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. 

slice of vegan chocolate cake on a plate

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!

vegan chocolate cake with a slice taken out of it

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.

 

 

vegan chocolate frosting in a bowl with a whisk

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!

vegan chocolate cake frosted close up

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.

slice of vegan chocolate cake with a fork taking a bite.

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Recipe inspired by Add A Pinch.

slice of vegan chocolate cake with a fork taking a bite.
4.96 stars (1679 ratings)

The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake

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. 
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings: 16 servings

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

  1. For cupcakes, fill liners half full and bake for 20-25 minutes. The whole recipe will yield approximately 24 cupcakes.
  2. 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.
  3. Don't like a lot of frosting? Cut the frosting ingredients in half. The recipe as written makes enough for thick layers of frosting.
  4. Nut allergy? You may substitute soy milk or another milk for the almond milk, any non-dairy milk will work here.
  5. 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). 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 408mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Nora Taylor
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!
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Comments

  1. I’m obsessed with making this cake that this is a second review! I’ve made it three times now. First time I did 1.5x the recipe and put it in a bigger pan. I then made it as listed and today, I made a half recipe. Exact same results every time and it is *aMaZiNg!* I wish I could post a picture. It’s so easy and remember to listen to Nora – the batter will seem really thin but it’s supposed to be! Trust her!! ❤️ Thank you Nora, you ROCK!! 

  2. Hi this recipe is soo good my family all loves it. But I’m making it again and I don’t have applesauce or any of the other substitutes could I use eggs? None of us are vegan but it works great for the dairy free people. If so how many eggs would you use?

  3. hi! i love love love this recipe but i was just wondering if it contained soy? i have to make it for a friend and she said a soy allergy

    1. To make it soy free, you will need to use a vegan butter that is soy free (Earth Balance brand has a soy free variety) and of course don’t use soy milk in the cake. Thanks!

  4. I think this is gonna be my new favourite cake forever. The sponge is super moist and the cream is delicious, this recipe exceeded my expectations and everyone loved it. The best part is that I can eat it despite my intolerances! ❤️

  5. Hi,Just saw this recipie.Must it be vegan butter or can I use any normal butter pl.

    Thank u
    Susi

    1. In order for the cake to be vegan, you must use vegan butter. If you don’t need it to be dairy free or vegan, of course regular butter will work. The cake just won’t be vegan.

  6. Before my daughter was dairy/egg anaphylactic, we loved a “Minnesota” cake recipe my Aunt used. I’ve struggled to make it vegan…until now. 

    It too uses a hot liquid (hot coffee, actually) but I was so pleased to find this and it made the subs easier. 

    I usually use a stove too cooked frosting but now that I’ve done it with buttercream we may never go back! Next to try the white cake for her 2nd bday this weekend. Thanks!

    1. Thanks for sharing your review and comments! I’m glad my cake works for your daughter’s needs and she can have cake! Happy birthday to her! Happy cooking!

  7. The best chocolate cake ever! Made it once and my non vegan friends loved it! I want to make it again but I was wondering if I can make the frosting the day before?

    1. So glad you are loving the cake! Thanks for sharing your review! Yes, you can make the frosting the day before.

  8. I used to be an old hand at baking, until becoming vegan. Ive not had success since, ( five years) until this recipe! I can’t thank you enough Nora. It’s fantastic! I made the recipe exactly and it’s perfect. I’m going to try the brownies and choc chip cookies next.

  9. I’ve made this recipe a few times. I lessened the amount of sugar. I’m used to less sweet. This cake is delicious and a favorite amongst my family and my non vegan friends. Everyone loves it. Thank you for all your amazing recipes. Oh and I’ve made it with a cup of hot coffee instead of hot water. It’s yum! 

  10. Hi, I was wondering if I could use regular oil instead.
    Thank you for the recipe, can’t wait to try it! 

    1. I’m confused, the recipe calls for oil, such as canola, vegetable or melted coconut oil. Any oil is probably fine here. But you do need vegan butter for the frosting. Hope you love it!

  11. This recipe is fantastic! I made it and topped it off with your peanut butter mousse, Perfection!  The only tweak I did was 3/4 c boiling water and put baking espresso in it, only because I don’t like super moist cakes.  I like a little crumb. You are amazing, keep up the good work!!!!!!  I love your site. 

  12. My husband declared this cake as the best he’s ever had. EVER!  It’s super rich, so a little piece goes a long way. Our family of five were fighting over it?. Ran into a glitch with no applesauce and no substitutes for it as mentioned in the recipe so I crossed my fingers and used an avocado. Couldn’t taste the avocado, but it did moisten the cake nicely. Thank you for this recipe Nora, it’s now our go – to cake! ❤️?

  13. By far the best chocolate cake of any kind. The fact that it is vegan and my lactose intolerant friends can eat delicious cake is, as they say, the icing on the cake! 

  14. Hi! I made this recipe and I am MORE than satisfied. It was sweet, soft and MOIST which is really hard to get from a cake. Thanks for posting that the tip to get the moist texture is that cup of boiling water.
    I was wondering if it is possible to add coffee flavor to this recipe or chocolate covered coffee beans since you can use basically same mix to make cupcakes.
    Any suggestion? I love coffee!

    1. I’m thrilled you love my chocolate cake! Thanks for your wonderful comments! You can substitute hot coffee for the boiling water – it is pretty delicious!

      1. This truly is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. Hands down. Vegan or not vegan. I make this for non vegans and they are blown away. I am currently pregnant and obsessed more then I normally am lol!! 

  15. I made this cake for a couple of friends. Hands down the best Chocolate cake ever! I also made your best-ever potato salad and your chickpea salad. They were all fantastic! Thank you!

  16. This recipe is amazing. My five year old helped me make it twice (once as cupcakes and once as a cake). Everyone made comments about how good it was and several people asked for the recipe. I’m a terrible baker, vegan or otherwise, but this recipe was so easy and I will definitely make this again!

  17. All my non-vegan family members and friends were amazed at how good this cake tastes.

  18. This really is the best cake ever. Vegan or not. I’ve made it three times now for various birthdays in our immediate family and we always agree it’s the best cake we’ve had by leaps and bounds including at a dozen or so weddings and bat/bar mitzvahs. When you make the batter it looks sooooo liquidy, like even more than pancake batter. But don’t be alarmed! It turns out perfectly moist. I used country crock plant butter instead of earth balance, but otherwise everything else was the same. Can not recommend this recipe enough. 

  19. Hello! This looks amazing! A couple questions:

    1. To make the frosting espresso chocolate flavored, what would you recommend? Adding a tablespoon of instant coffee granules to the frosting? Or……??

    2. 16 servings is a bit much for us! If I buy 6 inch pans instead of 9 inch pans should I cut the recipe by half? 2/3?

    Thank you so much 🙂

    1. I would add a few teaspoons of powdered espresso if possible. 🙂 Hmmm I’m not sure exactly how to make a double layer 6 inch cake out of this recipe, it’s a little tricky. You might be able to cut it in half, but the layers may be quite thin. It can be a little hard to cut a recipe by 2/3 but it might work.

    1. Hi Suzanne. I usually use natural cocoa powder, but dutch processed does work as well. It will make the cake and frosting very dark. I hope that helps!

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