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).
We’re new to the vegan world and this was AMAZING. Made it for a birthday party and all the non-vegans were shocked by how good it was. Will definitely bookmark as a go-to recipe for the future!
Fantastic!
This was fantastic! Thank you
You’re welcome!
Truly excellent recipe and apparently quite foolproof. Was out of applesauce so used same measurement of canned pumpkin. Also about 1/4 c. short on almond milk so used water. Cake volume and texture were perfect and chocolate flavor divine. Many thanks!
Fantastic! So glad you enjoyed it.
Absolutely delicious!
Thanks!
Brilliant. Shhhhh. Don’t even share it’s vegan. No one will know. (For those averse to anything labeled vegan) Made this for a 12 yr old bday party along side oatly ice cream and the girls practically licked their plates. Really really good. (I used country crock butter sticks with avacado oil) thank you for this recipe.
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad to hear the girls loved it!
I haven’t had chocolate cake for my birthday since going vegan four years ago. Found this recipe and it’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. Thank you so much for giving me a chocolatey, nostalgic birthday treat!! I was so skeptical when the batter was basically chocolate soup but it turned out absolutely perfect. I shared with my non-vegan roommates and they all agree this is the best cake.
That’s so wonderful! Thanks for sharing the comment!
I just finished making this Vegan Cake for my cousin’s surprise birthday party tomorrow, is it safe to put the cake in the fridge over night?
Yes, I usually do put it in the refrigerator, but you could leave it at room temperature as well.
My daughter and I recently made the commitment to be plant based. It’s not as hard as I thought it would especially with this cake recipe! It was an amazing hit! Made it for my sisters birthday and didn’t tell anyone it was vegan until after they asked to take some home! Thank you for sharing.
You’re so welcome!
I was wondering if I can substitute the flour with a gluten free flour? If so, is there a flour you would recommend?
Others have done this with success. I’ve heard good things about Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour.
can you use sweetened vanilla almond milk?
Yes.
What can I do if I can’t find applesauce
You could likely leave it out if needed, or maybe sub vegan yogurt if you have access to it. 2 flax eggs would probably work as well (2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds + 5 tablespoons water). Hope that helps!
I halved this to make them one at a time to accommodate my oven. (I didn’t think I should let the batter sit after adding boiling water, right?) I was so worried about under-baking it that I think I over-baked it (it’s so chocolatey the toothpick never came out clean for me). Also, I think I used too much baking spray with oil/flour to grease the pans and the edges came out a bit crunchy. (I’m ok with it for the first try.) Also, I think it was too warm or something in my kitchen because the frosting was a little, I don’t know, not smooth, kind of like it’s about to separate? Is it possible to over-whip the frosting?
It looks just like the picture though! It’s delicious and the person I made it for said it was the best cake they’d ever had–vegan or otherwise. I had to agree. I’m already passing it on to my mom. 🙂 Thanks!
You’re welcome! Glad it tasted great!
I don’t usually comment on recipes but I had to. For those of you looking around for the perfect vegan chocolate cake recipe, or if you’re new to veganism and don’t know which recipe to pick. Honestly, look no further. I looked through so many comments and recipes and I’m just trying to save everyone a little time. Made this for my boyfriend and it is THE BEST chocolate cake I have EVER had in my ENTIRE life. I’m not exaggerating. I’m being 100% honest. Out of all cakes I’ve had at restaurants, made, had at parties, this was the best. So moist, so rich, just.. oh my goodness do it. Make the cake. Making them I’m cupcake versions today.
Wow, thanks so much for the wonderful comment! I’m so glad to hear that you love the cake!
This is wonderful – thank you! We have an 18 month old with egg and nut allergies and a dairy intolerance, so I made this cake with soy milk for a family birthday. It is delicious and I know it will be a big hit tomorrow. We all enjoyed samples of the icing. We are also big fans of your coffee cake. Thanks for sharing these recipes!
You’re so welcome! I hope it’s a big hit! Thanks for the comment.
Thank you for this recipe! My husband is vegan and I made this cake for him. HE LOVED IT. Also, my very picky 5 year old who only eats chicken nuggets and fries loved it too! You are a magician!
Aw thank you! I’m so glad everyone liked the cake!
Where can I buy vegan butter sticks? I am new to the vegan baking world.
You can check your grocery stores, some carry them and some do not. Whole Foods always has them. Look for Earth Balance or Melt brand.
Isn’t this not vegan since it uses powdered sugar?
To ensure your sugar is vegan, buy organic. You can still have sugar and be vegan.
where can i get the pans?
What would be the best sugar substitute?
Sorry I have never used a sugar substitute before in baking, so I would say whichever one you know you like! A liquid will not work though.
I bake A LOT and this was one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever made. I have always loved to bake but it became a necessity when I went vegan about 8 years ago because you just can’t find good vegan baked goods. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will definitely check back for more recipes.
I’m so glad you liked it!
so good!!!
Thanks!
I made this for a friends’ gathering, everyone loved it and nodody in that ate it is vegan! It was so moist and delicious. I tell everyone about this recipe. I will try your lemon cake next, thank you so much!
You’re so welcome! I’m so glad it was great!
Do I need to refrigerate the cake after I put the frosting ?
No, it is not necessary.
Hello Nora,
I was wondering if I can substitute the almond milk for soy milk. If so does that change the amount of the ingredient? Will that change the taste of the cake? Thanks!
Using almond milk is no problem at all, and it won’t change the cake. Use the same amount. Thanks and enjoy!
Can I use oat milk
Yes.
Hi! It looks yummy! Can I use cacao powder instead?
Yes, that’s fine. Hope you love it!
Hi Nora,
Can I use any cocoa powder or do I have to use the Viva cocoa powder that the link in your recipe takes me to? What do you think of Trader Joe’s brand cocoa powder?
Thanks
Angela
You can use any cocoa powder, I actually use Trader Joe’s brand the most often. Thanks!