The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake- A quick and easy recipe, made in 1 bowl! This really is the best chocolate cake ever, vegan or otherwise. It’s super moist, rich and full of chocolate.
My birthday was a few weeks ago, so what did I do? I asked my mom to watch all 3 kids for a few hours so I could create and photograph the BEST EVER Vegan Chocolate Cake. Pretty great birthday if you ask me! 😉
For some reason, every time I get a vegan piece of cake out (such as at Whole Foods or elsewhere), I am disappointed. The frosting is usually yummy, but the cake part is either 1. strange tasting OR 2. super dry, not moist at all. Seriously disappointing.
I’ve also made a few of the vegan chocolate cake recipes out there, but even those weren’t quite moist enough or perfect enough for my taste. So I did a little thinking and experimenting and I finally came up with the best, most perfectly moist and delicious vegan chocolate cake recipe!
The frosting is a mouthwatering, ultra rich chocolate buttercream. I recommend using earth balance vegan buttery sticks, I haven’t found another brand that tastes quite as good.
If you are looking for a lighter alternative, check out this Chocolate Cake with Cashew Vanilla Frosting. There is nothing “light” about this Chocolate Cake! It is a full on indulgent recipe. And I’m okay with that.
What is the secret to a super moist vegan chocolate cake?
A couple of things make this cake super moist. The applesauce helps (don’t worry, you can’t taste it). But the BIG secret is to add a cup of boiling hot water to the cake batter right before baking. It makes such a difference!
The batter will appear runny when you add it, but don’t worry, that is completely correct and exactly what it should be like. It results in the most moist, delicious chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted!
If you are craving a chocolate fix about now, or are new to being vegan and miss good tasting cake, give this recipe a try! It’s easy to make and hard to mess it up.
OR if you are wanting to try something other than chocolate, give this Vegan Lemon Cake a go! It’s one of my most popular dessert recipes, and impresses people every time I make it.
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Recipe inspired by Add A Pinch.
The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup canola oil OR melted coconut oil
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups vegan butter, softened baking sticks preferred
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 9-inch cake pans. I also line them with parchment rounds and lightly flour for easy removal of the cakes later.
- Measure 1 cup unsweetened almond milk and add the tablespoon of vinegar to it. Stir slightly and set aside to curdle.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well to combine.
- Now add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and almond milk/vinegar mixture. Mix on medium speed with a hand mixer (or stand mixer with the paddle attachment) until well combined.
- Lower the speed and carefully pour in the boiling water, continuing to mix into the cake batter until combined. The batter will seem very runny at this point; that is how it should be, trust me!
- Divide the batter evenly between your cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. After 10 minutes of cooling in the pan, carefully remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely before frosting.
For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Add the cocoa powder to a large bowl (I just wipe out the cake bowl and use it for the frosting). Whisk well to remove any clumps.
- Add the softened vegan butter and mix with a hand mixer until creamed and well combined.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and half of the almond milk, and mix until combined. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Mix starting on low, and turn to high. Mix until fluffy and combined.
- If the frosting seems too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon or two at a time. If the frosting seems too wet and doesn't hold it's shape, add more powdered sugar until it thickens up.
- Frost the cake using an icing spatula or just a butter knife.
Video
Notes
- For cupcakes, fill liners half full and bake for 20-25 minutes. The whole recipe will yield approximately 24 cupcakes.
- Double the recipe to make a 4 layer cake, or cut in half to make a 1 layer round cake. You can also make a bundt cake, simply bake for 45 minutes. Or a 9 x 13 inch cake, baking for about 35-40 minutes.
- Don't like a lot of frosting? Cut the frosting ingredients in half. The recipe as written makes enough for thick layers of frosting.
- Nut allergy? You may substitute soy milk or another milk for the almond milk, any non-dairy milk will work here.
- No applesauce? Substitute 2 flax eggs (2 tbs ground flax + 5 tbs water), whipped aquafaba or another egg replacer such as Bob's Red Mill (2 eggs worth).
Nora! What a fantastic recipe! It turned out perfectly – only with my oven I have to bake for atleast 10-15 mins longer than most recipes. I was so nervous to make this for my hudbands birthday last weekend as any previous vegan cake experiments have been absolute fails. But this was such a winner! We usually have so much cake left over, which gets thrown out, but this time there were fights over the last slice. Thank you for sharing this recipe – it is now a family favourite. Xo
Wow, thanks for the wonderful comment! I’m so glad it was a hit!
This cake was absolutely delicious! And let me just let you know.. I am not a baker by any means and this cake came out absolutely perfect – moist and delicious. And I love that it’s non dairy and egg free.. perfect vegan delight. I would totally serve this at Thanksgiving and let everyone know AFTER they eat it that it’s VEGAN haha. Thank you for this recipe… I made it for hubby cuz he was having a bad day and he absolutely loved it. If you follow the directions exactly, you should have no issues at all and it should come out perfect.
Thanks for the wonderful comment! I’m so glad it came out great!
Would this recipe as stated also work with just one 9×11 pan? I would assume it would but wanted to make sure ?
I’ve made it in a 9×13 inch pan but not smaller than that. It would probably work though, yes, you will just need to bake it until it is cooked through in the middle, probably 45 minutes or so. Thanks!
I made cupcake version of this today and it came out so incredibly good! I used Wegmans plant-based butter sticks which tasted amazing with the frosting! I have to admit, I was very doubtful when I saw how runny the batter was, but I followed your instructions to the letter and I was not disappointed. Thank you!
Hello! What cook time did you use for the cupcakes? And did you change oven temp at all? Thanks!
HI Nora,
I made the cake exactly. Mine didn’t rise as high as yours, and seems very moist. I followed exactly…pans and all, no substitutions.
You’re supposed to mix after slowly adding boiling water, correct? I did that, kept my Kitchen AID mixer on low and added. Did I over mix? are you supposed to mix it well before the boiling water? After you put in the pans, if you wait a little time, before putting in oven, could that goof it up? I waited 5 minutes due to something else in oven.
How fluffy should this be? Or is it more of a dense cake.
Sorry for all of the questions.
There was WAY to much frosting. I threw out a ton of it, but it was very nice frosting. The taste of the frosting is more like a coffee than chocolate. I’m missing the salt/butter taste, I think.
Thanks for recipe. It was still good.
Hi Julie! The cake is very moist, but also fluffy and light, NOT dense. The batter should be combined quite well before the hot water is added, then you carefully add the hot water and mix until incorporated. I don’t think waiting 5 minutes would make a difference, but I guess it’s possible as I have never even waited that long before putting them in the oven. If your cakes didn’t rise for some reason I could see why there would also be too much frosting! As you can see from the photos, this cake is frosted quite generously. But of course you could cut it back if you want.
I’m in a pickle because I only have one 9” pan. I usually divide my batter in half and just use the same pan twice, but what’s the deal with the hot water? If I understand correctly, I should wait to add the hot water to the second half until just before I bake it, right?
Yes, that is a pickle! I think it would work best if you made the cake batter but before adding the boiling water, divide it in half. Then add the hot water (1/2 cup to each half) right before you put it in the oven. Otherwise it might change the outcome of the cake. Hope that helps!
Hands down- the best! This was my first time making this recipe and it turned out exactly as described- “moist, rich, and full of chocolate”. I will definitely keep this in my go to file. Thanks, Nora!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you liked it!
I made this cake today. Yea… It was awesome ! I have made vegan cakes before tho trial & error led me here. This one is copied and pasted in my file for many more uses. I did not use the recipe for the icing however, I wanted vanilla and used my own. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you liked it!
If I made these into cupcakes, would I be able to freeze them. My husbands birthday is coming up and I would like to make the actual cupcake ahead of time… and then frost the day before.
Yes, cupcakes would freeze very well, I have frozen both cupcakes and cake from this recipe. Just make sure to let them cool completely before freezing.
I just made your cake and it came out beautiful…very moist and delicious. I halved the frosting recipe because it looked like a lot and my husband is diabetic. I live in New Zealand and applesauce can be difficulr to find, but apples are plentiful, especially st this time of year (Autumn), so I made mine from scratch (which is really easy!). Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad it came out great for you!
Seriously the best cake ever!!! It was INCREDIBLE. Everyone loved it.
I’m so glad to hear that!
Amazing! I have just begun to transition my family to a vegan diet (with the exception of my husband) and this chocolate cake is better than any non-vegan cake I have ever baked. So moist and fudge-y! I made this for my sons 5th birthday and everyone loved it, even my stubborn husband. Thank you so much for the fabulous recipe, I followed everything exactly and added a few mini chocolate chips for decoration.
I’m so glad it worked out well for you!
Don’t give up on him! I recommend listening to the food for thought podcast by Colleen Patrick goudreau (aka the joyful vegan). She has helped me SO much with the transition. I’m sure you will be able to inspire your husband eventually especially with delicious food 🙂 Thank you for being resiliant and working towards being vegan anyway. <3 best of luck!
DELICIOUS!! My 5 year old and 9 year old love this cake. The cake split and totally fell apart but didn’t matter THATS how good it is. I forgot about the “milk”/vinegar mixture and added it at the very end after the boiling water cooled and all that. That might have been the issue? ?♀️ I’m ready to try again though and maybe in cupcake form- I have better luck with those. ?
Aw I’m so glad you all loved it anyhow! Yes, that may have been the issue with the cake falling apart. You want to add the boiling water last and then stick it straight in the oven. 🙂 Thank you! Yes the recipe makes great cupcakes!
Hi Nora! My best friend is vegan and I tried to make this for her birth day, the cake cane out incredibly soggy and fell apart. The frosting was to dense and to sweet. I followed the recipe exactly, did not substitute anything or over mix. Do you have any idea wear I went wrong?
Hi there! Well, something definitely went wrong here because as you can see from the many comments, it is well loved! It’s really hard for me to know what went wrong without being there. Did you use the 9 inch pans like I did? You say you followed the recipe exactly, but I think something was missed here. I’ve made it countless times as written and it works perfectly every time. I hope we can figure it out so you and your friend can enjoy this cake!
Hi Nora,
I would liuke to try and give this and orange0chocolate flavour. I was thinking about adding orange peel powder to it. What do you think? Any better tips?
Thank you.
What a great name you have! 😉 I think adding orange peel powder is a great idea, or maybe orange essence as well if you can find it? I’ve never tested it but I’m sure it would be good. Thanks!
Is there a way to make without the apple sauce? My hubby is allergic.
Sure! You could substitute mashed banana, or my preferred sub would be 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax mixed with 5 tablespoons water). Hope that helps!
I’d like to make this for my daughter’s birthday, do you know if I can stack more than just two layers of cake?
Yes, you could stack more than 2 layers.
Hi Nora, I am a complete baking novice but I am hoping to make this cake for my partners birthday. She has a nut allergy. Do you think coconut or oat milk would work just as well instead of the almond milk? Any advice appreciated.
Yes you can use any non-dairy milk, it doesn’t make a difference with the cake. I hope they enjoy it!
I made this for my first birthday as a vegan [my 49th today] 🙂 and it is absolutely fantastic!!
I will be trying your vanilla one for our next special occasion, for sure!
Awesome recipe!
Thanks so much, and Happy Birthday!
I would love to make the sound of the 25th for a friend who is diabetic. Obviously I’ll have to skip the frosting but can you suggest a sugar substitute for the cake? I hope I can make this happen oh, it will be a really great birthday treat!
That’s so nice of you! I’m not super familiar with sugar substitutes but I’m sure it can be done. I believe Swerve is one brand that is pretty popular, and I think they even have a powdered sugar, so you could make the frosting using that instead maybe? I hope your friend loves it!
Can I bake ahead of time and freeze layers?
Yes, the cake layers will freeze well. Thanks!
Just made this and substituted the flour with Bob’s red milk 1:1 and used milkidamia milk. It was DELICUOUS! Even my foodie brother in law couldn’t believe how good it was.
I’m so happy it worked well with gluten free flour, thank you!
Hi! My friend made this cake for me a while ago and it was absolutely fantastic! I want to make it for my little brothers birthday but he doesn’t like chocolate cake. I’m wondering if I can leave out the cacao so it’s just vanilla or will that throw the recipe off?
It won’t work, I have actually tested this! It came out really weird and not good at all. I would make my Vegan Vanilla Cake instead. Thanks!
Thank you for such an amazing recipe! This is the best chocolate cake we’ve had either homemade or store bought! Made it yesterday for my daughter’s birthday and it was such a hit! The frosting also complements the cake’s taste. Thank you!
You’re welcome! So glad it was great!
Nora,
This cake is, hands down, the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made, vegan or otherwise! Made it for my (vegan) son’s birthday and he was absolutely thrilled, as was the rest of the (non-vegan) family. Made it again today and I’m just as pleased. Thank you!!
I’m so happy you love the cake! Thank you so much.