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!
Dani says
Hello! I’m really keen to make this recipe, but I only have 1 pan of each size (9inch and 7inch). Does the cake work if the batter is all is cooked in the one pan? 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Hi Dani, if you want a single layer 9-inch cake then you can halve the recipe. Otherwise, you could keep the recipe as is, and just have one 7-inch layer and one 9-inch layer! I think that would work fine! Try and keep each layer a similar thickness though so they bake evenly.
Dani says
That’s great thank you! 🙂
Ramona says
Hi Alison,
Wow, this cake really turned out amazing, the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten (not only during my vegan years)! 🙂 My whole family loved it. Since my Romanian side of the family really has a sweet tooth and is used to rather very sweet desserts, this was just on point for them. Can’t wait to make other recipes from your side (which I just discovered), for example the carrot cake, nom.
Btw, I included your ‘loving it vegan’ on my list of “100+ vegan food blogs you need to know!” on plantydelights.com
Have a lovely day,
Ramona
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Ramona! So glad the cake was a success! And thanks for including us in your list! 🙂
Taralynn Lawton says
What kind of vegan butter do you use for the frosting? And do you let it soften before making the frosting? Every time I try to use the Earth Balance sticks for frostings it always starts separating and getting less firm once the cake or frosting are out of the refrigerator for too long. I’ve never been able to get such thick and sturdy looking frostings like you have on all of your cakes! And I’ve experimented with adding more powdered sugar and then it’s just too sweet and still melty 🙁
Alison Andrews says
Hi Taralynn, sorry to hear you’ve been having issues with Earth Balance sticks! I have used Earth Balance but usually the tubs as I wasn’t able to get the sticks when I was living in Dubai. These days I use a firm tub style option that is available in South Africa. I have also used Nuttelex which is an Australian brand and works great. So maybe try the tub version of Earth Balance if you can get it? I don’t let it soften first and just use it straight from the fridge.
Sandra Yono says
Is it easiest to refrigerate the cakes then frost? For a cleaner more professional look?
Alison Andrews says
As long as they are completely cooled then there is no need to refrigerate first. If I’m in a hurry to frost them then I sometimes do refrigerate them to cool them down faster. Refrigerating for an hour or so after frosting so the frosting can set works great though.
Jam G says
Can I decrease the amount of sugar on the cake batter so it is not that sweet? I just baked this and its really moist but my son said its a little sweet
Alison Andrews says
Hi there, sure you can experiment with reducing the sugar. 🙂
Anna says
Hi! I want to make layered mason jar cakes for my friend’s birthday, and I was wondering if this recipe could be turned into a baking sheet cake? Like your tiramisu recipe?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Anna! Yes this would definitely work great as a sheet cake! If it’s a half sheet pan then you’d be looking at around 20-25 minutes baking time (just keep an eye on it).
Anna Doub says
THANK YOU! It turned out PERFECT! Your baking times are always on point!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks Anna!
Ce Ri says
I made this for my birthday – definitely the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made! Thank you for the recipe ????
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear that! Thanks so much for posting and happy birthday! 🙂
Sinit says
Can I use water instead of milk? I seem to have ran out of it.
Alison Andrews says
Hi there, it will probably be fine to replace the buttermilk with water. We do use vinegar in this recipe so that will react with the baking soda and cause the rise. There might be a slight change in texture but it should still work.
Logan says
Gluten free does work! Just need to research the flour you choose first. I actually substituted a few other ingredients aswell and it was so moist and delicious!
Here’s what I used.
-Rice flour 210g (says use 3/4 of required amount of all purpose when substituting with rice flour)
-Egg/applesauce – I did 3 tbsp chia seeds/10 Tbsp hot water
-3 1/2 tsp of cornflour
(You need to add xanthum gum to gluten free flour but I substituted for corn flour and it was fine!)
-360ml of oat milk
-125ml of olive oil
The rest was as it says!
Thanks for the recipe Alison, definitely going to use it again.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks for sharing Logan!
Jamuna says
Hi Alison,
I baked the cake for a birthday – albeit with less sugar (you do have a sweet tooth! ????)- and a couple of my non-vegan, meat-eating friends asked me for the recipe! So that’s a big compliment for you!!! I do have one question: can I use flax eggs instead of applesauce? If so, how many would I need, two?
Best Regards and Thank You for the great recipe,
Jamuna
Alison Andrews says
Hi Jamuna, you could replace the applesauce with 1 and 1/2 flax eggs (1 and 1/2 Tbsp ground flaxseeds with 4 and 1/2 Tbsp hot water). All the best and thanks for the great review! 🙂
monica says
Hi, Alison
Can i change applesauce with egg replacer? if yes, how much that I need for 5 tbsp applesauce?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Monica, yes you probably can. You would need whatever the equivalent is to replace 1 and 1/2 eggs.
Roma Divanji says
Hi, so is it 1.5 tbsp of flax/chia seed powder or 1.5tbsp of flax/chia seeds ground into powder?
Alison Andrews says
It’s 1 and 1/2 tbsp of already ground flaxseeds.
Diana says
Hello Allison,
Thank you for the recipe. Could I half the recipe and bake in an 8×8 inch pan?
Thank you, Diana
Alison Andrews says
Hi Diana, yes that should work! All the best!
Ben says
I’m curious about the vegan buttermilk in this recipe. The vinegar will react with the baking soda to add air and help the cake to rise. Does the lemon juice in the soy milk serve a different purpose? Does the curdling of the soymilk have a significant effect on the finished product?
Alison Andrews says
The vegan buttermilk in this case is to create a really moist crumb.
Roma says
Can chia seeda be used in place of flax seeds? Alsoi dont get vegean butter easily in India. What would be another alternative-dark chocolate ganache?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Roma, yes you can make a ‘chia egg’ the same way you make a flax egg. You can make your own homemade vegan butter or yes, a vegan chocolate ganache frosting would work great!
Sadia says
Hi, can I use oats milk instead of Soya milk?
Alison Andrews says
Yes it should be fine.