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).
Hello!
I’m hoping this make this cake for my partner however he has a nut allergy. Is there another alternative I can use to replace the almond milk? Thankyou
Also could I use Copha or nuttelex in place of the vegan butter? Thankyou
That should work fine, yes.
Hi Eve. Any plant based milk will work for this recipe! Enjoy!
This was the most amazing birthday vegan chocolate cake. Non vegans did not feel deprived at the party. I did not have to have a second cake for the non vegans. The cake was moist and the frosting had the best rich chocolate flavor. Nora, your creative gift of invention is heaven sent!!
It’s so great to hear the cake was a hit to all! Thank you for you wonderful feedback!
Just made this last night and it is AMAZING! The cake turned out absolutely perfect. However it seems I keep having issues with my frosting where it’s too oily/ runny. And not just on your recipe! Could it possibly be the brand of butter? Doesn’t seem to matter the amount of powder sugar I add. Hmm.. I’m going to try the icing again with some tweaks. Either way everything TASTED PERFECT!! :-))
I’m so glad you loved the cake! For the frosting, what brand of vegan butter are you using? I prefer using sticks of vegan butter, and make sure the butter is softened but no where close to melted, or your frosting will be runny. I’ve used many different brands, such as Melt, Country Crock, Earth Balance, Miyoko’s, Trader Joe’s and more! They all work well, but taste wise I like Miyoko’s best. Also, make sure your cake is truly completely cooled before frosting it. Hope that helps!
I’ve been a vegan for like 25 years and I agree vegan cakes from the bakery give me a wee bit of sadness. I made this for my non-vegan chocoholic friend today and I can’t thank you enough. Her 4 and 7 year old kids approved as well! Thank you for note not to be concerned with the runniness of the batter! Where did you think to add boiling water? Is that to help the initial rise?
I’m so glad everyone loved the cake! I saw it in a few non-vegan recipes so I decided to try it, and voila! It worked beautifully, adding tons of moisture without weighing it down.
So DELICIOUS! So EASY! Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! Thank you for your wonderful feedback!
This is our go to chocolate cake. So good!
Thank you! I’m glad you are loving it!
question: Can I make this cake ahead and freeze just the cake before frosting it?
Hi Paula. Yes, after being baked, the cake freezes well! Ensure it is completely thawed prior to frosting it.
We’ve made this cake twice now for family birthdays and it is the best cake I’ve ever had in my entire life and I don’t even like chocolate. Highly and I mean BEYOND highly recommend this to anyone vegan or not.
Wow, that is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for using my recipe and for your wonderful feedback!
Just wanted to comment on here and say I have been using this recipe for all birthdays every year 🙂 we love it!
That’s wonderful to hear, Mckayla! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful feedback!
This is also mine and my fiancés first cake ever making from scratch, working on the icing now, so far everything tastes great! I’m vegan and he’s not but we’ve both tried everything and it’s delish!
That’s wonderful to hear, Anastasia! Thanks for sharing such great feedback!
This cake was INCREDIBLE!!! Made it for unsuspecting family and they all LOVED it!!
So glad you and your family loved the cake! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review and comments!
I would convert to veganism if I could eat this chocolate cake every day. It is that good. I pulled the cakes about 5 minutes before the actual time as it was toothpick clean. It was happily devoured by vegans and non vegas alike. Yum. Mind you, this is the first cake I have ever made from scratch.
Hi Karen. How great your first cake from scratch was a hit! I’m glad it was enjoyed by all! Thank you for your terrific feedback!
This cake was really easy to make for my moms birthday because she is vegan and I added an oreo frosting instead and it worked well perfectly. AWESOME CAKE RECIPE!
Sounds like a delicious combo! Thank you for your wonderful feedback and comments!
Hi Nora! This recipe is amazing. I’ve made it several times now. My non-vegan friends LOVE it. They’re always shocked to learn it is vegan. This has become a staple in our house and has launched me on a vegan baking journey. Thanks for all you do!
I’m so glad you and your friends loved the cake! Thanks for using my recipe, and for sharing your review and feedback!
Can we make it oil free? How can we replace the oil please?
Yes, you can replace the oil with more applesauce.
What can I replace the vegan butter with. Does coconut oil work instead.
I have a vegan coworker and we are having a st Patrick’s day get together. Im making a regular cake for everyone else but I don’t want her to feel left out.
Hi Adliah. How fun to make a cake for your coworker! You could use vegetable shortening instead of butter in the frosting. Another option would be to make my chocolate ganache for a different type of frosting, no vegan butter required. Thank you, and I hope your friend LOVES the cake.
This recipe looks great! I don’t have canola or coconut oil though. For a substitute, would you recommend olive oil or smart balance butter?
Olive oil should work or another neutral vegetable oil instead. Happy cooking!
Had this amazing vegan chocolate cake at a friends birthday party and have been obsessed with it since! Going to make it today.
Hi Kendra. Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback about my chocolate cake! Happy cooking, and enjoy!
This is beyond a doubt the best Chocolate Cake I have ever eaten in my entire life.
So easy – it was the first cake I have made in my life and it was beyond fabulous.
Made it for my sons Birthday as I am trying to convert him to veganism.
This I’m sure will surely tip the scales in that balance.
I’m so glad you love the cake, Kathy! Thanks for using my recipe, and for sharing your review and feedback!
I made this cake twice now and everyone loves it. I made it gluten free by using gluten free flower and added a tablespoon of chia seeds to give it a flower-like consistency. Turned out tasty! The secret is, make it a day before and put it in the fridge. The moisture from the icing will be absorbed by the sponge and as a whole will be much tastier 🙂 yummm
Thank you, Ana, for your feedback and ideas! I’m glad the cake is a hit! I love eating it after it’s been in the refrigerator as well! So delicious! Happy cooking!
Hi Nora! I’m super excited to make this cake! One question – do you ever bake your cakes with the bake-even strips? This will be the first cake I’ll bake using them (just purchased them) and wondering how I should adjust the bake time.. Thanks!
Hi Alana. Sorry, I haven’t used bake-even strips before!
Hi Nora,
My daughter turns 21 in 2 days and wants her favorite cake for her birthday (your chocolate cake). We are going to Las Vegas to celebrate, so I won’t be able to make the cake for her there. Can I bake and make the frosting 2 nights before and frost the cake the day of? Do I need to refrigerate the cake or frosting?
Hi Susana. Yes, the cake can be made a couple of days ahead. I would store the cooked and cooled cakes in the refrigerator, wrapped up. The frosting can be made 2 days before, and kept refrigerated. Ensure the frosting and cake are room temperature before frosting. I usually store the frosted cake in the refrigerator. It will last about 3-5 days. Happy birthday to your daughter!
Turned out delicious!! Make sure you wait til it cools to icing it!
Thank you for sharing your feedback, and the reminder to let the cake cool before frosting it! I”m glad you found the cake delicious!
I made this for my mother in laws birthday! She loved it sooo much! Thank you so much for the recipe ?
Hi Brenda. I’m glad the cake was a hit for your mother in laws birthday! Happy birthday to her! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
I ended up with way too much batter! It has run over the pans and that after I put some in a loaf pan as well!
You must have used small pans. I make it with two 8 or 9 inch pans and it works perfectly.
Ive used this recipe for cupcakes..super delicious and loved by non vegans! have not attempted to make the cake. My question is can you freeze the cakes? Does it change the texture? Im looking to make cakes ahead and freeze then try some fancy piping for my 1st attempt at a birthday cake for my mil.
Hi Jen. Thank you for your feedback! I’m glad you are loving the recipe! Yes, after being baked, the entire cake freezes well, or you can freeze the cake layers ahead of time, then make the frosting another day. Both work well. Happy cooking!
How much is 1 Cup in Gramm?
If you look in the recipe card below the ingredients there is a “metric” button. If you push it, the ingredients will be shown in metric measurements. Hope that helps.