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).
Truly the best cake. We are not vegan but made this for a vegan friend and now it’s the only cake recipe I make on birthdays. Because it’s just so good!!
My husband’s birthday was last week, so I doubled the recipe and actually made three medium-sized sheetcakes – one for him, one for my son and daughter-in-law to take home with them, and the last I put in the freezer for my birthday next month. We all love it SO much!! Thanks you, Nora!
I love making (and eating) this cake. I followed the recipe almost exactly. The only difference was that instead of hot water I used hot french roast coffee.
This cake rocks my world. It comes out reliably fluffy, moist and delicious every time. Even the non-vegans can’t tell the difference!
My one tip is to reduce the sugar by about a quarter cup (I usually don’t fill it all the way), I also use less powdered sugar in the icing. Sweet is sweet, after a certain point the extra sugar oversaturates and makes you feel worse after eating it.
Slightly less sugar tastes better.
Hi Nora. Thanks for the recipe.. it looks delicious!! Can’t wait to try it out!
I have strong bread flour that I’m looking forward to finish using. Could I use it for this recipe? I read that for cakes, part of such flour needs to be substituted with corn flour. So if I do that, do you think it might work with this recipe?
Also, would you know how much mashed banana I could use instead of applesauce or other options you’ve listed?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Martha! You can sub mashed banana for the same amount as the applesauce. You might taste the banana though. I’ve never tried it with bread flour, and I don’t think it’s the best option for cake, but you could try it. I’m afraid it will come out dense and chewy.
Hi Nora,
Could I replace the boiling water with boiling coffee to include a coffee flavor?
I’m looking forward to making this, thank you!
Hi Dylan. Hot coffee can totally be used, and is pretty awesome! It makes the flavor a bit richer and you can taste the coffee a little bit. My kids don’t like the coffee version, so I usually end up making it with the water. 🙂 Either works well, the coffee just gives it a different flavor. I hope you enjoy!
Hi Nora! I’ve made it before as written, and it turned out amazing! I was wondering if it is possible to substitute hot milk for boiling hot water to make it creamier? Thanks
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I wouldn’t sub milk for the boiling water, it won’t make it creamier but it will throw off the recipe. It’s the boiling water in particular that makes this cake so moist and delicious.
Hi Nora
I want to make a rectangular version of the cake 9x13inch for my son’s birthday party this week.
Do I need to double the mixture and can I skip the layers (I only have 1 cake tin)? If so approx how long do I bake it?
Thanks
Amelia
You don’t need to double the recipe for a single layer 9×13 inch cake. It will need 35-40 minutes to bake. Enjoy!
How much aquafaba should I use?
Use about 2/3 cup whipped aquafaba. It doesn’t have to have stiff peaks, but whipped until frothy.
10/10 chocolate cake! I’m not vegan but my niece is allergic to eggs so I did use all dairy products but this cake was incredible. Everyone was even going back for seconds. Will be making this for all bdays going forward (even if we don’t need an egg free dessert). A must try!
Hi Courtney. I’m so glad that the cake was a hit, and that it turned out well for you! Thank you for taking time to share your terrific review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Nora,
Thank you for SO many amazing vegan recipes. I have been making your ‘Best Ever Vegan Chocolate Cake’ for a while now. My grandson has multiple food allergies and he loves this cake! It made him so happy to have a special cake for his birthday. Thank you!
Everyone in my family loves this cake!
Hi Rose. I am THRILLED that your grandson is able to enjoy a delicious cake for his birthday! Food allergies is definitely challenging! Thanks for sharing your stellar review, and for the recipe love! Wishing you happy cooking!
Flawless recipe, Nora! Best cake I’ve ever had. I’m thinking of making this as mini cakes in 4 in pans, how long would you suggest to bake for?
I’m so glad you are loving the recipe, Eliza! Thank you for your awesome review! I would say bake mini cakes for about 18 to 24 minutes. Happy birthday!
Can I use self raising flour instead?
Hi there! Self rising flour just won’t work very well in this recipe! I do not recommend using it! Hope this helps!
Hi Nora, I made this cake for my first foray into vegan baking as an avid baker, and it turned out great! I ended up subbing mashed banana for the apple sauce since I forgot to buy any. Do you think the amount of sugar could be decreased without affecting the structure of the cake? I have family members who prefer desserts on the less sweet side, and I already have halved the frosting.
Hi there! I’m so thrilled that the cake turned out wonderful for you and that you loved it! Thank you for sharing your terrific review and recipe experience. You could absolutely lower the sugar. You could even cut it in half if you want. Happy baking!
Hi Nora, thanks for the recipe! Is it possible to substitute sugar with coconut sugar? And groundnut oil instead of Canola oil?
You are welcome! Yes, you can use coconut sugar. Though I have never used it, I think the ground nut oil should work fine! Happy baking!
Love this recipe! Does the boiling water bloom the cocoa? Or would it be worth it to add the cocoa to the hot water before adding it so that it blooms? Idk if it matters tbh so I figured I would just ask if you had any insight!
Hi there. Can I use white spirit vinegar instead of apple cider? Thanks!
Hi Kirsten. You can use white vinegar, or lemon juice. The vinegar can also be left out, if needed. The cake will still be good! Happy baking!
This is the best vegan cake I have ever made or eaten. I used the Earth Balance sticks as recommended and Ghirardelli dutch-processed cocoa powder. Recipe made enough icing that I had extra to pipe on the top to decorate the edges, adding fresh berries and mint from my garden. Wish I could post a photo – the cake was so pretty. So many comments on how delicious it was!
Hi Blythe. I loved reading about your cake, and I can imagine how beautiful it turned out! I am thrilled that you loved the cake, and I appreciate your support and recipe love! Thank you for taking time to share your recipe experience and glowing review! Wishing you happy cooking!
Hi Nora! I made this a few years ago and remember it being amazing. I’ve moved to Australia and I can only find applesauce which has 10% sugar. Will this be okay? Or would it be better to us flax. Making it for non VGs! Thank you!
I’m so glad that you’ve enjoyed the cake before! Sweetened applesauce will work just fine. If desired, you could a also use 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 5 tbsp water), whipped aquafaba, or another egg replacer such as Bob’s Red Mill (2 eggs worth). I hope this helps! Happy baking!
I am never able to post a picture either… the cake gets eaten too quickly!
I second that this is the best chocolate cake ever.
Thank you, Rose!
Hi Nora, thanks for the recipe! Can I substitute coconut sugar and groundnut oil? Thanks
Hi Nora,
how much whipped aquafaba should I use for this recipe?
Thanks!
You should not use any, the cake will not turn out well if you do! Aquafaba is not an ingredient in this particular cake recipe.
Hi Nora
Can I substitute sunflower oil instead of canola oil in this recipe?
Hi Julie. Yes, you can use sunflower oil. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Can I make this in a standard spring form pan?
It will probably be too much batter for one springform pan, and would take a very long time to bake (I’m not sure it will bake properly either). You could cook one layer at a time in it perhaps.
Love this recipe. It is my go to for my vegan grandchildrens birthday cakes. Thank you.
I don’t consider myself to be much of a baker, but this cake immediately increased my confidence and is now my go-to on birthdays and other cake-worthy celebrations!!! Thank you, Nora! 🫶🏼
Absolutely love this recipe! Recently I had to switch to gluten-free, and I’m hoping there’s a way to adapt this recipe without losing what makes it so good. I’ve tried several other gluten-free chocolate cake recipes and none of them compare, so I keep coming back to this one.
Do you have any recommendations for the best gluten-free flour to substitute, or any adjustments that would help keep the texture and flavor amazing?
I would make this instead: Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cake. I adapted this recipe to be made gluten-free and it works great!
This cake fully lives up to its reputation, absolutely incredible. You really are the best, Nora!