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).
I can’t seem to find any vegan butter locally. What could I use in the frosting as a substitute? Would coconut oil or chia seeds be okay?
Coconut oil doesn’t work very well in frosting as it’s not stable enough, so your frosting will be runny. I don’t see how chia seeds could work. Vegetable shortening would work, or perhaps peanut butter for a peanut butter chocolate frosting.
I have made this cake several times and it ALWAYS is a huge hit. Thank you so much for bringing this recipe.
Wow, that’s a LOT of sugar. Any ideas on how to reduce it? What could replace it? Thanks! ?
It’s a very indulgent chocolate cake, nothing sugar free about it! I don’t know of any replacement but it you are familiar with sugar free baking you could try what you like. You could cut back a bit but I wouldn’t too much or it will affect the outcome.
Hi! Looking forward to making this soon but I only have 8 inch pans, does anyone know if this will work? Should I change anything?
That works just fine, you might need to bake it for an extra 5-10 minutes though to get it cooked all the way.
i’m thinking about baking this over the weekend, but i had a couple questions:
1) will it alter the end results if i use baking soda but no baking power?
2) i don’t have any vanilla extract – if i leave it out, will it hurt? i’m thinking of adding a cup of coffee instead of plain boiling water.
thanks!
You can leave out the vanilla, it will affect the flavor a bit but I don’t think it would ruin it. Coffee instead of the water is a really good idea. I haven’t tried it without the baking powder, so I’m not sure if it will rise the same way. You might end up with a dense cake.
will it hurt if I leave out the vanilla extract?
It will just be lacking that vanilla flavor but I don’t think it would ruin the cake.
Love this recipe! I had extra frosting left over, can I keep it in the fridge? And if so how long?
Yes, you can keep it in the fridge for probably a week or freeze it for longer! Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it.
Absolutely the best vegan chocolate cake!!! Love love love. I planned on making this again but was wondering if dark Cocoa powder would work as well?
Thank you! Yes dark cocoa powder works well, it just makes the cake and frosting much darker.
I am making this this weekend but have a kid with a nut allergy. Any substitution ideas for the almond milk? This looks so good.
Sure! Soy, coconut or really any other non-dairy milk is fine to use. Hope everyone enjoys!
I’m one of those people that always read comments for recipes, but never actually leave them. However, I had to make an exception for this because this is a recipe that people really have to try – especially if they’re a chocolate lover!
I am vegan, but the rest of my family is not. Not even close – we’re a southern family, where even our vegetables are made with meat products. Suffice it to say that I always find myself eating something totally different than my relatives, all the time. My family bought this yummy-looking cake from a local bakery recently. I’ve rarely indulged in sweets since going vegan, but I have cravings now and again. I decided to bake this cake because I was jealous of my family’s cake. Less than a week later and more than half of their cake remains in the freezer – and ALL of my chocolate cake is gone! This is by far the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had – vegan or not (and it’s not even close)! Super moist and not dense – so good! I was worried, as other vegan cakes have either been really dry, incredibly heavy or just lacked flavor, but this will undoubtedly be my go to chocolate cake recipe for any occasion, no matter who I’m baking it for.
Wow, what a great comment!! Thanks so much!! I’m so glad you love the recipe!
This was my very first vegan cake ever as I wanted to surprise my young cousin. Needless to say, the cake was an absolute hit and everybody (including non-vegan party guests) loved it. Their comments:this was the first vegan cake they had that did not taste like vegan cake at all!
Thank you!
You’re so welcome!! Thanks for the great comment!
I love trying new recipes, but every once in a while I find something that is “IT.” My non-negotiable, ultimate go-to. This is my one and only chocolate cake recipe. I have made it soooo many times, and it’s hands-down my most requested recipe. Non-vegans are blown away! I even had a group of teenagers at a Sweet 16 party declare it the best cake they have ever had. That cup of boiling water is sheer magic!
Wow, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for the great comment!
This is by far the best chocolate cake recipe! It is simple to make, and comes together pretty quickly. Overall, it has the best flavor and texture. My family loved it! I followed the recipe exactly as listed. This recipe is perfect.
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for the comment!
Hi Nora
Love your recipes! We live in high altitude Do i need to change anything to the recipe? I have a hard time baking sometimes since not using eggs
Thank You
Willow
I’m not totally sure, but you might want to follow general instructions for cooking at high altitude. I haven’t tested it though!
Hi Nora, I have made this recipe before and it was a HUGE hit with both vegans and non vegans ?
I’d like to make it again for a birthday cake but wondering how it would hold up with a layer of cherries in between the layers to make a Black Forest type cake?
That would work really well! Thank you!
I made this for my Grandson’s 11th birthday. I made an ice cream cake using this recipe inserting chocolate mint ice cream in the middle and kept it frozen. Unfortunately, I was not able to use dairy-free choc mint ice cream because I couldn’t find any and that is what my grandson wanted (he and the family are not vegans). The family raved on how good it was so I was pleased with this recipe. I’d make it again.
I’m so glad it was great! Thanks for the comment!
Is this cake gluten free? If not, is there a way this cake could be made gluten free?
The cake is not gluten free, but you could make it so by substituting gluten free all purpose flour for the regular flour. It works quite well.
I made this cake last night for my son’s 1st birthday as a trial run, he has dairy and egg intolerances (amongst others). I already had my own perfected dairy free buttercream so I used that instead (go with what you know?). This cake is hands down, one of the most delicious, moist cakes my husband and I have ever had! I can’t wait to make it again for my son’s birthday and the extended family. Thank you so much for this!!
You’re so welcome!! I’m so glad you liked it!!
I made this a couple weeks ago.
I used coconut sugar to make it refine sugar free and added decaf coffee for a richer choc taste.
It was awesome.
For the frosting I used cashews and made a white cream
I’ll def be doing this again keeping cake the same and try some of that naughty but nice frosting on your list of ingredients.
Thank you! ?
You’re welcome!! So glad you liked it!
Hello. Can I make the cupcakes and buttercream frosting 1 day before I need them ? What is the best way to store the cupcakes without drying them out. ?
Yes, that’s fine. They would be fine just sitting out overnight, or place them in a covered container.
I only have one 9″ pan. Do you think it will be ok to add all batter to the pan and then when cooked cut it in half to frost? How long would this take to cook? So looking forward to making it for my sister’s 60th birthday.
I don’t think it will turn out very well in one 9 inch pan, but you could use your one pan, bake half, then bake the other half in the same pan. That would be the best option. Hope you and your sister enjoy it!
Hi! Do you reckon this would freeze okay? Need to make this in secret and hide it a couple of weeks ahead of my partners birthday!
Yes, it freezes well!
I can’t find the Vegan butter baking sticks for the frosting. Can I use the spread instead?
Thank you.
Yes, you can use the vegan butter in the tub.
My search for outstanding vegan chocolate cake ends here! Made last night for my son’s college graduation and we all thought it was fabulous. I made with 6 tablespoons lightly whipped aquafaba. For the oil, I used half canola and half coconut oil, because that is what I had in hand, and that worked for me.
Thank you for the recipe.
I’m going to make this for my best friend’s Bach. I was wondering how I could incorporate espresso or coffee into this, if possible. Thoughts?
You could do hot coffee or espresso mixed with hot water instead of the hot water alone. Or add a little instant coffee powder. Hope that helps!