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 (1680 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’ve made this twice and it was a hit each time. Making it again for my grandson’s birthday party. My husband, who is not a chocolate cake lover, loves this since it is dense and rich. I plan to make a third layer so it looks taller.

    1. Hi Margie! I’m thrilled you are loving the cake and it has been a hit! Happy birthday to your grandson, and enjoy! Thank you so much or sharing your wonderful review and fun comments!

  2. This is the best cake…EVER!  I get requests from family and friends to make this for every gathering! Truly the best cake we’ve ever had!! 
    Thanks for the recipe!!

  3. I see you linked to Hershey’s Special Dark for your cocoa powder. Is that normally what you use for this cake? Have you tried other dutch-processed cocoa powders & if so, how did those cakes turn out?

    1. I have used a variety over the years, as I have made the cake more times than I can count. 🙂 More often than not, I use regular non-dutch processed cocoa powder, but sometimes I use dark (dutch processed). Both work very well! And I’ve used all sorts of brands.

  4. I absolutely love this recipe!! It really is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. I want to try making a gluten free version for one of my friends for her birthday! Is it possible to replace the flour with gluten free all-purpose? 

  5. I want to make this cake for my own birthday that’s coming up next week 🙂 because I absolutely LOVE chocolate cake. However, I’m not a fan of super sweet frosting. Do you think I could cut the amount of sugar in the frosting by half? Do I need to sub it with anything?

    1. You can try using less sugar, but I would also not add any milk at all, unless you need to, because the frosting will be too runny without the extra powdered sugar. I’m not sure how it will taste, but it might work. You could also use a different type of frosting or no frosting at all if you prefer.

  6. Absolutely loved this! Definitely recommend this recipe and trusting the directions ? this was my first time baking vegan 

  7. I’ve had this cake twice and it’s amazing. I think you can stop calling it the best ‘vegan’ chocolate cake, because it is – simply- THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE. 
    Thank you!

  8. I am so impressed with this cake. I only used the cake recipe as my daughter has an egg allergy, and used dairy buttercream to frost it, but the cake was sooo good!!! I don’t even typically like cake and I ate my whole piece! Filled it with a chocolate raspberry ganache. Thank for the greet recipe! It’s a keeper! 

  9. Hi I would like to make this cake for my Dad’s birthday (Sept. 19th). In addition to being vegan my dad is trying to pull away from white flour. Do you know if oat or another flour is ok to substitute? Thank you in advance!

    1. Hi there! It won’t be quite the same, but your best bet would probably be whole wheat pastry flour, since it’s still light but whole wheat. I don’t think oat flour will work here. Hope he enjoys the cake!

  10. since i discovered this recipe, i’ve been making it for every birthday. i’m normally not a “cake person”, but this is SO MOIST, chocolatey and delicious! truly the best cake recipe, vegan or no. i strongly suggest adding a generous portion of RASPBERRY JAM between layers (and can top with fresh raspberries for full effect). yum!

  11. I love to bake but had never baked anything vegan. I found this recipe doing an internet search to bake a birthday cake for my boss. I made cupcakes with this recipe and added a vegan chocolate bar square on top. My boss said it was the best cupcake he ever had and even the non-vegans loved them. Thank you so much for providing this amazing recipe. I was happy to be able honor his healthy lifestyle.

    1. I’m so glad the cake (cupcake) was a hit for your boss! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful review and fun comments!

  12. I’m actually not vegan, but my son is allergic to eggs so I’m looking at vegan recipes for his birthday. Could I use a low fat milk if it doesn’t need to be vegan or will it not turn out well?

  13. Love this receipe. I’ve made it for friends/family several times.  I’m almost out of coconut oil today and I was wondering if you ever tried vegetable oil instead? If so, how was it?

  14. If I wanted to make this into a 6 in cake (3 layers), should I keep the recipe and adjust the baking time (how long should it bake for)? Or would I need to adjust the recipe amount as well? It looks delicious!!

    1. For three 6″ pans, you don’t need to change the recipe at all. Bake the cakes for a little less time. I hope this helps and that you enjoy the cake!

        1. Hi Daisa. I would not use cake flour here, because it’s too light. Typically I use it in other cake recipes, just not this one. Hope that helps!

  15. Just wanting to know if I need to keep this cake (un-iced) in the fridge, or if it does okay out of the fridge? I’m wanting to make sure it stays super moist before I get to assemble and ice it and I’m worried the fridge will dry it out!

    1. Hi Hannah. I’m hot sure how long you plan to keep the cake un-iced. It will do well out of the fridge for a couple of days. I hope this helps.

    1. You can make the frosting a day or two ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. The frosting will become rather thick and hard in the fridge though, so let it sit out at room temperature for maybe 30 minutes before frosting the cake. I hope this helps!

  16. This is my go to chocolate cake recipe. I always make it as a Bundt cake with vegan ganache and chocolate chips on top. It’s like a death by chocolate. I also substitute balsamic vinegar for the apple cider vinegar, it actually goes better with chocolate. I also add a little espresso powder too!  So good

    1. Hi Kim! I’m thrilled that this is your go to chocolate cake recipe! The balsamic vinegar substitution sounds interesting! I’ll have to try that sometime! Thanks for sharing your great review and comments!

      1. Made this cake today for my husband’s birthday. This is by far THE best cake I’ve ever made! It was so moist and rich. I will definitely be using this recipe from now on. Yum!

        1. I’m glad you guys loved the cake! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review and comments. I’m thrilled this will be your go to chocolate cake recipe!

      1. I usually store the cake in the refrigerator, or it can be stored at room temperature. It will last for 3-5 days, longer if refrigerated. I just cover the open part with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. You can also freeze individually wrapped slices if you don’t think you’ll get to it all within a few days. I hope this helps!

  17. I am absolutely shocked and thrilled at how well this cake turned out. I was super hesitant when the batter was so liquidy but they came out perfect!! My vegan room mate loved it so much (I made it for her birthday) and I’ll definitely be making and sharing it again! 😀

    1. Yay! I’m so glad the cake turned out wonderful for your friend’s birthday! That was really nice of you! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review and comments!

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