The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake is pure perfection! Moist, rich, decadent, and only one bowl needed! Paired with a vegan chocolate frosting.
This is hands down the best vegan chocolate cake that we have ever made.
We set out for a goal to make the best chocolate cake, vegan or not, that we have ever tasted. But, it had a stipulation also. We wanted it to be easy.
A lot of bakery-style recipes are not easy and we wanted something that was easy enough for the everyday baker but those who are intimidated by baking also.
Next, we wanted this to be allergen friendly. Everyone deserves cake that wants it and chocolate cake at that.
Even though this vegan chocolate cake recipe has no eggs and no milk, you will absolutely agree this is the ultimate chocolate cake recipe.
Never miss another post! Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get them all delivered easily! Plus, 15 easy recipes delivered immediately!
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Chocolate Cake
Quick
This recipe is made in one bowl and takes no time to throw together which means that you can have the ultimate vegan chocolate cake.
Decadent
While this cake simple – both in that it’s easy and quick – it’s also very decadent. The luxuriousness of their cake will have people thinking you paid a high end baker a lot of money for it!
Variations
One of the things I really love about this cake is that even though it’s a chocolate cake, there’s still a lot of variations that can happen.
Since this is a from scratch chocolate cake, we can switch up the frostings – maybe with vanilla frosting or with cream cheese frosting.
We can also do a chocolate cake with strawberries or raspberries on top. Or even do it as part of the filling in the middle, so a chocolate cake with raspberry filling for example.
What Ingredients do you need to make the best vegan chocolate cake?
Below are notes about the main ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make vegan chocolate cake.
While this dairy free chocolate cake does need what seems to be a lot of ingredients, it’s still an easy chocolate cake recipe. In order to make this cake without eggs and without dairy, you need a bit of creativity and chemistry. The end result is so perfect. For this cake you’ll need:
- Dairy Free Milk – Use either unsweetened plain or unsweetened vanilla flavored milk, but you don’t want any sweetened milk in this already sweet recipe.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Since there are no vegan buttermilks on the market, we use acid to mix with the dairy free milk to make a vegan buttermilk. Acid helps tenderize gluten and therefore making a softer cake.
- Flour – The star of the show, we only used all-purpose flour here because we wanted this recipe to be as accessible as possible for everyone.
- Vegan Cane Sugar – Cane sugar is what we are using. If you want to learn more about why your sugar may not be vegan, you can learn more by clicking on the link.
- Water is boiled and then added to the batter to aid in blooming of the chocolate.
- Cocoa Powder – Obviously needed to make a delicious chocolate cake. You want to use an unsweetened cocoa powder here.
- Oil – You want to use a neutral oil – canola or vegetable. Oil helps the moisture in your cake but also helps by slowing down the formation of gluten that yields a very tender and fluffy cake – isn’t that what we all want!
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder – both act as the leavening agent in our cake which causes the cake to rise while baking. Both are added to not only help with the rise, but flavor as well.
- Vanilla and Salt – are added for flavor in this cake recipe
- Vegan Butter – you ideally want to use vegan sticks of butter like Country Crock Plant Based. Margarines are usually water based so try to find something that lists oil as the first ingredient. You’ll always want to stay away from soft vegan spreads like Country Crock in the tub.
- Vegan Powdered Sugar – traditionally used in frostings and what we are using here to give that sweet yet fluffy texture
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS:
- Dairy Free Milk – Any dairy free milk that you like can be used in this. The important thing is just not using a sweetened milk in this already sweet recipe.
- Acid – You can use white vinegar or lemon juice if that’s all you have
- Flour – Cake flour could be swapped for all or half of the all-purpose flour. Also an all-purpose or 1:1 gluten free flour could be used.
- Vegan Cane Sugar – While we haven’t tried, you could replace this with a coconut sugar or date sugar
- Oil – Melted coconut oil could also be used here and it is normal for it to resolidify when mixing. It will melt back down again when baking. Alternatively, you could use applesauce (same amount) of even half oil, half applesauce if you are trying to reduce your oil consumption.
- Chocolate Chips – If you wanted to make a chocolate chip chocolate cake, you could mix in 1 – 1 1/2 cups of vegan chocolate chips to the cake prior to baking.
- Vanilla – you can get creative with variations and do something like a peppermint cake by adding in addition or swapping out half or all of the vanilla. Try this with other extracts too like raspberry, orange, or cherry.
Step by Step Instructions:
The first step is to combine dairy free milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract to make vegan buttermilk. Set aside for 10 minutes. While waiting, continue with the recipe. When ready, the mixture will appear curdled.
Next, using a large bowl, add all your dry ingredients into the bowl. This would be flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, whisk together.
Next add oil, boiling water, and vegan buttermilk (the vinegar mixture you made in Step 1). Mix with a spatula until just combined.
You want to make sure that you don’t overmix your batter. Important note that batter will be loose and thin but this is 100% supposed to be this way.
Once your batter is together, evenly split up the cake batter into the prepared pans and bake them together for about 33 – 37 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
You are going to want to let your cakes cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes in the pans, then remove and let cool to room temperature before frosting.
In a large bowl, add the vegan butter and cocoa powder. Use a mixer to cream this together for about a minute until combined.
Add about half of the powdered sugar and half the of milk with all the vanilla extract. Then mix again for another minute. Repeat adding the rest of the ingredients.
Now check the consistency of the frosting. If it’s too dry, add a tablespoon at a time more dairy free milk until it reaches your desired consistency. If it’s too wet and does not a shape, add a tablespoon more powered sugar at a time until it reaches the right consistency to hold its shape.
Spread or pipe onto your cake as desired.
Tips for how to make the best vegan chocolate cake:
See below tips and tricks for making this vegan chocolate cake perfect!
- Follow the instructions pretty please. Cake baking is a science, especially when making a dairy free/vegan cake. Every step has a purpose to ensure the perfect vegan chocolate cake.
- While we don’t do it in the video or the recipe, if you are not comfortable baking, we highly recommend sifting the ingredients into the bowl. This loosens the ingredients and make sure there are no clumps leading to a more airy cake.
- Use vegan butter sticks, not spreads. Ideally choose a vegan butter that has oil (NOT WATER) as the first ingredient. We like Country Crock Plant Based sticks.
- Make sure to line with parchment paper and grease your pans. No one likes a cake that can’t come out of the pan. It’s one of the most frustrating things and doing these two things will helps.
- Make sure that you evenly distribute the cake batter into the three cake pans. You can use a scale to make sure that they are all within a small range of each other.
- When the cakes are cooked, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to allow the cakes to cool evenly.
- Let the cakes cool to touch. DO NOT RUSH. Let it cool completely.
- When ready to make the cake – use a cake leveling tool to make sure there’s no uneven tops.
- Place a small amount of frosting down first on a rotating cake stand, then your first layer. The frosting acts as a glue so the cake won’t slip.
- Use a piping bag and a large round tip and pipe frosting in a circular motion from the outer edge completely in to the middle.
- Use a cake spreader to gently even out layer of frosting. Place next layer and repeat. Step back and see if there is any gaps in between the layers. If there are, place enough frosting in those areas to get frosting to the edge.
- Use a cake scraper to go around the cake and ensure evenness around the entire cake. This step is really important. Place frosting on the top of the cake and more on sides if needed and frost evenly. Using a spreader on the top and the scraper to even evenness.
- Get creative. If you can’t get as smooth as you want or even as you want – you can also add toppings like crushed nuts or chocolate shavings, or drizzle chocolate syrup along the edge so people focus on that. Plus it looks better either way.
- *Bonus Tip: If you want to frosting the cake but keep a clean cake stand, cut four 7″ pieces of wax paper and overlap them before placing the first layer on the cake stand. When you are completely done frosting the cake, carefully remove the four pieces of wax paper.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Did I just make your day? You can swap out the vegan all-purpose flour for Gluten Free Cup for Cup flour. You can also swap out the cake flour with a gluten free version. All the other ingredients that we use in this recipe are naturally gluten free and no swaps are needed.
Besides the flour, that you can use gluten free as recommended above, the only other ingredient is the vegan butter which typically contains soy.
Just choose a soy free vegan butter like Earth Balance soy free sticks. Any dairy free milk can be used that is safe for your allergens.
This vegan chocolate cake is rich in chocolate while still remaining moist. The right amount of fat (oil) combined with making our own dairy free buttermilk (acid) and adding in leavening agents (baking soda and baking powder) all act together to insure this will not be a dry vegan chocolate cake.
Also, the importance of minimally processing the ingredients together. We only mix until combined. We do this because the longer you mix flour, the more gluten forms making for a not so great cake.
You can absolutely make this into dairy free chocolate cupcakes. Simply make the recipe as normal and then instead of greasing cake pans, spray a cupcake pan or liners. Fill each one up 3/4 of the way. You’ll want to reduce the cooking time to 15-20 minutes.
By adding some acid to your batter, you are creating a vegan cake that is moist and delicious. It helps to break down the tough gluten strands, yielding in the most delicious vegan chocolate cake recipe. Don’t skip this step!
Yes. You can make this oil free. Replace the full amount of oil for applesauce. It is very important to know that using applesauce does lead to a more dense cake.
A vegan chocolate cake is better for animals and the environment; however, we still use flour, sugar, and oil in this recipe. We are not claiming that this is a healthier alternative to a cake that contains dairy based milk and traditional eggs.
We’ll let you in on a little secret. You can’t even tell the difference. In fact, we’ve served vegan cake to many non-vegans and they had no idea!
When you get to the step about boiling the water and adding, you may be tempted to skip that step, but don’t. It’s very critical to do so in order to make this perfect vegan chocolate cake.
You add the boiling water in order to help the cocoa power “bloom”. When cocoa powder is mixed with a hot liquid (you can do this with water, coffee, milks, etc) it allows the powder to dissolves and release flavor particles. Essentially, it brings out all the flavor in the cocoa powder, ensuring you have the best vegan chocolate cake ever.
We know that not everyone has the desire to make a layered cake. Fortunately, we have great news! You don’t have too and we have two options for you!
First – you can make the recipe as directed and then freeze one layer so you have a cake already ready the next time you want cake. We’d recommend eating within 3 months of freezing. To do this, when the cakes are cooled to touch but still slightly warm, remove from the pans and wrap them with plastic wrap. Wrapping them while warm allows the moisture to continue to stay inside the cake and not be dry. Place in a freezer safe container or bag after wrapping in foil.
Alternatively, you could just reduce all the ingredients in half to only make one layer.
Yes! If you want a one layer chocolate cake, you can use a 9×13 cake pan in order to make this cake. The batter should work well to fill the cake pan but keep in mind that you should not fill the cake more than 3/4 way full. If you have too much you can use for mini cupcakes!
What other frosting ideas could I use on this vegan chocolate cake?
We highly recommend use our vegan chocolate frosting recipe below; however, we know that some people want other options than chocolate on chocolate. Other ideas for how to frosting a dairy free chocolate cake are:
- Using Dairy Free Whipped Topping (Homemade “Cool Whip”)
- Vegan Vanilla Frosting
- Vegan Strawberry Frosting
- Vegan Buttercream Frosting
What are other dairy free chocolate desserts I can make?
Whether you are having a chocolate bar of delicious at your next get together, or you just want to have even more amazing chocolate dairy free desserts, we recommend you trying out some of these delicious non-dairy desserts:
- Vegan Brownies
- No Bake Vegan Chocolate Fudge
- Vegan Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Mug Cake
- No Bake Vegan Smores Bars with Dark Chocolate Mousse
- Vegan Chocolate Cookies and Cream Milkshake
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pin this vegan chocolate cake for later!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Did you make and love this recipe?
Click the 5 stars in the recipe card above or below in the comment section! This is a great way to support us so we can continue to bring great recipes!
The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup non-dairy milk (235mL)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (300g)
- 2 cups vegan cane sugar (395g)
- 1 cup cocoa powder (85g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups boiling hot water (355mL)
- 3/4 cup neutral oil (175mL)
For the Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups dairy free butter, softened (340g)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (85g)
- 5 cups powdered sugar (570g)
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (115mL)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and prep two 9″ cake pans with nonstick spray or vegan butter and parchment paper. Combine non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract to make vegan buttermilk. Set aside.
- Use a large bowl and whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Carefully add boiling water, oil, and vegan buttermilk (vinegar mixture from Step 1). Mix with a spatula until just combined. *Note: Batter will be loose and thin but this is 100% supposed to be this way.
- Evenly split up the cake batter into the prepared pans and bake them together for about 33 – 37 minutes (start checking at 30 minutes) or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then remove and let cool to room temp before frosting.
For the Frosting
- In a large bowl cream together butter and cocoa powder for about 1 minute until well-combined.
- Add about half of the sugar, about half the of milk and all the vanilla extract. Turn mix on low to combine, then on high to whip the frosting together for about a minute. Repeat adding the rest of the ingredients.
- Now check the consistency of the frosting. If it’s too dry, add a tablespoon at a time more dairy free milk until it reaches your desired consistency. If it’s too wet and does not a shape, add a tablespoon more powered sugar at a time until it reaches the right consistency to hold its shape.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Let’s see your creations!
Share to Instagram and tag us @makeitdairyfree so we can see and share it!
Gizem
This is the best chocolate cake recipe by far!! Our whole family loved it ❤️ I was skeptical about the boiling hot water but it totally works and enhances the chocolate was of this cake. It is so moist and decadent. Thank you for putting it together 😋😋
LarishaBernard
We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂 We appreciate you taking time to leave your thoughts!
Colleen
The cake consistency is perfect!! The icing is
too sweet!!
LarishaBernard
Glad you enjoyed the cake, you can adjust the icing as needed
Maurice C
Okay so hear me out …. I’m not vegan but I like to try vegan recipes to see how they compare. I made this cake and didn’t tell my family that key fact and they were astounded. This is an extremely easy to make cake that full of flavor and moist and delicious cake. It’s a MUST TRY! Thanks for sharing
LarishaBernard
So glad to hear that it was a hit with everyone!
Maurice C
Okay so hear me out …. I’m not vegan but I like to try vegan recipes to see how they compare. I made this cake and didn’t tell my family that key fact and they were astounded. This is an extremely easy to make cake that full of flavor and moist and delicious cake. It’s a MUST TRY! Thanks for sharing this great recipe
LarishaBernard
So glad to hear you enjoyed it
Denise Goode
Best chocolate vegan cake I have made, will definitely will be making it again. Thank you for sharing.
LarishaBernard
Yay! Thanks for sharing
tahira
Can I use cake flour for this recipe would it make it extra soft?
LarishaBernard
You can and it would be soft
Tahira Akhtar
Hi would this work with cake flour?
LarishaBernard
Yes
Tahira Akhtar
This is the best chocolate cake ever. Easiest to make and works out all the time.
I made this in an 8-inch square pan makes it easier to slice especially for parties.
I replaced some of the plain flour with cake flour and it made a really fudgy cake. Best idea.
I was wondering can you make a similar version for a vanilla cake, adding a cup of boiling water. I found adding water to it make it a lot easier that way you don’t need to worry about overmixing and turning it into a denser cake.
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear you loved the cake. The point of the boiling water is to “bloom” the chocolate which enhances the flavor. We haven’t tried it with our vanilla cake; however, we think it would work!
Tahira
I’m not sure what I did wrong. Made this cake for my nephews birthday but the cake tasted like nothing.
Is it because of the water?
I did freeze the cake for an hour or two. But didn’t think that would affect the cake?
Hope you can help
LarishaBernard
freezing shouldn’t affect it. Not sure why it doesn’t taste like anything if you followed all the steps. Are you using a quality cocoa powder?
chelsea predvil
This was the best vegan chocolate cake I’ve ever made and tasted . I shared it with all of my non vegan family and they couldn’t even believe it lol
LarishaBernard
So glad that everyone enjoyed it
Bracy M
This cake is amazing!! I enjoy baking and cooking, but you two have made it so easy to put recipes together, while treating us to some delicious favorites. I appreciate that you use ingredients we already have in our everyday kitchen/pantry. My whole family absolutely loved this chocolate cake, it will be our go to from now on. The texture was right, the flavor of the chocolate cake and the chocolate frosting combo was a total hit and not overly sweet. If your thinking about making it, go for it you won’t be disappointed. And while you’re here check out all their other amazing recipes!!
LarishaBernard
You’re so kind, thank you so much
Amber
Hi, any chance you think I could use whole wheat flour? Thanks in advance.
LarishaBernard
We haven’t tried for adjusted measurements, but potentially you could. May need more liquid
Tahira
Instead of the boiling water could I add hot milk for extra richness? Thanks
LarishaBernard
Yes
Caren
I made this cake for my birthday this year. The ingredients are uncomplicated and in my kitchen. This cake turned out perfectly. Chocolatey, moist and most importantly dairy and egg free. I could not have gotten this at a bakery where I live. It was enjoyed thoroughly. This recipe will be used again and again for coming vegan and allergen free birthdays. Thank you so much for sharing.
LarishaBernard
So glad that you enjoyed it!
Farah
Can I use coffee instead of water? Thanks for the recipe & detailed instructions!
LarishaBernard
Yes
Tahira
Could I use hot milk instead of water to make it taste richer?
LarishaBernard
Yes
Lili Toussaint
I made this cake and it was absolutely amazing! I always struggle with vegan baking but this was simple, effective and deeeelish!
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear it was easy for you!
Caren
Really glad I came across this recipe. The ingredients are in my kitchen everyday so it was a no brainer to make this for my birthday this year. This cake was moist, chocolatey and decadent. I felt pleased that I could celebrate without cake limitations. I am certain I could not get a custom cake (dairy and egg free) at any bakery near me. I will definitely be making this again.
LarishaBernard
Happy belated birthday! So glad that you enjoyed it
Josie
I was making this for my best friends birthday.The cake if.great but the frosting what an apsolute nightmare and I had a breakdown…It was seperated,grainy.and too liquid.I really checkd many times if I messed up but I dideverything how it is said?And then after I went to google to fix it but sadly no luck.I am so sad.I was planning on this for my best friend for a few weeks now and now I just feel sad I can’t give her a birthday cake 🙁
LarishaBernard
Sorry you didn’t have a great experience with the frosting. It’s like dependent on the vegan butter that was used
Sct
I just found my #1 recipe ! Absolute fave amongst family and friends, rich and moist .. just pure perfection. Even some who fancy a sponge cake couldn’t get enough! That’s speaks for itself.
LarishaBernard
Love that thank you!
Sct
I just found my #1 recipe ! Absolute fave amongst family and friends, rich and moist .. just pure perfection. Even some who fancy a sponge cake couldn’t get enough! That speaks for itself.
Marie
Oh my freaking goodness!!!! This is truly THE BEST VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE I have ever had. So very moist and the buttercream icing made it perfect.
I think next in my list will be you baked Mac & Cheese!!!
LarishaBernard
So glad that you enjoyed it. Hope you enjoy the next recipe just as much
Claire
I would love to make this but I want to avoid using oil. Any suggestions on what to use instead? Would it be just as yummy?
LarishaBernard
Substitute with the same amount of applesauce, but it will be more dense
Tahiraskz
Loved this recipe so moist and rich. Is it possible to change this recipe to make a red velvet cake?
LarishaBernard
So glad you enjoyed – for red velvet, you can follow our recipe here: https://makeitdairyfree.com/vegan-red-velvet-cake/
S
I’ve been disappointed by chocolate cake recipes in the past. I made this for my vegan friend, and it’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. The flavor is delicious and well-rounded, and the texture is very soft and moist (even straight out of the fridge!). I made a 9″ single-layer cake and 12 standard cupcakes with the quantities in this recipe. I used Sunrich barista oatmilk and Canola oil.
I couldn’t find vegan butter at the store, so I used Country Crock margarine. A word of warning to other first-time vegan bakers: Margarine (as opposed to regular butter, which I normally use) makes the frosting very soft and not pipeable! I can’t speak for the recommended vegan butter, but if you want to substitute in margarine for this frosting recipe, cut the wet ingredients in half and add more in as you go until you get a good consistency. The frosting will need to stay refrigerated at all times if you are decorating with it; it will weep if it gets warm or if there is too much vertical action. The flavor worked well with the cake, but was not that good by itself, and I needed to add extra cornstarch to stabilize it.
LarishaBernard
Definitely try a different vegan butter in the future with a higher fat content. Overall, so glad you enjoyed it
Izzy
You weren’t kidding when you wrote ‘the best chocolate cake’. Wow! This was amazing. Made it for a family member’s birthday and everyone loved it so much. Thank you for this recipe.
LarishaBernard
So glad that everyone enjoyed it
Mel
The Title is 100% Truth….. As I recall going vegan, the chocolate cake at Costco was the Absolute Best…. This cake right here, out scores it on so many levels….. The Bomb!💣
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear that
Neo
I just completed making it and my non vegan family is all over it. Truly spectacular,what an amazing success. I really love your work! ❤️
LarishaBernard
So glad you enjoyed
Tahira
I have made this before best chocolate cake not sickly sweet like others I have tried. Definitely no fail.
Is it possible to make this into a red velvet cake?
LarishaBernard
Red velvet: https://makeitdairyfree.com/vegan-red-velvet-cake/
Tunisha
Legit best chocolate cake ever!
LarishaBernard
Yay!
Marissa Hinojosa
Best chocolate cake I’ve tried, hands down! This is a great recipe with detailed and easy-to-follow instructions. My family loved it and I will definitely be making this again!
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear
Yashaswini
could you say how many minutes and at what temperature am i supposed to bake this?
LarishaBernard
Steps 1 and 6
KKS
This cake is amazing!! Definitely best chocolate cake I have made!! Everyone is impressed that it is vegan as well :).
Thank you so much for coming up with this!!!
LarishaBernard
Yay! Love it
Tunisha
Legit the best chocolate cake ever! :))
LarishaBernard
So glad you agree
sylera
Which dairy free milk did you use?
LarishaBernard
any non-dairy milk will work
Sarah
This was amazing. Used it to make my son’s birthday cake. I am not at all a baker and it turned out better than any non-vegan cake I’ve had. Amazing.
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear! Happy bday to your son
Vika
I’ve not had much luck baking vegan cakes, but this recipe is absolutely amazing. One of my first few cakes which turned out really well!
LarishaBernard
yay! Glad to hear that
Melanie
I agree that this is the best chocolate cake! I am not a baker and I found this recipe easy to follow. Got great results on the very first attempt. I was pleasantly surprised with how moist the cake was.
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear that
Mikaramirez
Hi! Excited to try your recipe, my toddler has a dairy allergy. Can I use plain vinergar instead of apple cider?
LarishaBernard
Yes
Mrs. Hylton
Love love loved this recipe!!!
LarishaBernard
So glad to hear!
Kayla
Dude I don’t know what the hell I’m doing wrong but I’ve made two cakes now this recipe and one very similar, only difference was measurements and the other called for instant coffee instead of just water, anyway……. My cakes are coming out crumbly. I’m following it exact and i’ve made cakes before that came out perfect, I can’t find the recipe to that one but I just don’t understand what I’m doing wrong if there is so many reviews saying this one is great. And the flavor is great. I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
LarishaBernard
Crumbly cake happens for a variety of reasons: overmixed batter, oven too hot, didn’t allow cake to cool properly, mismeasured ingredients
Tahiraa
This is definitely my favorite chocolate cake recipe. The easiest and no fail.
If I were to make this in an 8inch square pan. Would I need to convert the recipe?
Hope you can help
LarishaBernard
Don’t need to covert, just may need to adjust the time and you’ll still need multiple pans
Jo
Hi your recipe sounds great and I’ll defenitely give it a try next week! I’ve been struggling with runny frosting in other chocolate cake recipes, but with long enough cooling my hopes are high this time 😅
I’m living in Germany so I’d be really thankful if somebody could check whether my conversions to metric are on point:
Cake:
240 ml plant milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
~318g flour
~360-400g sugar (I’m mixing brown and white)
120g dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1,5 tsp baking soda
1,5 tsp salt
180 ml rapeseed oil
360 ml boiling water
Frosting:
~337g vegan butter
120g dutch processed cocoa powder
600g powdered sugar
120 ml plant milk
2 tsp vanilla
Also I’m using 26cm-pans so I’ll multiply those amounts by 1,29…hope I don’t mess up with all those conversions ^^
Anyway, keep up the great work on your YouTube channel and maybe if you feel like it I’m sure a lot of people would be very grateful for metric measurements in upcoming recipes 🙂
LarishaBernard
We hope to have metric conversions later this year
Samantha
Really moist, fudgy cake. Made it for my daughter’s 1st birthday and it was a hit! The layers were very delicate and ended up breaking as I was transferring them but once the cake was frosted you couldn’t tell. The cake breaking could also be down to my inexperience. It’s the first layer cake I’ve ever made. I ended up with well over a cup of extra frosting but I’ll just freeze it for a future use. Definitely would make again and I’m quite sure my husband wants me to make it for his birthday too! Thank you for the recipe!
LarishaBernard
So glad you enjoyed it. Crumbly cake happens for a variety of reasons: overmixed batter, oven too hot, didn’t allow cake to cool properly, mismeasured ingredients. We’re positive you will continue to be successful the more you try!
Deborah KIVRAK
My cake cracked after 29 mins,any reason?
LarishaBernard
Crumbly cake happens for a variety of reasons: overmixed batter, oven too hot, didn’t allow cake to cool properly, mismeasured ingredients
Madhumita
Truly the best vegan chocolate cake! Made this for my nephew’s birthday and it was so delicious. The boiling hot water tip is important and I feel it helped with getting the cake together well. Keep posting more vegan cake recipes!
Divya
I saw your video and read your recipe yesterday. I was so impressed by the recipe that I tried it the same day.
When I read the concept of “blooming of chocolate” I was a bit hesitant in trying it but then after understanding it I decided to use it in my recipe.
My cake turned amazingly soft!!! I am eating it after almost 18 hours and it is still very soft and tasty 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Surely going to follow more recipes from you 🙂
LarishaBernard
Winning! So glad you tried it!
Rafa
Truly the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had! My husband baked for the very first time and it turned out flawless! He used extra dark Hershey’s cocoa powder and the flavour was unbelievable!!! I was so happy to have someone baking me a delicious bday cake because since going vegan, it was so sad that I always had to bake my own cake 🤣
LarishaBernard
So happy that it was a hit! Hope you had the best birthday! Thanks for taking time out to leave a review!
Emily
This is the BEST chocolate cake – vegan or not!!!
Thanks for sharing! I shared some with my friend and her baby, and I brought some to my friends at work today. Everyone loves this cake!
LarishaBernard
So happy that it was a hit with everyone! Thanks for taking time out to leave a review!
Katherine
can We use coconut sugar rather than the cane sugar?
LarishaBernard
It will be different, but can be used
Yulianna
Will it work if I use unsweetened cocoa powder?
LarishaBernard
Yes
Kate Kelly
I made this with gluten free flour, because I’m wheat intolerant, and it was the best cake I’ve had in a long time! Thank you so much. Great recipe!
LarishaBernard
Love it! So glad you enjoyed
Aga
Can I use vanilla powder instead of vanilla extract? In that case how much and I bet I must add it to dry ingredients instead?
LarishaBernard
Yes to the dry ingredients and only use 1 tsp of powder
Melissa
I made this cake and although it didn’t turn out the way I expected it to (due to my mistakes) the cake was absolutely delish! This recipe is a keeper. Thank you
LarishaBernard
Glad you still enjoyed it, hopefully you try again
Beth
Loved this recipe! My son is allergic to cow’s milk and eggs, and we usually buy a vegan cake for his birthday from Whole Foods. This year, they were out of vegan cakes, so I went online in search of a recipe for great vegan chocolate cake – and I found it! Thank you so much! It was moist and delicious. The perfect birthday cake! I loved your video and the tips as well. I’ll be back to your website for more.
LarishaBernard
So glad that you enjoyed it so much! Happy Birthday to your son!
sarah Alwael
is it possible to use spelt flour instead of all purpose flour?
LarishaBernard
Possible, but we haven’t tried so we don’t have adjustment measurements
Lanae
Absolutely delicious! I made a half recipe which made twelve normal size cupcakes. The recipe is perfect as is, but I am wondering if I could add espresso powder to it? Thank you!
LarishaBernard
Yes you can
Des
Would this make enough batter to make 3, 1-inch tall, 9 -inch layers?
LarishaBernard
Yes, you should be able to do that
Erica
We made this for my son’s 2nd birthday party. I baked the cakes and my husband decorated them because he’s more artistically gifted. (Construction truck theme so the front end loader toy carved out the “2” through the icing.) Everyone loved it! I shared the recipe with at least 3 people. Bonus points for it being one pot! Who doesn’t love that?
netrace
Out of this world delish!
LarishaBernard
Thanks! Glad to hear
Brigitte
Truly amazing , decadent , scrumptious cake . I used 1 3/4 cup of sugar , I replaced 1/2 cup flour for whole wheat flour , I had unsweetened vanille flavor macadamia nut milk and I used 1/2 cup coconut oil and I added apple sauce to make 3/4 cup of the oil . Just trying to make it less fattening still my husband gave it 10 for score the best moist chocolate cake ever . It cooked pretty fast 29 minutes next time I can bake it 27 minutes . Thanks for an amazing vegan cake .
LarishaBernard
Glad that it worked well for you with your changes!
Deborah
My mom is vegan and loved it! I ended up putting the sugar in half and it ended up perfect! Absolutely recommend.
LarishaBernard
So glad to hear that!
Carissa
Absolutely amazing! Made cupcakes. Next time will only prepare half the batter. Was to impatient to wait for them to cool and ate one straight out the oven. Definitely a go- to recipe!
Velvet
This cake is named well. It is absolutely divine and will be my birthday cake once a year. Everyone in my family loved it. It is the best cake to trick your non-vegan friends.
LarishaBernard
So glad everyone enjoyed it !
Renee
One word: WOW!
One of the few recipes on the internet that calls itself “the best” and is telling the truth! This recipe is fantastic! The cake itself has a beautiful texture, somehow a combination of airy and fudge-y. It’s soft but not delicate, making it easy to layer. It reminds me of a Devil’s Food Cake. It uses some fun food chemistry to replace the eggs, making it different from other recipes I’ve tried that use banana or apple sauce. It’s not that applesauce or bananas don’t work, but because we want a CHOCOLATE cake. Not a chocolate-banana cake (delicious, but it has its own time to shine)! The flavors are wonderfully balanced and delicious! I can tell you in detail just how amazing this cake is, but you just need to try it for yourself! You will LOVE it!
With this recipe, I made three 6-inch rounds and two (thin) 10-inch rounds. I didn’t try the frosting yet, but I know it’s 5 Stars!
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
What are you doing still reading my comment? Go on and make this cake!
LarishaBernard
HAHA love this review! We are so glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
Junaidi
This was an outstanding recipe and Im not even vegan. I skipped the frosting because I cannot make anything that sweet (maybe Ill cut sugar qty in half). But the sponge will definitely go into my recipe book.
LarishaBernard
Glad you enjoyed it!
Kevin R
Didn’t feel like spending $30+ for a vegan birthday cake, so I decided to make my own. Never made a cake before; let alone a two layer, marbled one. Never made butter cream before; let alone vegan. Never frosted a cake before. Thank you for the great write-up and videos. Simple ingredients and easy to follow (even when I decided to complicate it by wanting a marbled cake).
LarishaBernard
Glad that it turned out so well for you!
Molly
This recipe is great! The ingredients are easy to get and simple. This cake is easy to make! It’s fluffy and delicious over time 🤤
LarishaBernard
So glad you enjoyed it Molly!
Sharon
First time baking anything vegan and I only did for a friend. This can (and will) easily replace my go-to cake recipes. Taste texture are amazing. The ‘buttercream’ icing is SO good! Your how-to video made me smile. My vegan birthday girl will be so excited!! Thank you for sharing!
LarishaBernard
We’re so excited to hear that! Happy birthday to your friend! You’re so sweet for making it
Silvia Ruzzier
This is one of the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us! 😍 So so yummy!
LarishaBernard
So glad to hear that you enjoyed it so much!
Mecca79
i haven’t made this recipe yet..im wondering if i can use avocado oil ? I’m looking forward to trying this after reading every review on it. and having been plant based since late 2017 i haven’t really been baking and want to get back into the baking game and chocolate cake is one of my favorites. so I’m hoping i do this right the first time (Virgo issues) . so again can i use Avocado oil in this recipe and also do you think that the plant based country crock butter will be ok for the frosting?
LarishaBernard
Yes to both!
Lau P
Absolutely the best chocolate cake!! Moist & flavorful!!
It’s my go to cake for almost any occasion!!
(Snow storms and winter Sunday evenings so far lol)
Thanks for sharing!! Great YT channel!!
LarishaBernard
Love that you’re enjoying the recipe so much!
Cami
Amazing recipe ! Will definitely be making this cake again .
LarishaBernard
So glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
Molly
This recipe is great! The ingredients are easy to get and simple. This cake is easy to make! It’s fluffy and delicious over time 🤤
Jenny
This was amazing! Best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. I’m curious if the Cocoa powder could be substituted with carob powder for any people sensitive to chocolate? How much sugar do you think would be needed since carob is naturally sweeter than Cocoa? Thank you again for this recipe – I adore your channel!
LarishaBernard
Unfortunately, we haven’t tried this so we aren’t sure exactly. It’s a 1:1 swap, but yes you’d like want to reduce the sugar, but you make also need to reduce the temp as carob can cook faster and we just aren’t sure without testing ourselves
Julie
This recipe earned each of these 5 stars! Cake was moist, not too sweet and had rich chocolate flavor. I was short on white sugar so used 1/2 C brown sugar as well as combination of refined coconut oil and vegetable oil. None of the ingredients were sifted, baked in a deep 9 inch square pan for about 60 mins and frosted with 1/3 of the frosting recipe. Delicious! Thank you for the fabulous recipe.
LarishaBernard
Glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
Valeria Zetino
Everybody stop searching cause you just found GOLD with this recipe. I made this cake for my own birthday and shared with non vegan friends and family, the cake was SO GOOD that they didn’t even notice it was vegan until I say it -proudly-. The recipe is easy to follow and as someone who lives in Latin America, the ingredients are also easy to find! Thank you Larisha and Andrew, you did not lie, THIS. IS. THE. BEST. Vegan Chocolate Cake. Period.
LarishaBernard
We are so happy that you loved it! Happy birthday Valeria!
TONITA
This cake turned out really and is very similar to a non-vegan hot water chocolate cake i make pretty regularly . The non-vegan cake has eggs of course but no milk. The 2 cakes are almost the same in taste and texture. The veagan cake was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. And I must say I fell deeply in love with the icing. If was a little soft after mixing so I placed in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up some. I went on perfectly after that. I used soy milk as I have family members with nut allergies.
LarishaBernard
So happy to hear you enjoyed it as well as everyone else
Mama D
My daughter pretends to hate vegan food or any food without meat products. So I made the vegan chocolate for my friends. Made an extra one in a Bundt pan, iced it and slipped a plate to my daughter. Now she’s hounding me for more and we both agree, vegan or not, this recipe is “da bomb!”
LarishaBernard
hhaahha, I love that so much! So glad you all enjoyed it
Sydney
Have made this cake at least 5 times now! Always a win with everyone at home and in the office! So good!
LarishaBernard
Yay! We love to hear that!
Jessica
Highly HIGHLY recommend this recipe !!!
The cake itself was seriously the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had, just the right amount of sweetness that hits the spot. One of my sons has food allergies, and the fact that he could enjoy from the same cake as everyone else means a lot to us. And everyone else loved it as well !!
LarishaBernard
We are so happy to hear that it was a hit
Jen Michels
Can this be made in a 9×13 baking pan?
LarishaBernard
Yes, but don’t fill the pan more than 3/4 way. If you have more batter, make a few muffins!
Tammy T
Divine! I cut the recipe in half and cooked for 30 minutes in 8×8 pan. I subbed applesauce for the oil and it was moist, light and fluffy. Not too dense at all and PERFECTLY cooked! This by far was one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever made. So simple and I loved that I only had to use 1 bowl. Thank you for the inspiration!
LarishaBernard
So glad that you loved it!
Tina
Can I use granulated white sugar?
LarishaBernard
Yes
Elly
I have been making the best vegan browny and people LOVE itt.. they keep askin me to make it. I even share the recipe with them, they tell me noo, you make it Elly, it tastes better when you do.. I cant imagine how yours taste but everyone who tried it, loved it.. so I decoded to give this chocolate cake a try.. now at first it didnt come out so good.. but it still tasted good according to my sister and friend.. since I’m not big in using Baking soda nor Baking powder it doesnt come out completely the same but I just had a piece of my second try and I must say.. I will keep trying until I get it to look like yours.. the taste is AMAZING TO ME.. I just want it to be more fluffy soo.. I will keep testing and trying until I get it right😊😊.
Keep up the good work in providing the world with delicionesses🤗🤗🤗
LarishaBernard
Glad you’re enjoying the recipes
Sam
Loved the recipe! I made it for my dad’s birthday party. I took the liberty of adding some chocolate shavings/chips between the layers for texture and added rum to the frosting. Everyone (non vegans!) loved the cake, people went in for seconds and took leftovers home.
Thank you! So happy I found your website.
LarishaBernard
Love this so much! So glad you enjoyed it
Kris
This recipe is beyond A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
Truly, I am so incredibly grateful for it and for You both having created your AWESOME channel! I have made it more times than I can count and it is ALWAYS A WINNER!!! I’d be so grateful if you could let me know if this cake can work with rum and raisins, if so, how? I’ve been appointed the family baker this Christmas and would love to WOW the family.
Eager for your response : )
Peace and Blessings
XOXO
LarishaBernard
so happy to hear that, thank you so much for your kind words
Jessie Jay
Seriously the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made, vegan and non-vegan too! Usually I adjust recipes and change things a bit to suit me, but this one I follow strictly because I know it’s BOSS!
LarishaBernard
So happy you enjoyed the recipe so much!