The best vegan chocolate cake topped with the richest silkiest vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfectly moist and totally decadent.
I can’t get enough of vegan chocolate cake. It’s definitely a favorite.
And I got all arrogant with this one and called it ‘the best vegan chocolate cake’ you know, as you do.
It’s mega-chocolatey, wonderfully moist, and supremely simple using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Crazy simple with a spectacular outcome.
And the frosting – oh my word – the frosting.
It’s the silkiest creamiest vegan buttercream I have ever made. And paired with this two-layer decadent dream cake and topped with chocolate shavings you’ll make every chocolate lover a very happy camper with this cake.
I have already tested this cake on some non-vegans who had no idea that it was a vegan cake and they were freaking out over it. Now that’s what I like to see.
Cake Pan Sizes
What I love about this cake is that it’s a 9 inch two layer beauty that can also be made in 8 inch pans.
And since I get a lot of questions from readers asking for different size cake recipes, I was thrilled to discover that this is an either/or situation for 8 or 9 inch pans with absolutely no other adjustments.
If you make it in 9-inch cake pans, as we did for this photoshoot, it is totally gorgeous. If you make it in 8-inch cake pans, it’s just taller but every bit as gorgeous.
How To Make the Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- This is a simple 10-ingredient recipe that takes very little time to prepare.
- Sift the all purpose flour and cocoa powder (unsweetened) into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, baking soda and salt.
- Make up some vegan buttermilk by adding some lemon juice to a measuring jug and then pouring in soy milk, or almond milk, and letting it curdle into vegan buttermilk.
- Add the vegan buttermilk to the mixing bowl and some vanilla, vegetable oil, vinegar and applesauce and mix in. Use a hand whisk briefly to get rid of any big lumps.
- Spray two 9-inch (or you can use 8-inch) baking pans with non-stick spray and then line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and then bake for 30-minutes. Let the cakes cool for a few minutes in the cake pans and then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
That Vegan Chocolate Buttercream!
The frosting is an ultra rich vegan chocolate buttercream. It’s only 6-ingredients and ridiculously simple to make, but it’s extremely impressive.
You can just add all the ingredients – vegan butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla and non-dairy milk to a mixing bowl and then use your stand mixer to whisk it into a smooth and creamy vegan chocolate buttercream.
It makes quite a lot of frosting, but as you can see from the photos, probably the perfect amount really.
Unless of course you’re not a fan of frosting in which case, I don’t even know what to do with you?
Only joking. If you’re not a frosting fan, this is a cake that can be served plain or with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar or with some vegan whipped cream.
When the cakes are completely cool, spread on the frosting.
And decorate with vegan chocolate shavings.
Just a note that if you’re making this as an 8-inch layer cake, then it’s almost too much frosting. So you might want to reduce a little bit, or just have it on extra thick, which is what I did when I tested this for 8-inch pans.
Ingredient Tips
Vegan buttermilk. This creates a super moist and tender crumb. It’s a little more moist than the average sponge cake, but not overly so. It’s rich and decadent and exactly how you want it to be. I prefer soy milk for making vegan buttermilk because it’s thicker and richer. Almond milk is more watery, but you can use almond milk if you can’t use soy.
Take a look at our vegan buttermilk post which also features a video where you can see the difference in texture between vegan buttermilk made with soy milk vs almond milk. Coconut milk won’t curdle but can be used in a pinch.
Canola oil. I use oil rather than vegan butter in most of my cakes and I really love the result. For this cake I used canola oil, but I have also tested this with my other, rather unusual favorite, which is extra virgin olive oil. You can also use vegetable oil. If you want to use coconut oil then make sure it’s melted first.
Applesauce. This creates moisture without needing to use more oil and is also an ‘egg replacement’ of sorts.
Flour. Regular all purpose flour is my flour of choice for this cake. I recommend you weigh it for the best accuracy. Flour measures are tricky, and even for experienced bakers using the spoon and level method (the correct method when using cup measures for flour) it is possible to get it a bit wrong. And baking is very precise and can be a little unforgiving in that respect.
Cocoa Powder. I use natural unsweetened cocoa powder. This works great in the cake and the frosting.
Recipe FAQ
Applesauce! But I don’t find ‘egg replacements’ to be crucial in vegan baking, though I do use them for flavor/moisture. Really it’s more the vinegar/baking soda combination that is crucial in this cake. The applesauce is more for moisture than anything else.
You can use 1 ½ flax eggs. So you would mix 1 ½ Tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal with 4 ½ Tablespoons hot water and let that sit until it becomes thick and gloopy.
The vinegar reacts with the baking soda and helps the cake to rise. I used distilled white vinegar, but you can use apple cider vinegar too, they are interchangeable.
Sure, you can try this with a gluten-free all purpose flour blend, in the same quantity as the regular flour.
This recipe as is will make 18-24 cupcakes. If you want to make a perfect batch of 12 cupcakes though then check out our classic vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe.
Storing and Freezing
This cake will keep covered at room temperature for 3-4 days and in the fridge for up to 7 days. It is definitely at its best in terms of taste and texture the day of baking and the following day.
Unfortunately, you can’t make the batter in advance and let that sit in the fridge for a few days as that can cause the cake to not rise. It’s a make and bake immediately situation but the cake itself does last a fair while.
You can also freeze this cake, either frosted or unfrosted, for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready for it.
This Is The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake Because:
- It’s wonderfully moist! Yes, I keep saying it but it really is.
- It’s extremely chocolatey. The chocolate flavor really pops.
- It’s so rich and decadent. You’ll be super satisfied after a slice of this.
- It’s really quick and easy. The hardest part about this cake is having the patience to wait for the layers to cool so you can frost it and eat it!
- Vegans and non-vegans are mad about this cake! Tried and tested and definitely true.
- It can be made in 8-inch or 9-inch pans! I have tried it both ways and it worked great. The photos are of the 9-inch cake, but 8-inch works perfectly as well the cake is just taller.
- The vegan chocolate buttercream is totally divine. It’s really the perfect topping for this cake, oh and don’t forget the chocolate shavings!
More Vegan Cakes
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Vegan White Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Apple Cake
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake:
- 2 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour (281g)
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder (63g) Unsweetened
- 1 ½ cups White Granulated Sugar (300g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ cups Vegan Buttermilk (360ml) 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice + soy milk up to the 1 ½ cup line*
- 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 5 Tablespoons Applesauce
For the Vegan Chocolate Buttercream:
- 1 ¼ cups Vegan Butter (284g)
- 3 ½ cups Powdered Sugar (420g)
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder (63g) Unsweetened
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1-2 Tablespoons Soy Milk or other non-dairy milk*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two 9-inch* baking pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with a circle of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift the flour and the cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, baking soda and salt.
- Prepare the vegan buttermilk by adding 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice to a measuring jug and then adding soy milk up to the 1 ½ cup (360ml) line. Leave it for a minute to curdle.
- Add the vegan buttermilk, vanilla, oil, vinegar and applesauce and mix in. Use a hand whisk briefly to remove any large lumps. Don't overmix.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cake layers cool for a few minutes and then remove them from the cake pans and transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare your frosting by adding your vegan butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla and 1 Tablespoon soy milk to the bowl your stand mixer. Start off at slow speed and gradually increase speed until your frosting is thick and smooth. If it's too thick, add the remaining soy milk until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Frost the cooled cakes and decorate with chocolate shavings.
Video
Notes
- You can also use almond milk to make vegan buttermilk.
- This cake works in both 9-inch pans (as in these photos) or 8-inch pans. If you use 8-inch pans you just get a taller cake, everything else remains the same for the cake.
- If you make this cake for 8-inch pans then the frosting may be too much. You could reduce the frosting recipe slightly, or just have it as a thicker frosting than what you see in these photos. Leftover frosting can also be frozen.
- This cake will keep covered at room temperature for 3-4 days and in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Nutritional information includes everything, frosting, chocolate shavings, all of it!
Phebe says
Hi, could i just bake this cake in one cake pan? I don’t have two :/ and would the baking time change?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Phebe, the cake would be very thick in that case so the baking time would be much longer. I can’t say how much longer exactly because I haven’t tested it that way. But it would take a long time and you might need to cover with foil around halfway because it could get over-done on the top and sides while still being undercooked in the middle. Unless you have a very large cake pan? In that case it wouldn’t be too bad.
Zoe says
This cake is seriously amazing!
Could I use self rasing flour for this recipe as well? And is it possible, to not make it a chocolate cake, to substitute the cocoa powder with flour? I know you have other recipes but was just wondering if that’s possible
Alison Andrews says
Hi Zoe, so glad you like the recipe and thanks for the awesome review! I’m not sure about self raising flour as it contains extra baking powder and salt, so it could work or it could be too much in that respect. Same thing with adding more flour instead of cocoa powder, it’s not necessarily going to be a direct swap, cocoa powder is much lighter than flour so I don’t know how that would work, it would probably require more of an adjustment than a straight swap. 🙂
Jini says
I am a vegetarian and don’t eat eggs, I use your recipes to make all my cakes. Can I use normal milk instead of a vegan substitute.
I absolutely love your carrot cake
Alison Andrews says
Hi there, yes, you can use any milk and it will work fine. All the best! 🙂
Clara Emery says
Can I skip the parchment paper and just coat it with non stick spray?
Alison Andrews says
I usually use both. It can be a bit harder for it to release without parchment paper, but if it does stick, turn it upside down and bash the base gently with a rubber hammer. That’s what I’ve done when I didn’t use parchment paper and it sticks! 🙂
Amy says
I really don’t know what I did wrong. It didn’t rise at all and has an odd taste to it 🙁
Alison Andrews says
Did you substitute the all purpose flour for a different flour?
Juna says
Hi! I have a question about the amount of sugar you use in this recipe, because 420 gr of powdered sugar seems a lot, is it possible to use less? And if not, is the cake not super sweet?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Juna, you can leave off the frosting altogether like another reader did and serve it with vegan whipped cream! It’s all about how you prefer it. You could also reduce the whole frosting recipe to just have a thinner layer of it on as well.
Ria says
Apple sauce recipe please.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Ria, I don’t make it myself, I just use a store-bought version. But I will add it to my list as a recipe to do in the future! 🙂
Kim Lund says
I made this chocolate cake for my husband’s birthday. It was absolutely delicious! Even the non vegans loved it. I didn’t frost the cake. I put a dollop of the vegan whipped cream on each slice as it was served. I also put strawberry slices on it. There was not a morsel of cake or a dab of vegan whipped cream left!
Alison Andrews says
That is wonderful to hear! And yes, vegan whipped cream is great on this, thanks so much for the awesome review. 🙂
Preethy says
Hi! Silly question but what do you mean by vegan butter . Is it like almond or cashew butter. I’m new to being vegan and really want to try this recipe. Looks delicious. Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Preethy, no it’s not almond or cashew butter, it refers to a vegan ‘butter’ product like Earth Balance in the USA or Nuttelex in Australia. It can also just be a dairy-free margarine brand that might not even say ‘vegan’ on it, but is vegan by ingredient. You can make your own homemade vegan butter as well, but I don’t love that for frostings and I discuss why in that post. 🙂
Preethy says
Thanks for responding.I live in India so they aren’t available here .. I’ll think of something 🙂
Michelle Wilcox says
This is not just the best Vegan chocolate cake, it’s the best chocolate cake. period! It came out super moist and full of chocolate flavor. The icing was super simple too!
Alison Andrews says
Yay! That is pure music to these ears! ? Thanks a million Michelle. 🙂
Tyler says
I made this for my girlfriend’s birthday and to say that it was a hit would be an understatement. She and her friends went bonkers over it. They all agreed that it is without a doubt the best chocolate cake they’ve had. And thanks to this cake,I have been crowned the best vegan boyfriend. Thanks for another awesome recipe.
Alison Andrews says
Hahaha, that is the best review! So glad this cake could get you crowned best vegan boyfriend, the highest honor! Thanks so much Tyler. 🙂
Vivi Belle says
Um, yes, BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER. So incredibly easy to make and so delicious! My husband now wants me to make every cake recipe you have; no complaints about that request!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks Vivi! 🙂
Andrea says
Hands down this is now my favorite chocolate cake recipe. It’s totally divine. I am so excited to have found this recipe. Thanks so much.
Alison Andrews says
So pleased to hear that Andrea! Thanks a million for the amazing review. 🙂
Megan says
Um, yes this is definitely the best vegan chocolate cake! I think it might just be the best chocolate cake ever – never mind vegan! We were totally blown away by how good this cake is. I’m going to take some of the leftovers to work tomorrow and wow my colleagues.
Alison Andrews says
Wow thank you so much! So happy you agree with me, hahaha! We had some friends visiting recently and I made this cake and one of my friends said the same thing, she said it’s the best chocolate cake she has ever had! And she is not a vegan! So yes, I think it’s a good cake… Thanks so much for the awesome review. 🙂
Trish says
Could I sub the oil for either bananas or apple sauce? Cake looks delicious ?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Trish, I have never tested any of my cakes as oil free, but I definitely think banana would give it too much of a banana flavor as in the case of my vegan chocolate banana bread, it uses very little oil, but the banana flavor is strong! So I think applesauce is probably the best bet.