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).
Would this cake be sturdy enough to use in a 4 layer cake? Thanks!
I actually have made a 4 layer cake with this recipe before and it worked well. I do recommend keeping it in the refrigerator though to help it not slip. Hope this helps!
Excellent!!! Amazing chocolate flavor. My daughter and son-in-law can’t wait for me to make it again.
Thank you for sharing your review! I’m glad you guys enjoyed the cake!
This is the best chocolate cake, vegan or otherwise, I’ve ever made. I was a bit hesitant after the review of it being dry, but this was anything but. Instead of icing, I dumped about a cup or a cup and a half of chocolate chips on top of the cake. It melted through and was delicious.
I’m thrilled you loved the cake! Thanks for sharing your review and comments!
I’ve made this a few times before and it truly is THE BEST!
Quick question—can I use regular apple cider vinegar instead of natural acv this time?
Yes, regular or natural is fine here. Glad you love it!
I made this for my husbands birthday and it was hands down the best cake I’ve ever eaten. Store bought, restaurant made, grandmas baking… none compare.
Thank you so much, Destiny! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review, and happy birthday to your husband!
Hi Nora. Can I make the cake with coconut sugar or maple syrup instead of the granulated sugar?
Also is it just as good and moist without the frosting? Family not a fan of icings and frostings! Thank you
Coconut sugar for the cake part should work okay, though it may change the texture and for sure the overall taste of the cake. Maple syrup will not work since it’s a liquid. It’s really good without frosting actually! Enjoy!
Question actually, can you use gluten free flour instead of all purpose flour? My daughter needs to be gluten free and my son’s girlfriend is vegan so I am trying to please everyone. I have never had vegan cake but am looking forward to trying this.
It works okay, but I recommend my Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake instead. It’s almost identical but made perfect gluten free. Hope that helps! Enjoy the cake!
Thank you for the help!
I made this for my daughter’s 15th birthday. All of my guests were raving about how amazing this cake was!!! You’d never know it was vegan. The guests said it was the best cake they’ve ever had. This cake is delicious and like the title says extremely moist and full of flavor!! Very happy I found this recipe!! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your great review and comments! Happy birthday to your daughter! I’m glad the cake was a hit!
How long can I leave the almond milk with the vinegar for? I started doing it but realized I need to get something from the super? Can I leave it for a few hours or should I make a new batch?
I think it should be fine, but I would stick it in the fridge until you get back.
I really like this recipe, it tastes great and is moist, but several times when I’ve made it the cakes are pretty flat. I test my baking powder and soda before baking. Any ideas what could be the cause?
I’ve never had them turn out flat before. Are you making any substitutions, like using a different flour?
No, I use AP flour as don’t substitute except for using flax eggs. Sometimes I use the applesauce. Is it possible the flax eggs aren’t “eggy” enough? Sometimes they seem to feel better than other times.
Applesauce works best here. It’s possible that the flax eggs are weighing the cake down a bit. Applesauce keeps it nice and light. Also just make sure you are measuring everything correctly. Hope that helps!
I just recently made this for a group gathering and I had non-vegans asking me for the recipe. I find that non-vegans tend to not eat baked goods if they know they’re vegan, so I didn’t even say anything. One of my co-workers mentioned that it was vegan and people were incredulous, asking me how I did it and telling me it tastes “just like real cake.”
One sub: I didn’t have applesauce so I used Ener-G’s vegan egg replacement.
Whenever I need a baked goods recipe, Nora Cooks is always my first stop. Their recipes have never let me down.
Hi Paige. I am honored by your kind words, and thrilled that you use my recipes and love them! I’m glad the cake was a hit for you! I appreciate you taking your time to share your review and comments!
The best cake ever – everyone at my son’s birthday party today loved it! I’m so happy that I’ve found an amazing vegan cake recipe. Thank you so much! ❤️
I have made this recipe for everyone that I love in the last two years. It’s a success every single time! I go a little heavier on the cocoa and sometimes I need more or less powdered sugar but it is always delicious!
Thanks for sharing your great review and comments! I’m glad you are loving the cake!
This was an amazing recipie! Thank you so much! Can confirm that this is one of the best vegan chocolate cakes i have ever made!
I wonder how well this cake goes with freezing? any suggestions
Esp on how long I can keep in the fridge or freezer?
Thank you! It will last for probably 3-5 days, longer if refrigerated. I just cover the open part with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. You can also freeze individually wrapped slices if you don’t think you’ll get to it all within a few days. It freezes very well.
THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER!!
So incredibly delicious! My family said it was the best cake ever.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’m so glad you guys loved the cake! Thank you for sharing you wonderful comments!
My son says this is the BEST cake ever!!!! Thank you!
I used half the recipe in a 6-inch cake pan, replaced applesauce with whipped aquafaba (soft peaks stage; whisked in only right before boiling water) and baked for a little longer than recommended due to the pan size difference (checking for a clean skewer). It came out great albeit a little fudgy (almost gluey) in some parts. Definitely not the cakiest texture, but the slight fudginess goes well in a chocolate cake!
The frosting, however, needed many changes to my preference. The cake is already very sweet so I only used 1/4 the recommended sugar in the frosting, and omitted almond milk to keep the consistency frosting-like.
Overall, really happy I found this quick and reliable recipe for my first vegan bake!
The best vegan chocolate cake recipe!!!!
I only have two 8 inch round pans. How would I reduce this recipie to fit this size pan?
It works just fine in 8 inch pans, you just might need to bake it a few minutes longer.
This cake is honestly incredible. I made it for my son’s 3rd birthday and he requested it again for his 4th. We all love it, vegan and non-vegan friends alike. You really can’t tell. Man I wish every birthday cake was this one. This year, I made it 4 tier and it was even that much more delicious. (I forgot to line my pans and used a knife that I first ran under hot water and it was fine.)
Can I swap out applesauce ? With egg replacer? What should the measurements be ?
You could probably use mashed banana, 2 flax eggs (2 tbs ground flax + 5 tbs water) or another egg replacer (2 eggs worth). Hope that helps!
Hi Nora
This recipe is a friend and family favorite. I’m always being asked to make it.
With the frosting I have two questions: I use a stand mixer for the frosting and you say whisk the cocoa to remove lumps. Should I change to a paddle after or keep with the whisk attachment? I’m asking that cause I’m finding it separates once it’s all combined. Not in a major way but definitely keeps looking wet and you can see the liquid start to bead a bit. I’ve had no issue of it dripping on a cake but it definitely takes the smoothness look away. I’ve added as much as a pound of powder sugar and still facing this issue. Any tips?
Hi Gina, I’m so glad you enjoy the chocolate cake! For the frosting, I usually use a regular whisk to remove any clumps from the cocoa powder, but the stand mixer whisk should be fine. I would use the whisk attachment for frosting, not the paddle. Here’s what to do if you are getting a drippy frosting: 1. Start with good vegan butter that is not too melty or soft. Slightly softened is what you want. If it’s melted, you will have a hard time. 2. Perhaps add only half the milk called for at first, then add more if needed. I don’t know what brands you are using, but the process can vary based on different butters. For example, I’ve noticed that Earth Balance is quite hard, but Country Crock is soft straight from the refrigerator. Hope that helps!
Hi Nora,
will it work with gluten free flour? Whick would you reccomend? Thx
Jasna
It works okay, but I would go make my Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake instead. It’s almost identical but made perfect gluten free. Hope that helps!
So moist and tasty. I’m new to being vegan and this was the first chocolate cake recipe I had tried. No need to try any others when this one is so good.
Thank you for sharing your review! I’m glad you loved the cake!
I’ve made this cake before and it’s delicious. I’ve always made a half batch – just one round cake. I have a question. I only have one round cake pan. Can I make the whole batch of batter, pour half into the cake pan to cook one cake, let it cool enough to remove from the pan, and then pour in the second half of the batter for the second cake? Or will the second cake not bake properly? Thanks!
Yes, that’s fine if you need to bake it in batches. 🙂 It works. Enjoy!