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).
So excited to make this twice for two birthdays this week. Will there be any issue with the texture or consistency using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour?
I haven’t personally tried it, but many people have reported success in making it a gluten free. Hope everyone enjoys!
I made the full version of the cake this time around for my child’s party. WOW. Best vegan chocolate cake I’ve ever had. I was hoping some would be left over but, alas, it was gone in a flash!
I’m so glad to hear it was delicious!
This cake has change my life! My 4 year old is allergic to dairy and nuts and he absolutely LOVES this cake. It is unbelieveably moist and the simple ingredients don’t make it intimidating at all. I had everything on hand. Could not believe just how moist and rich this cake was!!! AH-MAZING!!!! You have inspired me to bake. Thank you so much!!
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the wonderful comment!
This cake was amazing! I used oat milk so that my son with nut allergies could eat it and I topped it with fresh raspberries and coconut chips. Very easy to make and so delicious!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Thank you for this amazing recipe. It turned out great and a friend who has been vegan for most of her life said it’s the BEST vegan cake she’s ever had! I’ll definitely use it again and again.
That’s so great! Thanks for the comment!
Love, love, LOVE this recipe!! Substituted gluten free flour and it was incredible!
I’m so glad to hear it was great!
Can I use a bundt pan?
I believe you could, but I haven’t tried it myself. It might need to cook a little longer.
Hi Nora, the cakes are in the oven and they look great! I am making the frosting and realized the earth balance butter I bought is the spreadable version and it is salted. 🙁 Will that work or too salty?
Thanks,
Linda
Yes, that will work! Sounds like the kind in the tub? It’s just a little more difficult to measure, but it can be done. Make sure it is softened but not melty at all. Just leaving it out at room temperature for a half hour should work.
Glad I found this recipe just in time for my daughters birthday. My daughter likes vanilla frosting. Do you have a recipe for vanilla frosting? Is it possible to use dark cocoa?
Yes, I have a Vanilla Frosting Recipe here. You can use dark cocoa in the cake. I hope she loves it!
Is it possible to make this exact cake but vanilla instead of chocolate???
I don’t think so, but I have never tried it. I would instead make my Vegan Vanilla Cake. Thanks.
The recipe was easy to follow, I used (soaked) ground chia seeds instead of apple sauce was the only thing I had on hand and it worked sweet az! Decadent AF lol I used only half the icing how long will it last in the fridge. Thanks for sharing. From Nz
So glad that it worked with chia seeds, thank you! It is very decadent for sure! The icing could be frozen if you’d like and used another time, or it will keep in the fridge for a week or two.
Can I substitute the sugar for maple syrup?
No, it will add way too much liquid to the ingredients, throwing off the recipe. Sorry!
I need nut free and vegan. What’s your suggestion for the best substitute for almond milk?
Soy milk works great, as well as coconut or oat milk.
Thank you so much for your amazing recipe and video. I made the one layer version as a practice test for a birthday cake I need to make on the weekend (halved the ingredients for the cake and frosting) but I didn’t know how long to leave it in the oven. Oddly, my toothpick tests never came out completely clean and I left it longer than 35 minutes! My cake seemed like it was a little dry on top but the inside was still quite moist. Also, the cake didn’t really rise. 🙁 Given I have never before baked a cake from scratch, I was not sure of the desired result. About how thick should the cake be when it rises? At any rate, the cake and frosting are delicious (and I have quite a bit of leftover frosting even from a half batch because the cake is so flat) and I cannot believe what an easy recipe you created!
Any suggestions on how to make the cake rise? I used canola oil not coconut and I also halved the baking powder and baking soda. Thank you.
Hi Sam! I wonder if you used less baking powder and soda then called for? Because that would affect the rising of the cake. Was the cake fluffy, or dense? If it was fluffy in texture, that sounds right, though the cake does usually rise quite a bit. If it was dense, then something went wrong. It’s hard to know exactly what without being there with you as you bake. I’m glad it was delicious anyhow, perhaps try the whole version (instead of halving it) and see if it turns out better! Thank you.
Thanks, Nora. Upon reflection, I think two things went wrong;:
1) I should have used the full amount of baking soda and baking powder even for half a cake “just in case” and 2) I probably had too much liquid and not enough dry because measuring half of 3/4 for cocoa and half of 1 3/4 for sugar was not quite exact. I assumed it would be ok but obviously my lack of experience baking came back to bite me here. Lesson learned. I’m certain the full cake will be even better. My cake was too dense but completely and utterly delicious. ?
Will I be able to torte the layers? I made a chocolate vegan cake (not this recipe) and it completely crumbled when I started to cut into layers. Since I’m making a vegan wedding cake, we cannot have the cake falling apart!
I haven’t ever tried this so I’m not sure it will work. The cakes are very moist and a bit fragile I would say, but it might work if you are careful! It’s not crumbly, but it is very moist.
This is the best vegan chocolate cake I’ve ever made!!!! The boiling water made a huge difference. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Hi Nora,
Thank you for this amazing recipe! People are always amazed when they find out its vegan!
I have never been a good baker but I have never failed making this cake!
Thanks again:)
hi. i mixed the frosting by hand and it became completely dark? and heavy. is it because I didn*t mix the butter and cocoa with a machine? is it possible to mix after I put milk av icing sugar?
Yes, a hand mixer or standing mixer is really quite necessary to get a light texture. I don’t know if it will work by hand.
I always chuckle a little when I read THE BEST *********** RECIPE. After putting this one to the test, It is CONFIRMED. You did it!!! Im your new fan!
I’m so glad you thought it was great!
Hi I want you to know that I made your cake last night (with my own frosting recipe) and it was UNBELIEVABLE ❗️❗️ The compliments did not stop. From today forward your cake will be a staple recipe in my home. Thank you so very much ?
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the comment.
Dear Nora, thank you for this wonderful and well described recipe. I plan to make it for the New Years’ Eve. I wonder if I make it on Sunday and I plan to serve it Tuesday (meanwhile I go to a short trip), where should I keep it – in the fridge or simply in a colder room, and is this one of those cakes that can handle staying at rest for a couple of days and still taste delicious as the first day…? Thanks, Ana
Hi Ana! I hope you enjoy the cake on New Year’s Eve! I would keep it in the refrigerator to keep it the freshest possible. If you don’t want to serve it cold, simply leave it out at room temperature for a few hours before serving. It might be okay left out that long, but it will do better in the refrigerator. Thank you!
Can I use soya or rice milk instead of almond milk to make this nut-free?
Yes either of those will work fine.
Can I sub the regular flour for almond flour?? Would it be the same measuremnt??
No, sorry, almond flour won’t work here. A gluten free flour mix will though!
Hi!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to make it! Can you tell me how to adjust the recipe and baking times for 8 inch pans?
Thanks!
You might want to just add an extra 10-15 minutes for baking time. That should work.
Hi! This recipe is so good, I made it and I can honestly say that it’s better than most non vegan chocolate cakes I’ve had so far.
If you’re on the hunt for a vegan chocolate cake recipe, stop here! You’re truly not going to find anything better than this.
I made this cake for a holiday dinner where we had multiple vegan guests attending, and this cake is SO incredibly good that it’s going to become a staple!!
I usually modify recipes but made this one as called for. It’s absolutely fantastic — the cake is incredibly moist and has the most perfect texture (not too dense at all!). The frosting tastes incredible, and a bonus is that it’s easy to work with/spread. This cake is not only delicious but also turns out so beautiful!
Thank you Nora for this incredible recipe!
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the wonderful comment!
I want to make this but my almond milk has sugar in it. How much less sugar do you think I should use? Making this for my niece who is vegan.
I would probably just use the same amount of sugar and not worry about it, I don’t think it will be noticeable. Hope your niece enjoys the cake!