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.
Jennifer says
Hi there,
This cake looks amazing! You think I can make it ahead and freeze it? Have you tried that yet?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Jennifer, yes you can freeze it!
Innie says
Oil free alternative with a can of soda –
Just substitute the soya / almond milk and oil for a single can of cola, similar to the well known Betty Crocker cake mix + coke hack.
Less ingredients, less fat/calories.
If you don’t have powdered (icing sugar) then put regular in the blender with 1 tbpsn of corn starch (corn flour in the UK).
Thanks for the recipe!
Anusha says
Can I use regular milk? I don’t have vanilla extract and vinegar. Can I skip them? Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Anusha, you can use any milk and you could skip the vanilla but the vinegar is crucial in this recipe as it reacts with the baking soda and causes the cake to rise. You could try using lemon juice instead of vinegar though if that is easier.
Tamanna Rashid says
If I half the recipe how much flax egg (one or half) should I use? I mean how to adjust the flax egg
Alison Andrews says
You would use a half flax egg, which is 1/2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed meal mixed with 1 and 1/2 Tbsp hot water. All the best!
Tamanna Rashid says
Thank You. I made this cake and it was good.
I decorated with whipped cream only 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Ivana says
Alison, we discovered your blog (all the way from Italy!) after my son became lactose intolerant. Your recipes are fabulous. This chocolate cake is particularly scrumptious, but I would recommend replacing the frosting with a Chocolate Ganache Frosting (dark chocolate and coconut milk and a bit of vegan butter) just to avoid having so much sugar in the frosting.
Alison Andrews says
So glad you like it! Thanks for the great review Ivana!
Nicki says
Fabulous recipe! I only had 9″ tins, so made double the quantity and baked for 35 mins, resulting in a gorgeous big cake! Also made half the quantity of buttercream icing for the filling, and used dark chocolate melted with a knob of vegan spread for the top. Excited to try your other cake recipes now!
Alison Andrews says
So glad you enjoyed it Nicki! Nothing better than a nice big chocolate cake! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Amanda says
Made this today subbing water for soy milk because I didn’t have any on hand, and using chickpea flour instead of flaxseed – still came out perfect! Just the chocolate cake I’ve been craving for. Next time I’ll try it with soy milk and the icing too. Thank you!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Amanda!
Birutė says
I love so much your cakes:) Thank you!!!
Alison Andrews says
Thank you so much! xo
Tanya Gorman says
I made this cake for my b-day and it was a hit, amazingly moist and delicious! Thank you
Alison Andrews says
Fantastic! Thanks so much Tanya! 🙂
Haley says
This is the best chocolate cake recipe I have ever made. I have made it so many times and everyone always loves it 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks so much Haley! 🙂
Donna says
I absolutely love this recipe!! The cake turned out so moist and fudgy like a brownie. Made it for my grandsons birthday today. Hes gonna LOVE it!
Chocolate cakes are usually so dry and crumbly, at least in my experience…but this one is far from it. Been baking specialty cakes for over 20 years, and this one is definitely a keeper. Thanks for the recipe!!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks so much Donna. 🙂
MJ says
Been veg over 20 years and this is one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve had. Can’t believe I made this delicious, moist, decadent cake. Made it for my bff’s birthday and it was a hit. My husband is omni, and he was even licking the spoon of the frosting. Used a bundt pan and it came out wonderfully. Thank you!
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear that! Thanks so much for sharing and the awesome review MJ! 🙂
Rachel says
Hi there!
I made these cakes completely by the recipe and they barely rose and are really flat. How could I have gone wrong? I baked them in my small top oven as my bottom oven is a fan assisted one. Could that have made a difference? Please advise!
Many thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Rachel, what size cake pans did you use? Is your top oven a regular oven? Have you baked cakes in it before? I’d love to have more info.
Rachel Salisbury says
Hi Alison.
I used 7 inch tins. I even tried again in my fan oven but had the same problem. There wasn’t very much batter at all in each tin. I feel like 1tsp of raising agent between the two cakes isn’t enough? I have just realised however that I used baking powder instead of bicarbonate of soda (I’m in the UK) so maybe that’s the problem??
Many thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Rachel, the problem is definitely using baking powder instead of baking soda (bicarb), baking soda is MUCH stronger than baking powder, and this recipe uses vinegar to react with the baking soda (it won’t do anything with the baking powder) to cause it to rise. So this is 100% the issue. If you switch for baking soda you will have a much different result. all the best! 🙂
Lynley says
My only issue is that I have to wait till tomorrow to taste the cake. I’ve already sampled the frosting and OMG sugar fix! Other than that, this is the easiest cake I’ve baked. Since I used 8” square pans, I used your German chocolate cake recipe. The cakes rose beautiful and I even used my fresh vegan butter from your recipe. I used coconut milk in the cake, frosting and butter and I know it’s going to be divine! Thank you for an easy recipe. Cheers from Canada ????????
Alison Andrews says
Sounds awesome Lynley! Thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful review! 🙂
Vanessa Medina says
Hi, I’m looking for a vegan cake for my daughter but also need to be gluten free. This one looks so delicious. Do you think that it would be fine if I use gluten free all purpose flour? Thank you!!!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Vanessa, we do have a gluten free chocolate cake recipe that is very similar to this one. 🙂