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A large slice of two layered best vegan chocolate cake with chocolate icing.
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4.94 from 198 votes

The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake

The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake is perfection! Moist, rich, chocolatey, and divine! Paired with a vegan chocolate frosting for an absolute treat
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 574kcal
Author: Andrew Bernard

Ingredients

For the Cake

For the Frosting

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 1 cup non-dairy milk, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and 2 teaspoon vanilla extract to make vegan buttermilk. Set aside.
    vegan buttermilk in a glass measuring cup sitting on a wooden table.
  • Use a large bowl and whisk together 2 ½ cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup cocoa powder, 2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 ½ teaspoon each baking soda and salt. 
    dry ingredients for chocolate cake whisked together in a glass bowl on a table.
  • Carefully add 1 ½ cups boiling water, ¾ cup neutral oil, and the vegan buttermilk from Step 1. Mix with a spatula until just combined. 
    *Note: Batter will be loose and thin. 
    vegan chocolate cake batter in a glass bowl on a table.
  • 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. 
    two 8 inch cake pans next to each other filled with vegan chocolate cake batter.
  • Let cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then remove and let cool to room temperature before frosting.
    two 8 inch cooked vegan chocolate cakes in cake pans next to each other.

For the Frosting

  • In a large bowl cream together 1 ½ cups non-dairy butter and 1 cup cocoa powder for about 1 minute until well-combined.
    chocolate frosting before adding powdered sugar in a glass bowl.
  • Add 2 ½ cups of powdered sugar, ¼ cup non-dairy milk and 2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Turn mix on low to combine, then on high to whip the frosting together for about a minute. Then add remaining 2 ½ cups powdered sugar and ¼ cup non-dairy milk and adding low to combine and high to whip until you have a cohesive frosting.
    vegan chocolate frosting in a glass bowl.
  • Check the consistency of the frosting. If it’s too dry, add a tablespoon at a time more non-dairy 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.
  • Frost the cake as desired.
    a vegan chocolate cake sitting on a marble lazy susan where the two layers have dollops of chocolate frosting between and a swirled pattern on table, but no frosting on the sides of the cake.

Video

Notes

*Nutritional values are estimates. Please utilize your own brands for accuracy. 
There are step by step photos, instructions, and tips in the body of this post as well as a detailed video to watch below.  We highly suggest reading through the post prior to baking for best results. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 574kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 3g | Sodium: 466mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 3mg

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