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).
This is honestly the best chocolate cake in the world !!! Forget that it’s vegan !!! It’s mikes better than any cake made with eggs and butter ! Don’t change a thing . If you don’t have apple sauce then make your own by stewing an apple or a pear. Please have a go with this recipe it is brilliant!
The topping is also fab and better made with vegan butter than dairy butter. I also add melted dark chocolate which makes it richer.
Hi Jo. I’m glad that you love the cake! Thank you for taking your time to share your comments!
Best chocolate cake ever! So moist and dense! Super easy to make and everyone said its by far the best they’ve had and they aren’t even vegan!
Hi Amber. I’m glad the cake was a hit! Thank you for sharing!
Very moist! Very chocolatey! And very good! I made this cake for a vegan friend. I made a 2 layer six inch cake and had enough for six large cupcakes. I halved the frosting recipe, and I had more than enough for both the cake and cupcakes. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Catalina! I’m glad you loved the cake!
It is the best cake I had. Is there a way to make it with less carbohydrates such as to replace flour to almond flour and sugar and apple sauce to sugar free.
Almond flour works very differently. The cake will end up being a bit of a soupy mess! This recipe doesn’t do well with substitutions, sorry! It’s a cake to enjoy as is! I hope this helps! Thank you, Kouther!
Best vegan chocolate cake!
Thank you, Kyla! I’m glad you like it!
Can I use almond flour in place of all purpose flour?
Have you ever made this as a sheet cake? I’m afraid I don’t have round cake pans. All I have available is glass 9×13 & 9×11. I’m concerned there won’t be enough batter.
It works just fine in a 9×13 inch cake, plenty of batter as written. It will need to bake longer, 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!
The Best Chocolate Cake, literally!!!! I have made this recipe countless times and it’s always a hit!!! First time I made it, my husband (who is not vegan) said it was even better than regular cake, so he asked for this cake for his birthday, and I’m glad because I was able to enjoy as well, mmmmm!!!!
Hi Vani. I’m glad the cake is a hit! Thank you so much for sharing!
I made this for a friend who is vegan for her birthday and she loved it!
Would oat milk work as a substitute for the almond milk? I have another friend whose daughter has lots of allergies but that’s the only swap she’d have to make with this recipe.
Thank you, I’m glad she loved it! Oat milk or any other milk will work fine in the cake recipe. Thanks!
the best cake i’ve had in such a long time…. i’ve made it a few times now and it comes out perfectly every time.. thx
I’m so glad you love the cake! Thank you for sharing!
Just a superb recipe!!! I was sad that the cake part wasn’t bigger so I made three layers by doing 1 1/2x the recipe.
However, there was plenty of frosting with just a single recipe — even by my standards— so I didn’t make more.
Glad you enjoyed the cake, Kimberly! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Nora!
Can this cake be made in 8 inch pans? If so, how should I adjust the recipe?
Thank you!
You could make it in two 8 inch pans if you want. Baking time might be slightly different, but not too much. Check with a toothpick to ensure they are done in the middle.
Thanks for this Nora! Is there anything you would suggest subbing instead of the apple sauce? My partner is allergic. Many thanks ☺️
Vegan yogurt could work in place of applesauce, or even a few flax eggs. Thanks!
Best vegan cake I have ever made. It was delicious!! Moist and the frosting was scrumptious. The entire family ate some and I am the only vegan.
Hi Sophia! I’m glad the cake was a hit with your family! Thank you for sharing!
This is awesome!!
Hi Nora,
I’m looking forward to try this recipe this weekend! Instead of the all purpose flour, would it yield the same results if whole wheat flour is used?
Hi there! If you use whole wheat flour, it won’t be nearly as light or fluffy, it will be more dense and dry. And it will very much taste like whole wheat flour. I’m sure it would technically work, but it wouldn’t be my preferred choice. If you have white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour, that would be better. Hope that helps!
This is a delicious cake! Nora, every recipe I have tried of yours has been outstanding. It’s a shame I will be the only one eating this cake—or is it? ☺️
Thank you for another great recipe!
Hi Katrina! LOL! I’m glad you love the cake! Thank you for sharing your comments, and for using my recipes!
I Made this cake for my daughter for her birthday shortly before she died. My whole family loved it. They couldn’t even tell that it was vegan.
Hi Susan. I’m glad everyone loved the cake! I’m sorry for the loss of your daughter. I wish healing for you and your family. Thank you for sharing.
I clearly did something wrong because mine came out different than the video, it was really spongy, I think I didn’t keep in the oven longer though I left it’s there for 30-35 min
Oven temperatures can vary, so if it wasn’t done in the middle, that would be a problem. Make sure a toothpick comes out clean in the middle of both cakes. And bake in the center rack of your oven for best results, always with baking I recommend this.
This cake is delicious! My wife made it for my birthday and I can’t get enough. I’m making it for myself today.
Keep in mind that granulated white sugar has been processed using bone-char – charred cattle bones. So technically speaking, refined white sugar is NOT vegan. The same goes for powdered sugar.
You can find bone-char free sugar.
Research bone char free sugar companies.
I’m glad you enjoyed the cake! The sugar depends on where you live in the world, and as far as I understand at least in the U.S., as long as you buy organic you can be sure it’s vegan friendly. Thanks!
Best cake ever for vegans and no vegans alike! I have made this recipe twice (with icing and everything) and is the first dessert go away. Moist, delicious and easy to make. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Rebecca. Thank you for sharing your review, and for using my recipe! Happy cooking!
Hands down- the best vegan dessert I’ve ever made! Can’t thank you enough. My family could not believe this was vegan. They all loved it!
Hi Ginger. I’m glad you all loved the cake! Thank you for taking your time to share!
Super moist, used a bundt pan, and covered with choc peanutbutter ganache thanks
Hi Patti. Yum! Thank you for sharing!
Turned out awesome Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you, Charlie!
OMG – even better than non-vegan cake. We made this so that my vegan daughter could partake during a family celebration, and the whole family LOVED it. I was so surprised at how good it came out, much better than vegan cakes that I’ve purchased from vegan bakeries, and moister by far than any traditional cake recipe that I’ve made. This one is a keeper and we’ll make it again and again. Thanks so much!
Hi Eileen. I’m so glad everyone loved the cake! Thank you for using my recipe, and for taking the time to share your review!