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).
This is by far the best chocolate cake I’ve baked in a really long time. Absolutely loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for sharing your review, Meghan! I’m glad you loved the cake!
Your cake recipe is to die for! Thank you so much Nora! I would like to make a smaller version in 6 inch pans. Any recommendations on changes in bake time and temp?
Thanks Gena! Do you plan on making three 6 inch cakes? If so, you don’t need to change the recipe at all, just bake the cakes for a little less time.
This was great. I would love to make it in other flavors, like almond cake for example. Would you please tell me how to adjust the recipe or post a new one? Thanks!
I’ll add almond cake to my list! I’m not sure you can adjust this recipe for that though, or other flavors. It only works with chocolate based cakes.
Hi – we love the cake but will not finish it anytime soon. Can we freeze the leftovers? Thanks! ~Kate
I”m glad you love the cake! Yes, you can freeze individually wrapped slices if you don’t think you’ll get to it all within a few days. Hope this helps!
good
Can I still use two or three eggs in place of apple sauce?
I think that will work.
Hey Nora!
I’m going to try to use this recipe to bake my wedding cake (don’t worry, it’s just the two of us! I’m not that wild). Do you think I could use vanilla frosting if I use multiple layers and color the last one with food coloring to be an ombré design, or will it show through?
Thank you!!!
I believe that would work, and how fun! Congratulations! 🙂
Just wanted to let you know it worked out great!! We used this cake and your vanilla buttercream. Thank you so much for the amazing recipes!!!
I’m so glad, thank you!
This looks wonderful! As we’ve completely eliminated white flour from our diet, cuould almond flour be used instead of white flour?
Sorry, almond flour does not work here. Your cake will be soup. 🙂 A gluten free mix works quite well though.
Hello! I’m making the cake right now, I halved the recipe (carefully so the proportions are correct) cause I just wanted to make 1 layer. And after 35 mins the toothpick didn’t come out clean and 10 mins later it still doesn’t and I’m wondering does the fact I used margarine instead of oil might be the reason for it?
Interesting, I’m not totally sure what’s going on, without being there with you. I know you say you carefully halved the recipe, but you didn’t accidentally add the full cup of water did you? I’ve never made it with margarine but I don’t see why that would make a difference. Oven temperatures can vary so I guess it’s possible it’s just taking longer in yours. What size pan are you using? Hope it turns out okay!
My cakes are in the oven but I used 2, 8″
Pans that’s all I had. I am worried they may not bake properly. I didn’t fill the pans right to the top but close. I also didn’t need to use all the batter. What do you recommend for 2 eight inch pans?
I make it in two 8 inch pans all the time, it should be fine. Are your pans super short, because they shouldn’t fill near the top? It kinda sounds like you used 6 inch pans. Is that possible?
Oh. My. God. I cannot stop! My husband and I made this recipe for the first time about a month ago and it was AMAZING! We didn’t use all of the frosting, so the following weekend we made a 1/2 batch of the batter and baked cupcakes (made 12 cupcakes, baked at 350 for about 20min) which were also FANTASTIC. We have now baked a 2nd cake and batch of cupcakes. This is my new go to chocolate cake recipe. Would recommend for vegans and non-vegans alike. So moist and delicious and amazing! Also, I’ve never had a cake that stays so moist for so long. This kept for a week!
Hi Kate! I’m THRILLED that you guys are having so much fun making my chocolate cake recipe! Thank you for taking your time to share your kind and FUN review! Happy cooking!
Hi, could I use crushed pineapple instead of applesauce since i don’t have any?
Thanks.
Yes I think that should work. Hopefully it won’t taste too much like pineapple though. 🙂
This looks really good. Unfortunately, I have to eliminate nut milks, rice milk and dairy. Would this work with Oat milk?
Thank you
Yes, oat milk is fine to use. Thanks!
Hi Nora. Thank you for this recipe. It’s now a family favorite!! I’m planning to do this cake for the 3rd time now 🙂 Do you know if I can do the frosting one day in advance, keep it in the fridge overnight, and frost the cake the next morning? Last time I did the layers in advance and kept them in the fridge wrapped in plastic and they were fine. I’m not sure if I can do the same with the frosting.. Thank you!
Yes, that works just fine. The frosting will become rather thick and hard in the fridge though, so let it sit out at room temperature for maybe 30 minutes before frosting the cake. I’m so glad it’s a family favorite for you!
Ah-mah-zing. Only made the cake not the frosting and halved the recipe as didn’t need a big cake. Soooo good!!! Best cake I’ve ever made I reckon! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing! Glad you love the cake!
I’ve made this cake a few times, and it’s always a hit. My mom, who isn’t vegan, requested it for her birthday today and has declared it the best cake she’s ever had. Thank you!
Happy birthday to your mom! Thanks for sharing your review! Glad you are loving the cake!
Incredible! Can’t believe this was vegan. I didn’t have apple sauce so I subbed in a banana and it still came out perfect.
Thank you for sharing your review! Glad you loved the cake!
Y’all…this cake is SO good. It is moist and fluffy and so incredibly chocolaty. My tip to take this to the next level: replace the cup of boiling water with a cup of strong, fresh brewed coffee (I use decaf because I am sensitive to caffeine ). Even better? Sprinkle the grounds with cinnamon before brewing. This one small tweak to the recipe really brings out the flavor of the chocolate. I make this as a Bundt cake and top with the vegan chocolate ganache recipe from this site. I have a non-vegan chocolate cake I am kind of famous for in my family but my husband said he thinks this recipe is even better!
Hi Brittany! Thank you for sharing your great review and comments! Love them! Glad you guys are loving the cake!
Woah-M-G this recipe is phenomenal! Every vegan cake recipe I try is always super dense. This one was heavenly and sooo delicious. I filled the layers and topped it with plant based whipped cream and strawberries and it tasted just like a very popular local bakery’s whipped cream cake. This is a must try!
Oh Yum…whipped cream and strawberries! I’m so thrilled you love my chocolate cake recipe, Amy! Thank you so much for taking your time to share you fun and fantastic review!
Hi! Would love to try and make this and wondered whether sunflower oil or any other oil would work well in this cake please? Thank you!
Absolutely! You can use any oil you like here.
This cake was ridiculously easy and incredibly delicious! Made it Friday night for my vegan daughter’s birthday, and even though the other five diners are not even vegetarian, we all agreed it was perfect, including the frosting. This a keeper, a pinned item, and a recipe to be shared. THANK YOU, NORA!
I’m really glad the cake was a hit! It is definitely one of my family’s favorite cakes! Thank you for sharing your fun and wonderful review, Dranny! Happy birthday to your daughter!
Any changes you recommend for high altitude? I know some cakes are finicky at high altitude and I’ve never made a vegan cake so I’m not sure what to expect! Anyone made this that lives above 5,000 feet?
I haven’t but maybe someone else can comment who lives at high altitude. I don’t have much experience with it, sorry!
Best Chocolate cake ever! I’ve been asked to make a gluten free version. Can recommend the best gluten free flour to use?
Thank you!
Hi Stacey. I strongly recommend using King Arthur Gluten Free Flour for the best results. You may want to try out my gluten free chocolate cake. I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and it was too dense. This gluten free cake works best using a flour blend WITHOUT xanthan gum added in order to control the texture. I hope this helps! Happy cooking!
Absolutely gorgeous cake!! Thank you!! Made it for my daughters ? Just a quick note where’s the best storage place for it? Pantry? I’m thinking fridge would dry it out?
Thank you! I usually just keep it on the counter, pantry is fine. The refrigerator will dry it out somewhat, but I kinda like how it tastes firm and cold from the refrigerator, but that might be weird lol.
I am not a Vegan, but a family friend visiting from out of town is. I decided to make a vegan-friendly cake for our dessert after dinner. I found this recipe online , which seemed fairly easy, and I already had most of the ingredients on hand, so that made it even more appealing. Let me just say THIS WAS THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE I HAVE EVER TASTED. It was so moist and full of chocolaty flavor. My vegan friend was amazed at how delicious it was! My dad, who is non-vegan couldn’t get enough. I will definitely be making this cake again!
Hi Lee! Thank you for sharing your review and comments! These are the stories I LOVE to read! I’m thrilled the cake was a hit, and that you’ll be making the cake again! Happy cooking!
Wonderful cake. Best chocolate cake I have ever baked. My non-vegan friends also love it!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! I’m glad you guys loved the cake!