The Most Amazing Vegan Chocolate Cake
This is the most amazing vegan chocolate cake ever. It is extremely rich and moist, loaded with chocolate flavor and topped with a fabulous vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.
Servings: 12
Calories: 312kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder (63g) Unsweetened
- 2 cups White Granulated Sugar (400g)
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Instant Espresso Powder
- 1 cup Vegan Buttermilk (240ml) 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar + Soy Milk up to the 1 cup line*
- 2 Flax Eggs 2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed Meal + 6 Tbsp Hot Water*
- ½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Boiling Hot Water (240ml)
Frosting:
- 1 Recipe Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and spray two 8-inch cake pans (*see notes) with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add white granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and instant espresso powder. Mix together.
- Prepare your vegan buttermilk. Add apple cider vinegar to a measuring jug and then add soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let it curdle into vegan buttermilk.
- Prepare the flax eggs. Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed to a bowl and add 6 tablespoons of hot water. Let it sit for a minute to thicken and become gloopy.
- Add the vegan buttermilk to the mixing bowl along with the flax eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Stir into a thick batter. Don't over-mix.
- Add hot water and whisk it in with a hand whisk. The batter will be thin but this is exactly how it is supposed to be.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared 8-inch cake pans.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the cake pans for a few minutes before removing from the cake pans and transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost with vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.
Notes
- Spoon and level or weigh the flour. If you accidentally use too much flour then this cake won't be as moist as it is supposed to be. So it's ideal to measure the flour correctly. You can use the spoon and level method, which is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top (don't scoop it and don't pack it into the cup) or weigh it out on a food scale for the best accuracy.
- Cocoa powder - should be natural unsweetened cocoa powder, something like Hersheys will work great.
- Instant espresso powder - can be replaced with instant coffee powder. It doesn't make the cake taste like coffee, but it brings out the chocolate flavor beautifully. You can leave it out though if you prefer.
- Vegan buttermilk - this works with the other ingredients to make this cake super moist. Mix apple cider vinegar and soy milk and let it curdle into a thick buttermilk. You can also use almond milk. Almond milk isn't as thick and rich as soy milk so soy milk is the best option. Alternatively you can use any non-dairy milk but just keep in mind that some non-dairy milk won't curdle when mixed with the apple cider vinegar. You can still use it though.
- Flax eggs - can be replaced with 6 tablespoons of applesauce or any egg replacer provided it is replacing the equivalent of 2 eggs.
- Canola oil - can be replaced with vegetable oil or any other mild flavored oil that you like. If you use coconut oil then melt it first.
- Baking pan sizes. This cake can be made in either two 8-inch cake pans or two 9-inch cake pans. Both options work great, the 9-inch layers are just a little thinner. Bake for 35 minutes for two 8-inch cake pans and bake for 30 minutes for two 9-inch cake pans. For a 9x13 sheet cake, bake time will be 35-40 minutes.
- Gluten-Free: To make this cake gluten-free simply swap out the flour for a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. Or check out our fabulous vegan gluten free chocolate cake recipe.
- Cupcakes: This recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Alternatively check out our recipe for classic vegan chocolate cupcakes.
- Storing: Keep this cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge (covered) for up to a week.
- Freezing: You can freeze the frosted or unfrosted cake for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Nutritional information is for the cake only and excludes frosting. Nutritional information for the vegan chocolate buttercream frosting can be found on that separate linked recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 53.4g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10.7g | Saturated Fat: 1.2g | Sodium: 470mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 33.5g