This easy vegan chocolate cake is moist, rich and decadent but also so simple to make! It’s also extremely versatile for different pan sizes.
This recipe was originally published in 2015 and was one of the first recipes published on our blog. We have given it a makeover with some new photos and lots of extra tips and tricks. The recipe itself is unchanged.
This easy vegan chocolate cake is the bomb diggity!
Not only is it super easy to make, but I’m actually convinced it is flop proof. You’re going to love the simplicity of the ingredients and how well it turns out.
It’s rich, moist, mega-chocolatey and topped with the simplest chocolate frosting that also really brings it with the chocolate flavor.
This is the easy route to popularity right here! Just whip up one of these babies for your friends and you’re it.
It’s also really flexible and you can make this cake in a variety of different cake pan sizes, as a layer cake or as a sheet cake. So basically, this cake has got a whole lot going for it.
What You Need To Make This Cake:
Ingredient Notes
- Soy milk – this can be replaced by another non-dairy milk such as almond milk.
- White vinegar – the white distilled vinegar reacts with the baking soda and causes the cake to rise. You can also use apple cider vinegar.
- Flax egg – making a flax egg is as simple as mixing 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of hot water and letting it sit until it becomes gloopy. If you don’t have any flaxseeds on hand, the same method can be used with chia seeds, or you can replace the flax egg with 3 tablespoons of applesauce.
- Canola oil – can be replaced with any vegetable oil.
What You Need To Make The Frosting:
Frosting Notes
We used our super simple recipe for vegan chocolate frosting on this cake. It makes the perfect amount to frost this cake in pretty much whatever size cake pans you use.
The other option for frosting is to make a half batch of our vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. The main difference in the recipe (the basic ingredients are the same) is a larger quantity of vegan butter.
The reason I recommend a half batch of the chocolate buttercream is because this is a fairly small cake, and our chocolate buttercream was created for a large two-layer 9-inch cake. So a half batch is usually sufficient for this recipe, no matter what cake pans you use.
If in doubt though you can make a full batch of the chocolate buttercream and just freeze whatever frosting you don’t use.
How To Make Easy 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.
- Sift all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix together.
- Prepare your flax egg by mixing one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of hot water and let it sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add the flax egg, soy milk, vanilla extract, oil and vinegar to the mixing bowl and mix into a batter. Don’t overmix.
- Divide the batter between two 7-inch cake pans (see below for adapting this cake to different cake sizes) and smooth down.
- Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost with our vegan chocolate frosting or a half batch of our vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.
Adapting For Different Cake Sizes
This cake can be adapted for different cake sizes as follows:
- Three 6-inch round cake pans – bake for 20 minutes.
- Two 7-inch round cake pans – bake for 25 minutes.
- Two 8-inch round cake pans – bake for 20 minutes.
- One 9-inch round cake pan – bake for 30 minutes.
- 9×9 square cake pan – bake for 25 minutes.
- 9×13 sheet cake – bake for 15-20 minutes.
For a two layer 9-inch cake it’s best to double the recipe, and in that case the bake time will be 30 minutes.
Tips For Success
- Measure the flour correctly. Measure the flour correctly using the spoon and level method – spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup. Alternatively weigh it on a food scale.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix the batter until it’s just mixed and then stop mixing. Tiny lumps are fine. Overmixing can cause your cake to be dense or to not rise properly.
- Bake immediately. As soon as your batter is mixed, transfer to your cake pans and bake immediately. This is not a batter that should rest. If you don’t bake right away it can cause your cake to not rise.
Recipe FAQ
If you want to adapt this cake for gluten-free then we’ve done all the heavy lifting for you already. Check out our gluten-free chocolate cake that adapts this recipe beautifully to create a perfectly moist and delicious gluten-free version.
This recipe adapts beautifully to 12 perfect cupcakes. Bake them for 20 minutes. Or check out our classic vegan chocolate cupcakes.
Keep it covered at room temperature where it will stay perfectly fresh for a couple of days, or covered in the fridge where it will stay good for up to a week, though it’s at its absolute best in the first couple of days when it’s ultra fresh.
Yes, it’s freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
More Delicious Vegan Cakes
- Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Banana Cake
- Vegan Pound Cake
- Vegan Apple Cake
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Vegan Chocolate Cake:
- 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour (188g)
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder (43g) Unsweetened
- 1 cup White Granulated Sugar (200g)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 Flax Egg 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseeds + 3 Tbsp Hot Water*
- 1 cup Soy Milk (240ml) or other non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup Canola Oil (80ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
Frosting Options:
- 1 Recipe Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- ½ Recipe Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two 7-inch cake pans (see notes for different cake pan sizes*) with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix together.
- Prepare your flax egg by mixing one tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of hot water and leave to sit for a minute or so to become gloopy.
- Add your flax egg, soy milk (or other non-dairy milk), vanilla extract, oil and vinegar to the mixing bowl and mix in. Don’t overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
- Place into the oven to bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the cake pans for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost with our vegan chocolate frosting or a half batch of our vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly. Measure the flour correctly using the spoon and level method – spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup. Alternatively weigh it on a food scale.
- Flax egg. You can replace the flax egg with 3 Tablespoons of applesauce.
- Cake Sizes: This cake can be adapted for different cake sizes as follows:
- Three 6-inch round cake pans – bake for 20 minutes.
- Two 7-inch round cake pans – bake for 25 minutes.
- Two 8-inch round cake pans – bake for 20 minutes.
- One 9-inch round cake pan – bake for 30 minutes.
- 9×9 square cake pan – bake for 25 minutes.
- 9×13 sheet cake – bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Gluten-Free: If you want to adapt this cake for gluten-free then we’ve done all the heavy lifting for you already. Check out our gluten-free chocolate cake that adapts this recipe beautifully to create a perfectly moist and delicious gluten-free version.
- Cupcakes: This recipe adapts beautifully to 12 perfect cupcakes. Bake them for 20 minutes. Or check out our classic vegan chocolate cupcakes.
- Storing and Freezing: Keep it covered at room temperature where it will stay perfectly fresh for a couple of days, or covered in the fridge where it will stay good for up to a week. It’s freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
- Nutritional information is for the cake only and excludes frosting. Nutritional information for the frostings can be found on those separate linked recipes.
- This recipe was first published in September 2015. It has been updated with new photos and lots of extra tips but the recipe itself is unchanged.
Anushka says
First time trying the recipe – very nice! I will be adding this to my favourites 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Whoop! So happy to hear! Thanks for posting! 🙂
Natural Intake says
Hey @lovingitvegan!
1st thank you for sharing:D
2nd can I sub cocoa powder for cacao powder? Any measurement changes?
3rd can I sub flaxegg with applesauce instead? Any measurement changes?
4th can I sub coconut oil in place of vegan butter?
5th Thank you in advance!
Alison Andrews says
Cacao powder should be fine as a sub. Applesauce as well, probably around 3 Tbsp of applesauce would be equivalent. I’m not a fan of coconut oil in place of vegan butter for frosting, it tends to get too runny at room temperature and too hard in the fridge, but others have used it and think it’s fine so that’s a personal preference thing. As with any substitutions though, sometimes what you think will be just fine can surprise you, so hopefully all these subs will be fine, but there’s always a risk when you change up a recipe. all the best!
Linda Jenkins says
Thank you Alison for this cake recipe! I have made this cake twice, and each time the cake comes out perfect! I am vegan and I love baking. I like to experiment with my own recipes. But this is my go to chocolate cake recipe. You are right it is so moist! Being vegan can sometimes be a challenge. But making your own food is rewarding and you can make sure only the things you want will be in your food.
Alison Andrews says
Thank you Linda! So happy to hear it’s been a success! You are so right, it is SO rewarding to make your own food from scratch! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Amber says
Could I substitute the flax eggs for egg replacement powder?
Alison Andrews says
I think that should be fine.
Laura D'Orlando says
Did you try it with the egg replacement powder? If so, how did it turn out? I’m looking for the best recipe to make a birthday cake for someone with multiple allergies. Thanks!
Sharanya says
OMG. Best vegan cake ever.. Thanks for sharing the recipe..
Alison Andrews says
Fantastic news!! Thanks so much! 🙂
Carlos says
Can you please tell me how many regular chicken eggs are equivalent to the flax egg please?
Alison Andrews says
1 flax egg = 1 chicken egg.
Suparna Mukhopadhyay says
This recipe was such a delight! I made this to surprise my boyfriend when he visited me and he inspired me to follow a vegan lifestyle. And with recipes like these, the transition has been so smooth. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! So glad to hear your transition has been going so well! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Gilly says
So pleased with the results I obtained. I have made it twice, the first time with olive oil, the second with veg oil. I used less sugar the second time. I put some cherry jam in the middle along with the cream ( icing sugar and soya spread)
Looking forward to trying other recipes. Thank you.
Alison Andrews says
Great to hear it came out well Gilly! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Myna says
I just made this and used a different vegan frosting. It turned out way more amazing than I ever imagined. Plus I subbed 1C almond flour and 1/2C arrowroot powder instead of the flour and you’d never know it wasn’t made with actual flour 🙂 Thanks for this beautiful recipe.
Alison Andrews says
That’s really good to hear Myna, thanks for posting! Very interesting as well that almond flour and arrowroot worked out as a sub! Very helpful info, thanks! 🙂
Amanda says
I just wanted to let you know that after several failed attempts with other recipes, that this one is a winner!! And boy am I glad since it was for my Hubby’s birthday! I added 1/2 cup brewed coffee, another 1/2 cup of cocoa powder (for a total of 1 cup) and another 1/8 cup of flour. It was rich, delicious and most importantly MOIST! My husband thought I was tricking him with a non-vegan cake!
Alison Andrews says
That’s wonderful Amanda! Yes, the best thing is there isn’t any difference between a ‘regular’ cake and this vegan cake. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Cindy Sassenrath says
Does the coconut whipped cream hold up with out refrigeration? I want to make it Friday and serve it Saturday. Also, is the consistantsy of the coconut cream strong enough to pipe with decorators bag so I can put a border on the top and write happy birthday?
Alison Andrews says
Whipped coconut cream is a bit tricky because it really depends on the brand you use for how firm the result is. I would be more inclined to use regular frosting to be on the safe side.
Heather says
Hello Alison,
My daughter’s birthday is this Friday, August 18th and I’m going to make this cake for her. I know you stated you like to use unpretentious food, but I did want to let you know one thing that might seem pretentious (this is not how I want it to come across, at all) lol! My daughter is a die hard Vegan (took me awhile to learn how to cook/bake for her) and she won’t use Regular confectioner’s sugar due to the bone char they use for the whitening process of the sugar so I will be using the Vegan version of confectioner’s sugar. I know a lot of Vegans don’t care about the bone char but I also know that an equal amount don’t know about it in confectioner’s sugar.
I can’t wait to make this cake!!! I think she will really love it so thank you for making your site and making it so easy for me to bake her a cake!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome Heather! So cool that you support your daughter so fantastically. I think she will love the cake too!
Lisya says
Hey Alison, this is a very good recipe, you explain in great detail about the cake making. I can not wait to try at home.
Alison Andrews says
Great, thanks! Let us know how it goes when you make it. 🙂
Diana Arlene says
Hi, thank you for this recipe! I really want to try it! I was wondering for how long can I keep it after I make it and if I have to keep it in the fridge? I want to make it on Monday and eat it with my family on Tuesday. Thank you 🙂
Alison Andrews says
You can keep it covered at room temperature and it will be good for a few days. If you want to keep it longer (up to a week), then it will need to go in the fridge.
Roumi says
Hi Alison, I want to try this vegan chocolate cake since I have tried others recipe which are a flop.
Also what do you mean by powdered sugar? Is it icing sugar or grind sugar in mixer?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Roumi, powdered sugar and icing sugar are the same thing. 🙂
Ale says
Hi,
thank you for this recipe!
made the cake for my birthday.
As i was in a hurry the coconut cream melted in between the warm cakes. So really have to wait until they cool down (if you have the time…)!!!
For my taste it was much too sweet so i will try next time to make it with less sugar.
Alison Andrews says
Hahaha yes, got to wait till those cakes cool down, it’s not easy when it smells so good! 🙂
Denise says
Hello! I know this is an older post, but I am hoping to bake this cake for my husband’s bday party this Saturday. What adjustments would you recommend if using gluten free AP flour? Many thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Denise, I have made this into an awesome gluten-free chocolate cake with just a few adjustments! All the best!
Denise says
Oooh excellent!! Cannot wait to make it! Thank you so very much, Alison!