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This vegan chocolate cake recipe features a moist, fluffy cake with dark chocolate flavor, all hidden beneath a sheet of creamy chocolate frosting. No one would guess it’s vegan!
Craving more vegan cake recipes? Try my vegan birthday cake, vegan lemon cake, and vegan carrot cake next.
Everyone needs a staple cake in their repertoire. Yes, even vegans.
If you’re looking for a foolproof chocolate cake recipe that satisfies the vegans in your family but doesn’t taste like anything’s missing, my recipe is exactly what you’re looking for.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Made in one bowl. We’ve got cake-making down to a science!
- Simple ingredients. No flax eggs, no vegan butter, and no niche or hard-to-find substitutions.
- Ready in 30 minutes. Seriously, you can have the cake ready in no time. Then, once it’s cool, just frost, slice, and serve.
- The perfect flavor and texture. Trust me, even the vegan skeptics in your group will find it hard to believe there’s no dairy or eggs in this cake.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“I’ve made this cake several times, and we love it. I highly recommend trying it.” – Morgan
Ingredients needed
- All-purpose flour. Also known as plain flour. Be sure to sift the flour very well, to ensure there are no clumps throughout.
- Sugar. Use raw white sugar, which is the best sugar to use on a vegan diet. White or brown sugar can often be made using bone marrow, so use the purest forms.
- Cocoa powder. Dutch processed and 100% unsweetened cocoa powder. For a richer flavor, you can use dark cocoa powder.
- Baking soda. The leavening agent is used to give the cake some fluffiness and rise. It also reacts with the vinegar to replicate eggs.
- Salt. Balances out all the sweet ingredients.
- Apple cider vinegar. Or white vinegar. Reacts with the baking soda.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any delicious cake!
- Vegetable oil. Or any neutral-flavored oil. Keeps the cake moist and fluffy in the middle.
- Water. To mix everything together. You can also use plant-based milk if you prefer.
- Vegan chocolate frosting. What is a vegan cake without some vegan chocolate buttercream frosting?
How to make vegan chocolate cake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line an 8-inch springform pan or cake pan with parchment paper.
Step 2- Make the cake batter. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter remains.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out just clean.
Step 4- Frost. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, frost the cake.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Want a double or triple-layer cake? Simply double or triple the ingredients.
- Use a stand mixer. I usually don’t mind stirring the cake batter by hand, but I’ll admit using a stand mixer does make it a speedier process.
- Don’t overbake the cake. The cake continues to bake while it is cooling in the pan, so remove it from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted is ‘just’ clean.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting. Otherwise, it’ll slick right off the cake.
- Add more chocolate flavor. Swap two tablespoons of water for freshly brewed coffee or a shot of espresso. No one will be able to taste the coffee, but it’ll enhance the chocolate flavor.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to two weeks.
To freeze: Place leftover cake slices in a shallow container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
Although vegan cakes don’t use dairy or eggs, they still contain plenty of sugar and/or oil. Because of this, it doesn’t make it any healthier than a regular cake.
To make this an oil-free chocolate cake, sub the oil for unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana.
To make this cake suitable for celiacs, swap out the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend (with added xanthan gum).
More vegan dessert recipes to try
- Vegan strawberry cake
- Vegan ice cream cake
- Vegan German chocolate cake
- Snickers cake
- Or any of these vegan desserts
Vegan Chocolate Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour use gluten-free, if needed
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoon vegetable oil * See notes
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8-inch springform pan or cake pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder. salt, and baking soda, and mix well. Add the vanilla extract, oil, and water, and mix until a smooth batter remains.
- Transfer to the lined pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out just clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, frost the cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published September 2022, updated and republished July 2024
Made this the other day. Big hit with the family. No one knew it was vegan and gluten free. So moist and sweet. Will definitely make again!!
This looks a lot like the chocolate cake that I grew up with in Alaska. A vinegar add in to a mass of chocolate was in all of the “Homesteader” cookbooks. so many memories.
Hi Arman,
Is it possible for you to provide your recipe measurements in metric ? Easier this way on the weighing scale. Thanks.
We will be looking into it moving forward! Thanks!
Can applesauce be used instead of oil?
Yes, or you can make my healthy chocolate cake.
Hey you!!!! This cake by far is the BEST vegan chocolate cake I have ever made and tasted. It was so good yesterday that I made a second one today (double batch). Ummm so this was like better than boxed cake and most from scratch cakes. It was so easy to make that it should be taught in home economics, or “Cake Making for Dummies”. I used sunflower oil and half raw cane and dark brown sugar. I am going to play with other variations. Hands down, superb!
Thank you so much, Akeala!
Wonderful recipe! Have you had anyone try to cover this cake with fondant? I think if I were to use cake flour it would be more sturdy to hold the weight of it? Anyways, just wondering if you or knew of someone attempted this with success. Thank you!
Has anyone used this recipe for cupcakes? And if so how long and at what temp should I bake them for?
Here you go :). https://thebigmansworld.com/vegan-chocolate-cupcakes/
My family is now in love with this recipe…thank you so much
Thank you, Nisha!
I was wondering if this cake can soak up a flavored simple syrup.
I haven’t tried but feel free to experiment and see!
Like both cakes and candy
Hi, Can i use Gluten free oat flour or cassava flour? For the sugar, can I use brown sugar or coconut sugar?
Thank you
Can I substitute the sugar with apple sauce?
Nope!
It’s my grandmother’s birthday tomorrow and I tried making a Japanese style cake, which failed spectacularly. So here I am at 7:30 at night and I need to drop off a cake by 10 in the morning, not to mention I also ran out of butter and milk.
I was a little hesitant to try this recipe since I’ve never made a vegan dessert before. Needless to say this turned out great! I’ll definitely be making this again, thank you for saving my grandma’s birthday!
Happy Birthday to your grandma, Nikki x
Made it into cupcakes, super delicious!
Thank you, Sue!
Can the oil be substituted for butter? We are eggfree but not vegan and some of us are less fond of the taste of oil in baked goods.
Sure I don’t see why not!
Hi Arman! Want to try out your vegan recipe. Just wanted to know whether this turns out dark. All the chocolate cake recipes I have baked have cocoa powder quantities which are half or slightly less than half the measure of flour. Would it affect the outcome if I increased the cocoa powder to half or two thirds cup instead of one fourth?
I haven’t tried this recipe with different proportions.