to bake the vegan bundt cake. However, the baking time will depend on your cake tin and whether your oven runs hot or cold.
Tips: How to customize this cake
- VALENTINE'S DAY: Make a smaller version of this cake in a smaller cake tin. Or make the cake its full size and share it with loved ones!
- EASTER: Top the cake with Easter eggs (like below) to make it the perfect table centerpiece for an Easter buffet.
- BIRTHDAYS: Top the cake with sparklers and/or sprinkles.
I do not recommend using coconut sugar in the cake batter as it'll make the vanilla layer brown. If you really want to use coconut sugar, it will only work for the chocolate layer.
I haven't tried this vegan bundt cake with sugar replacers like stevia and monk fruit. However, I imagine it would work!
Also, using less sugar will result in a denser cake.
Yes, check out the notes of the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
I haven't tried substituting the oil for apple sauce or a similar ingredient. If you try it, let me know!
More indulgent vegan chocolate desserts
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Vegan Zebra Bundt Cake (Vegan Marble Cake)
Ingredients
Zebra Marble Cake
- 3 ½ cups (440g) all-purpose plain flour, note 1 for gluten free
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups (500g) dairy-free milk, room temperature
- ¾ cup (190g) neutral flavored oil, or melted vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup (25g) cocoa or raw cacao powder, + 2 tablespoons plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Melted vegan butter, as needed
Chocolate Ganache
- ¾ cup (130g) roughly chopped vegan chocolate or chocolate chips
- ½ cup (120g) thick scoopable canned coconut cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Brush a bundt tin with melted vegan butter or oil then lightly dust it with cocoa powder.
To make the cake:
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large bowl. Mix until combined. Add the milk, oil and apple cider vinegar and mix until just combined (some lumps are fine). Do not overmix the batter as you'll need to mix it again.
- Pour half of the cake mixture (around 780g) into another bowl. You will have two bowls of the unflavored cake mixture.
- Add the vanilla to one bowl of cake batter. Mix until just combined. Add the cocoa powder and milk to the other bowl of cake batter. Mix until just combined. (note 2)
Assembling the cake:
- Use 2 x ½ cup measures for these next steps (or 2 ladles of the same size).
- Pour ½ cup of the chocolate batter in one spot in the bundt tin. Pour ½ cup of the vanilla batter directly on top. Both cake batters will naturally spread. Keep alternating until there is no more cake batter.
- Bake the cake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until you can insert a skewer or toothpick into the cake and it comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the bundt tin for 10 minutes. Turn the bundt tin upside down on and leave it on a cooling rack for another 10 minutes. Gently tap the tin on to encourage it to come out. Allow the cake to completely cool on your wire rack.
To make the ganache:
- Add all ingredients to a small saucepan over low heat. Mix while allowing the chocolate to melt then turn off the heat. Mix until smooth and fully emulsified. Set aside to slightly cool.
- Drizzle the chocolate ganache over the bundt cake and serve immediately.
- The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
- To make this bundt cake gluten free, I'd recommend using 2 ¼ cups (225g) almond flour and 1 ½ cups (220g) gluten free all-purpose flour. Alternatively, substitute all the flour with a good quality 1:1 gluten free flour such as Bob Red Mills.
- Both the vanilla and chocolate cake batters should have the same consistency/thickness (the zebra pattern will not work if they aren't the same consistency). Add and mix in more flour or milk to ensure this.
Nutrition
This post was first published in July 2019 and updated a few times since then with more useful information.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Sarah says
This cake was SO good and super easy. I didn't do the cocoa part though. I wanted more densely textured chocolate pockets, in a mostly vanilla cake. So I followed your recipe but then melted 100g of vegan dark chocolate with a couple tablespoons of nut butter, and added a few tablespoons of the vanilla cake mix. Then I alternated between the vanilla mix and the dense chocolate one. It turned out so freaking delicious that I have saved the recipe to make it again. I made it in a bundt pan that is shaped like pine trees and dusted them with 'snowy' icing sugar. Thanks for sharing!
Anthea says
Love allll of that and glad it worked with your alterations :). And love the Winter-like pine trees too (reminds me of Christmas or the festive season). Thanks so much Sarah!
Morgan says
loved it so much and so easy to make!!
Anthea says
YAY! Thank you!
Delaram says
Loved. Loved. Loved
Anthea says
So glad to hear!
Sophie says
I really did not expect it but this is the best cake I've ever made and if I'd put it in a cute little box I'm sure I could fool everyone into thinking this is from a vegan bakery ? It's seriously so good I've had this for breakfast, and the only adaptation I made was about 1/4 less sugar. The fact that it is a zebra/marble cake makes it fun to make and it was really excited slicing my first piece of cake.
Anthea says
Aw that's the nicest thing I've heard Sophie! I'm soo glad that you loved the cake and you enjoyed it with less sugar! Thanks soo much for your lovely feedback xo
Anya says
Tried the recipe, made the cake, and it tastes amazing. It is soft and moist, tender and sweet. Ingredients are not complicated, and it has good instructions so even when you make zebra for a first time you can do it properly.
I would recommend this recipe 10/10 and will definitely make it again. Yummyyyy :).
Anthea says
That's sooo amazing Anya and glad you enjoyed making and eating the cake! Thanks for your lovely review xo
Mike says
Mike Van Der Zwart
I made it :). Nowhere near as beautiful as yours. It is lovely to eat though. Moist and a good crumb, also the crust is delicious. Recipe was easy to follow with ingredients that I always have on hand, which is much appreciated.
Bought a $5.00 bundt tin from the supermarket, not so fancy but within budget.
Very happy with the results. Thank you very much for your recipes and inspiration!
Anthea says
Thanks so much for your kind feedback Mike!! I'm all up for budgeting so glad that tin worked for you!! And I hear you about accessible ingredients. Thanks for your ongoing support with everything 🙂
Maria says
Hi, I was just wondering where you got the chocolate eggs that you used to decorate the top in the last picture?
Anthea says
Hey! I used Loving Earth easter eggs
celine says
hi would this work with gluten free flour
Anthea says
I haven't tried it, sorry! If you try it, let me know how you go!
Mollie says
Hi! I want to try making this next Tuesday, my first vegan cake in years - I kinda gave up on those o.o could you tell me what made you chose oil instead of vegan butter in this cake? And if I wanted to use vegan butter instead, would that still work you think?
Anthea says
Yes melted vegan butter would work! Sometimes I use oil instead of butter in cakes as the oil makes it a little more moist. However, melted butter can make it slightly fluffier - it's just personal taste! I hope that helps 🙂
Vai says
MY NEW GO TO RECIPE FOR MUFFINS! Yes, I had to put it in all caps haha I halved the recipe to yield 12 muffins/cupcakes. Also, used spelt flour - you need a little bit less flour then, but keep the same liquid measurements. I also used demerara sugar which is a bit chunkier, so if you have time I recommend melting it in mylk over the stovetop. Although, it works just fine mixed in with the rest.
If you are making muffins it takes about 12-15min to bake. All come out moist but not too heavy. Kinda like a muffin you get at your local cafe.
So far I have made plain choc, plain vanilla, mixed choc & vanilla. Also, did half pumpkin spice (could use chai spices too!) half vanilla. All turned out perfect. Next on the agenda are berry swirls!
THANK YOU!
Anthea says
Soo cool that it works for muffins as well! I need to try that and the pumpkin combo. And glad that all the substitutions worked for you. Thanks soo much for your lovely comment and feedback Vai xo
Sal says
I have now made this cake three times in a month because it is so popular with my vegan/vegetarian family of cake eaters! It would be lovely to vary it, so would I be able to bake it the same but as straight chocolate or straight vanilla do you think, or with some other flavour variation? Or would the cooking times and ingredients go wrong? I've swapped the decorations (e.g. used a chocolate ganache instead), but I would love some more of this type of recipe - such a massive hit with everyone! Thank you so much!!
Anthea says
Oh that's sooo lovely to hear Sal!!! Yes you'd be able to bake it as straight chocolate or straight vanilla (just double the amount of vanilla or cocoa) and you could even put melted chocolate in the chocolate version. I love that you used chocolate ganache too. With other flavours, it really depends as ingredients like banana and carrot weigh down the cake. I am definitely planning on creating more of this type of recipe! Thanks so much for your kindness and support 🙂
Sal says
Just thought I would let you know that I have now made a very successful all chocolate version of this excellent cake! I omitted the vanilla and extra milk and used 50 g of cocoa powder dissolved in 8 tbsp hot water. At the last stage I blended this cocoa mixture with a few tablespoons of the cake batter, and then stirred this back into the cake mixture. Cooking times and temperature were exactly the same, and it came out beautifully - extremely popular with all the vegan/vegetarian family! I also used your suggestion for preparing the baking tin in that I blended a mixture of cocoa powder and flour to dust the tin. This had a lovely effect on the colour of the cooked cake, and worked very well - the cake released itself from the bundt tin with ease. Thank you so much! Another huge success!
Anthea says
Oh that's sooo amazing Sal!!! Thanks for your tips as well and glad it came out beautifully. It makes me so happy when vegetarians enjoy the food too :). I'm going to try to make more recipes like these. Have a lovely week!
Suzanne says
Hello, what size bundt pan (how many cups) have you used?
Anthea says
I used a 10 cup Nordicware bundt pan. Hope that helps!
Sal says
This recipe is spot on and came out perfectly! A great success with both vegans and non-vegans.
Anthea says
That's the best news Sal! Thanks so much 🙂
Silvia says
Hello, Anthea, I don’t have self raising flour, only all purpose, how many more tsp of baking powder should I add to the 2 tsp already on the recipe?
Thank you
Anthea says
Hi Silvia, every 1 cup of plain flour has 2 teaspoons of baking powder (to make self-raising flour). It might seem like a lot of baking powder but it helps the bundt become fluffy and you can't taste it after the sugar and cocoa are added 🙂
Rhyan says
Could I use mini Bundt cake pans? How long do you think I could bake those for?? Love the look of this cake!!
Anthea says
Thank you! Yes mini bundt pans would work. Try baking them for about 20 min!
Cathy says
I do not have a Bundt pan. Would any of the baking instructions change if I use a spring pan instead?
Anthea says
Hi Cathy, a spring pan would work well too! The only difference is the baking time so just use a skewer to test when it's ready 🙂
Doug says
This easy vegan caramel recipe is decadent, thick, delicious and easy to make! A bit of brown sugar, coconut milk and vegan butter.
Anthea says
Glad to hear Doug!
Elena says
Have you try it with agave or date syrup instead of sugar?
Anthea says
I haven't tried the cake with a liquid sweetener. Those sweeteners might work well in the chocolate layers because they are darker coloured but might make it a little heavier. I don't think they'd work as well in the vanilla layer as darker sweeteners tend to make vanilla cakes a medium brown colour.