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).
Thanks so much Nora. This recipe is a crowd pleaser. I have 2 vegans in the family and it’s been a real hit with all palates, vegan and non vegan.
Its moist richness and luxurious appeal make it a perfect cake for celebrations.
Your recipe is easy to follow and the instructions most helpful.
PS I found that I could cut down a little on the sugar without compromising taste.
You are welcome, Vivienne. I’mm so glad the cake was a hit for you! Thank you for sharing your great feedback!
Can you use vegetable oil instead of canola?
Yes, you can use vegetable oil.
Made this cake 2 years ago for a birthday and it is now a given that any of our family birthday cake will be this one. Everyone loves it, especially the chocolate fondant lovers. I usually add a shot of espresso to the batter.
I’m so glad you guys are enjoying the chocolate cake! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
How much boiling water?
This cake comes out perfect every time I make it. It’s vegan but everyone I serve it to loves it!, The best frosting! Just yummy!
This really is the BEST.
This recipe is amazing. The texture of the cake, as well as the moisture, was spot on and delicious! Thank you, Nora, for sharing this with the rest of the world.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! I’m so happy that you loved the cake! 🙂
Can I use gluten free flour?
Hi Melissa. You could try my Gluten free Chocolate Cake, which I adapted to be gluten free. You could also use gluten free King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. Happy cooking!
This cake comes out spectacularly every single time. I’m not such a big fan of frosting so I haven’t tried that part of the recipe, I usually cover it in melted dark chocolate then decorate with fresh berries. Everybody loves it it’s incredible.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback and ideas, Paula! I’m so glad you love the cake! Your frosting idea sounds delicious! Happy cooking!
This cake turned out so delicious! Almost a brownie consistency. My daughter is allergic to milk so I was able to use eggs instead of the applesauce. It turned out just like your picture too! It’s definitely a keeper! Thank you Paula.
I always stayed away from making vegan baking because it was intimidating, but this cake was sooo good! I added a bag of vegan chocolate chips and added it to the mix. I also topped the cake and cupcakes with the chocolate chips and omg! Everyone loved them, they also mentioned the cake didn’t taste vegan.
* I didn’t have applesauce and wanted to use butter instead of oil.
I used 3/4 cups of vegan butter to replace the oil and applesauce and it was delish!
Hi Nancy. Thank you for your wonderful feedback and ideas! I’m glad everyone loves the cake! Wishing you happy cooking!
I always love your recipes, and look forward to making this one! Do you have any recommendations for adapting this recipe to two 6″ x 2″ pans? Would be much appreciated!
Hi Kate. This recipe will work for three 6 inch pans. They will probably only need about 20 minutes in the oven, so watch them closely. I hope this helps, and happy cooking!
I just realized the almond milk I have contains sugar…can I still use it for the recipe?! I was hoping to make cupcakes using this recipe today and freeze them until my vegan daughter’s birthday celebration on the 31st…
Yes, that’s fine to use. You could reduce the sugar a bit in the cake, but I wouldn’t personally. It will be just fine. Enjoy!
I’ve made this cake several times and everyone says it’s the best chocolate cake they’ve ever had! I did substitute coconut milk in the icing. No one would ever know this is vegan ?
I’m so glad the cake was a hit! Thank you for sharing your great feedback!
Cake turned out perfect! The frosting though, a little oily! Seems like 1 1/2 sticks of Earth Balance would work better than 1 1/2 cups…
Hi Sara. I’m glad you loved the cake! Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Cake didn’t rise at all. About 1cm thick. Even the pic here shows a thin cake.
I’m sorry to hear that, Kent. I’ve always ended up with fluffy, well-risen chocolate cake layers, but sometimes the layers can turn out a little flatter if the baking powder/soda is expired, if air was knocked out of the batter by overmixing, or the measurements for the dry ingredients were off. Hopefully, with these in mind, your next attempt will turn out better!
Turned out just like the picture!! This cake was an A+! I will be making this recipe often. I am not a baker and it was really easy to make, tasted absolutely delicious! Had to sub out half of the flour for almond flour based on what I had.
I’m so glad you loved the cake, Sara! Thanks so much for your terrific feedback and review!
This cake was very good. I made it for my daughter who has recently gone vegan and she loved it. I only had the “Special Dark” cocoa so it was super dark chocolaty and probably not as sweet. I’m looking forward to trying it again with regular cocoa.
Do you have a yellow cake recipe that’s as good as this one?
I’m so happy to hear that you and your daughter loved the cake! Sure, you can try my vegan yellow cake next. Happy baking!
Attempting to make this today. Want can I sub the coconut oil for??
You can use a neutral oil instead, like canola or vegetable oil.
Hello!
I have a question, I am wanting to make a cake using 3,,.. 6 inch pans. Would i double this recipe or do 1.5xs the recipe?
Yes, try making 1.5x the amount. That should be enough to fill 3 6-inch pans.
Can you almond milk for coconut milk
Yes, coconut milk will work!
This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had – vegan or otherwise! I substitute the hot water for hot coffee and typically make the recipe into cupcakes. I’ve frozen half a batch unfrosted with decent results.
This is the number one request from my non-vegan family members for special occasions, absolutely everyone loves this recipe.
Incredible
This chocolate cake is absolutely wonderful! I’m not a very good baker but the recipe and the video made this all so easy for me to follow. And the cake turned out perfectly! I was thrilled. And our guests loved the cake. They couldn’t believe this cake was made without eggs and the frosting was made without butter! Thank you so much Nora!
You are welcome! I’m glad the cake was a hit with your guests! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
Our favorite cake. Moist, lovely texture, rich, sweet and CHOCOLATEY
This cake is amazing! I made it a few times & there is no way anyone would know it’s vegan ! I love your recipes! Thanks!
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you loved the cake!