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.
Recipe inspired by Add A Pinch.
The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk or almond
- 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, not the tub
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk or almond
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 8 or 9-inch cake pans (8 inch pans will result in taller cakes). I also line them with parchment rounds for easy removal of the cakes later.
- Measure 1 cup unsweetened 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 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 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.
- 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).
For decades my sons and I have been baking the “Six Minute Chocolate Cake” recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook (1994) and it’s essential the same recipe. Their author said they got the recipe from a 1976 edition from Home & Garden magazine! No eggs or butter, vegetable oil, vinegar, cocoa powder. It uses 1 C of coffee as an option instead of water, and doesn’t have the applesauce. Recipe is for one layer and they suggest that you mix it directly into the baking pan. I love their chocolate glaze, which is just 1/2 lb. melted bittersweet chocolate, 3/4 C water, and 1/2 t vanilla. It’s such a simple recipe that my sones when they were quite young would make it for me for my birthday cake every year.
I almost didn’t click on the NYT story but for some reason, I did. What a thrill to see an article about vegan stuff and your blog! I’ve used so many of your recipes over the years. Congrats. (and what a pretty photo, too) Next time I make my German chocolate cake I’ll use this recipe. Many of us have noticed fewer vegan products on the shelves and more hostility online (I’m in Portugal), we need all the help we can get to reverse that trend.
Hi Andrea, I’m glad you saw the story in the NYT! And that you’ve used many of my recipes over the years. The online hostility has been intense lately. I try to ignore it but I feel bad that other folks have to read such ugliness under my social media posts sometimes, because I know it’s disheartening.
CONGRATS IN THE NYTIMES WRITE-UP, NORA!!!
I’ve made this cake a couple times for guests and it is the stand out of the entire meal. Yes, it is worth all of the hype. And yes, trust Nora when she says the batter will be very runny when you pour it into the cake pans.
You will it find a better (or easier, for that matter) cake recipe anywhere. And I love that my omnivore guests are blown away that vegan food actually tastes better than, not only what they expected, but better than their versions with egg, milk, and cow’s milk butter.
Go NORA! Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you so much Ryan!!!
Is there a way to decrease the amount of sugar in the cake?
I think you could probably cut the sugar in half and it should still be okay, though I haven’t tried it myself. I’m pretty sure other commenters have reported success in the past. You could also skip the frosting or use another lower sugar frosting or spread instead. Thanks!
Joanne, I’ve made this cake many times and always cut the sugar in the batter. I never keep track of how much I cut, but because I frequently halve the sugar in dessert recipes, I would guess I’ve gone so far as to halve it here, too (but suspect that most of the time I cut it by about 1/3). The cake has turned out delicious every time and no one’s ever commented that it wasn’t sufficiently sweet. I hope this helps!
Nora, just want to pile on the excitement about seeing this cake and your work in the NYT! I hope the positive noise we’re making here drowns out the vitriol.
Thanks for responding Hayley, I’m glad to hear it turns out fine with a lot less sugar. And thank you for the support!
Hello! Looking forward to trying to make this, but have a slight hangup – I have neither a stand mixer nor a hand mixer. Is this something that you think could feasibly be done just by hand (and if so, any tips?)?
I’ve made the cake just with a whisk several times, it works great! The frosting is a bit more difficult without some kind of mixer. I’ve never made buttercream by hand, but I believe it can be done! It will be quite an arm workout. 🙂
Can I use oat milk instead of almond or soy milk?
Yes, you can.
Husbands said it was best cake he’s ever had (just like the name of this recipe says, hah!)—and he is very picky about his chocolate cake! Said it could be served at a 5-star restaurant. I added 1/4 t instant espresso powder to the boiling water and only used 1/2 cup. Baked cake a little longer than the recipe called for—turning the oven down to 325F for another 10-15 min after baking 35 min at 350F. Could’ve just been my oven, unsure. Delicious!
Amazing! Incredibly moist cake !
Forgot to rate the recipe. 5 star!
Thank you!
My 86-year-old husband STILL remembers his mom’s chocolate cake and I’ve tried for years to hear those golden words, “Wow, this tastes just like my mother’s cake!” Well, yesterday when I used your recipe, I finally did. Who knew his mom’s cake was vegan?? (jk – It wasn’t, of course!) Thank you for this very moist and chocolatey cake that made my old guy very happy. I followed your instructions exactly, btw.
Hi Jan. What an awesome story! I’m so thrilled your husband loved the cake so much! Thanks for sharing with me, and for using my recipes! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
We made this cake, which seemed fine until we put it in the oven. After 35 minutes, it was still runny, so we left it in for an extra 5, but it was still not cooked. I increased the temp to 375 and gave it a few more minutes, and it started to thicken, but still super runny! What did we do wrong??
Did you make any substitutions at all with the recipe? That should definitely not happen if you used the correct ingredients and amounts. What size pans did you use? Perhaps your oven is running low, temp wise, and the cakes just weren’t quite cooked in the middle?
Thank you for the recipe, I love it. The taste is great, but they both break when I put them together one on top of the other. why is that?
Are you letting the cakes cool completely before frosting and stacking? This is key to your cakes not breaking. Also, this cake is quite moist and you do need to handle the cakes very carefully. So keep that in mind as well. But when I’ve had cakes break in the past, it’s because I thought they were cool enough, but they weren’t. If warm, the frosting melts slightly and will make your cake crack and break.
Can you use vegetable oil instead of canola??
Yes, vegetable oil is fine.
What size cake pans did you use?
I use 8 or 9 inch pans, either are fine. 8-inch pans will need a few extra minutes in the oven and the layers will be taller.
Hi!
Can I use balsamic vinegar or rise vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar?
You probably could, though I’d prefer rice vinegar over balsamic.
Would hot coffee work instead of hot water?
Yes it works great!
Can I make this cake gluten free?
You can, yes. Use a gluten free flour mix, I prefer Better Batter or King Arthur Measure for Measure. Better yet, go make my Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cake instead. I based it on this recipe but perfected it gluten free.
hi i want to freeze these cakes after baking
do they freeze well
thx!
Yes, they freeze very well.
Nora,
My son, myself and many “Non Vegans” absolutely adored this recipe – we did add 4 oz organic plant based cream cheese to the frosting for an extra umph and about 1/2 cup more powdered sugar. Thank you for this heavenly delightful recipe!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Riletta. I’m glad you discovered my cake recipe and that it was a hit! It is a favorite for lots of folks! Thanks for sharing your delicious sounding ideas! I appreciate your glowing 5 star review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
First cake I’ve ever made from scratch. Made it for my daughters first birthday and it was SO DELICIOUS! Super easy and even my foodie sister, who has chef like taste buds, complimented this recipe! A winner!
Hi Vanessa. Happy birthday to your daughter! I’m so glad the cake was a hit! Thanks for sharing your awesome review and feedback! Happy cooking!
The BEST vegan chocolate cake ever! Came out fluffy and delicious so I saved to my favorites for all my kids birthdays. I am curious what would happen if I added chocolate chips or nuts, would it affect the rise and bake process?
Hi Andrea. This is a favorite birthday cake at our house for sure! I’m so glad you love it. I think nuts would work. Also, I have not added chocolate chips, however, other bakers have indicated that they have and it turned out great! Thank you for sharing your stellar review! Wishing you lots of happy cake baking!
Hi! I am about to make this and it will be my first vegan chocolate cake. Would it be okay to add chocolate chips? I love chocolate cake with chocolate chunks but not sure if It changes anything.
Hi Gemma. I have not added chocolate chips, however, other bakers have indicated that they have and it turned out great! Happy cooking!
Can you freeze this cake? It looks delicious!
Hi Camilla. Yes, the cake does freeze well! You could freeze it with the frosting, though I actually think it’s better to freeze the cooked and cool cakes, wrapped well. Then make the frosting fresh once you thaw the cakes. If you need to freeze the whole thing, it will work. Enjoy the cake, and happy baking!
Hi there! I recently made this cake with aquafaba and it was light and delicious! Amazing recipe. I’m wondering if it would work with a sugar substitute?
Hi Evon. I’m glad you enjoyed the cake recipe! I have zero experience baking with any sugar alternatives so I’m not much help there unfortunately! I’d go for one that says it can be subbed 1:1 for sugar in baking, and hope it works. Happy baking!
Hi Evon, how much aquafaba did you use instead of applesauce?
This is the best cake hands down! Everyone raves about it and they don’t even realise it’s vegan! Has been a crowd favourite in our family for years due to egg and dairy allergies!
Would love to know how to make it vanilla instead of chocolate, would adding more flour and vanilla in place of the cocoa powder work?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work to make it vanilla, I’ve tried. I’m so glad everyone loves this cake! It’s always a hit.
Thank you so much for this recipe for the vegan chocolate cake. This cake is soooo good. I had to catch myself from eating 2 slices a day. It refrigerates well. When i take it out of the refrigerator, I just let it sit out about an hour then i cut it. It is still very moist. Yummy yummy yummy!!
This cake was DELICIOUS. Made it for my daughters 15th birthday today and it was such a HIT! Moist and delicious.
Will it impact the recipe if I use Dutch processed cocoa powder? I have some leftover from christmas and I’d like to use what I already have, if possible.
Hi Amanda. You can use dutch processed cocoa. I do this quite often for a slight change in flavor and color and it works well. Happy baking!
Hey – I’ve made this recipe loads of time before but the last couple of times my cakes have sunk a tiny bit in the middle. Doesn’t affect the taste or texture but wondering if this has happened to you at all and if you know what I might be doing wrong. Thank you!
Hi Helen. There are several reasons why they could be sinking: overmixed batter, opening the oven door as they’re baking, expired baking soda/powder, or the oven temperature is too high. One of the most important things is not to overmix the batter because if the air is knocked out, then the cakes will fall instead of rise. I hope this helps for next time!
It’s so good! tysm for this recipe! I always struggle to find good vegan recipes with basic ingredients, and this didn’t disappoint at all. I baked it on air-fryer and it rose so well. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, kind of like a brownie. I have one question, though. Would it work if I used gluten-free flour instead of regular?
Hi Priscila. Thanks for your awesome review! I’m so glad you loved the cake! How fabulous it baked well in the air fryer! You can replace it with gluten free flour, but I think it’s better to go make this version: Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cake. Wishing you lots of happy baking!
This has become my go to cake! It’s so moist, rich, best tasting cake ever. My family loves this cake. THANK YOU for the recipe. Can you do this trip with any other cake?
This has become my go to cake! It’s so moist, rich, best tasting cake ever. My family loves this cake. THANK YOU for the recipe. Can you do this trick with any other cake?
Does this cake need to be refrigerated? I feel like the fridge will dry it out. Love ALL your recipes. Had the curry chickpea for dinner.
No, I do not usually refrigerate it. I leave it on the counter but cover any cut parts especially with wrap. I’m so glad you are loving my recipes, including the chickpea curry! That’s one of my go-to easy dinners.
Can I make this cake one week ahead of a party and freeze it then put the icing ?
Hi Sharon. Yes, absolutely! The unfrosted cake freezes really well. When ready to frost and serve, let it thaw overnight. I hope you enjoy the cake! Happy baking!
I don’t use granulated sugar. Can I substitute with coconut sugar?
Sure, you could.